Should the Magpies and Demons target veteran Eagle this trade period?

As the trade rumours continue to pick up speed, general conversation surrounding potential deals tend to follow suit, whether feasible or fantasy.

With contracts set to expire, trades on the horizon and in this case, veterans potentially available, the question of what to do to maximise assets has become every list manager's most difficult task.

In a prime example of list headaches, Jack Darling’s time with the Eagles may be coming to a halt, as he reportedly enters the final – very expensive - year on his five-year contract out West.

It seems as though Darling’s best footy is behind him, managing just 22 goals in his 22 games, the lowest season tally in his admirable career.

It begs the question; what do West Coast do with Jack Darling?

Paul Hasleby certainly believes a trade can be made, with some notable suiters IF the Eagles are willing to… pay.

“Can West Coast turn Jack Darling into something?” Hasleby asked SEN WA’s The Run Home.

“There have been rumours around North Melbourne, I don’t fully believe those rumours, but I think North Melbourne would be wiser to go and find someone who is a bit younger.

“Tim Membrey is there who kicked more goals than Jack, and he’s two years younger.

“What about some clubs who would be competing, or thinking they can bounce back?

“There is two that come to mind, the Collingwood football club, and Melbourne.

“They both missed finals, both struggle with key forward targets, can West Coast do something spectacular to try to sell Jack Darling to those two clubs?”

Hasleby has put forward a potential trade that may become a league first, if the deal is ticked off by the AFL.

“Straight away you would be thinking, what’s in it for them? They are not going to buy Jack Darling,” he said.

“But what if West Coast said, ‘we would pay his whole wage’, because at West Coast right now, they don’t have a salary cap issue.

“They are either going to put him in the team next year, he might spend most of the time in the WAFL like Andrew Gaff did, or can you pay the whole wage, entice Melbourne, entice Collingwood, one of them, to give up something for Jack Darling.

“Their salary caps would be close to the top, they would believe that they can both rebound next year, and I’m wondering if you could entice a second round pick, could West Coast get that pick, paying the whole salary and then they can use that pick, or maybe what will be their third pick in the draft, for Liam Baker.”

Darling’s final year is rumoured to be worth approximately $800,000, allowing either of Collingwood or Melbourne to field Darling without exceeding the wage bill.

In all likelihood, the Eagles would not be permitted to pay 100 per cent of the deal, with a suitor almost certainly required to pay a percentage.

“The worst-case scenario is, he sits in the WAFL, that money sort of rots away, yes, he’s going to help with the leadership 100 per cent in the WAFL, but Andrew Gaff being there this year didn’t really help West Coast, it sort of becomes a bit of a distraction, he might be in and out a few times.

“I just wonder whether there would be a suitor, if you are going to pay the entire wage.”