‘Two-way street’: Suns’ blunt trade stance on star after ‘unusual’ and ‘disappointing’ events

Gold Coast list boss Craig Cameron has reiterated his club’s firm stance that Bailey Humphrey won’t be traded, despite an “unusual” and “disappointing” recent series of events.

The Suns, who’ve already struck deals that have seen Sam Flanders land at St Kilda and Malcolm Rosas Jnr at Sydney, are clearly the most active club this trade period.

As well as opening up on the Humphrey situation during a wide-ranging interview on AFL Trade Radio, Cameron also revealed:

Watch every match of the 2025 NAB AFL Women’s Season LIVE ad-break free during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.

— “Preliminary discussions” with Melbourne over a Christian Petracca trade

— Bulldog Jamarra Ugle-Hagan would undergo a medical at the Suns on Thursday

— Insisted “no one has rung us” about Jed Walter and that fellow Academy graduate Jake Rogers wasn’t for trade, and

— The Suns were “comfortable” for Ben Ainsworth to either consider his options or remain at the club

But Humphrey, the Pick 6 from the 2022 draft, has been arguably the biggest curveball of the trade period yet.

The 21-year-old has reportedly met with several rival clubs as he weighs up his footy future, despite being contracted at the Suns until the end of 2028.

But asked if either Humphrey or his management had indicated the explosive forward wanted to be traded, Cameron told AFL Trade Radio: “Not in so many words, but we’re not naive enough to think there’s a number of clubs (interested) and that’s not on your mind.

“The eyebrow-raising side of things, I’ll leave for you guys to comment on, but as I said on Monday I find it a head-scratcher.

“But we’re really clear: We’re not trading Bailey Humphrey. It’s just not something we’re going to entertain.

“I think the thing we’ve all got to understand now is that the landscape has changed – and is still evolving – around players that are contracted looking to change clubs and that, as an industry, we have to accept that’s what the landscape now is. But the flipside of that is players and managers have to accept that they can ask the question, but when players are contracted and the club says ‘no’, that’s the answer.

“I think it’s a two-way street on this. If they want to explore, as much as we don’t like it, we’re going to have to accept it’s a new world. But once a club is definitive with its answer, that’s what has got to be accepted.”

Asked if Humphrey had been “poorly advised” by his camp across recent weeks, Cameron said: “I don’t know what he’s been told directly, so whether he’s been poorly advised I’ll leave it to what you guys see and think of that.

“I would prefer that this hasn’t played out the way it’s played out so publicly, absolutely – and not just I, but the whole club. It’s unusual. I don’t think I’ve seen it before. I’ve been around for a while and I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this play out the way it has, so it’s been disappointing.”

Cameron said Humphrey and Sun coach Damien Hardwick had spoken “a number of times” in recent days.

“The message is pretty clear: That we love him and that he’s still in a development phase to become a really good footballer for this footy club, ‘you’ve got three years to go on a contract, Bailey, and we’re not trading you’,” said Cameron, who insisted Humphrey would be “fine” to walk back into the club for pre-season training should he indeed remain at Gold Coast.

Cameron said the Suns have had “preliminary discussions” with Melbourne list boss Tim Lamb on a possible Petracca deal, but suggested it would “take a little bit of time to work through”.

He added the Suns would keep all options open at the negotiation table, but stressed rival clubs were aware of which Gold Coast players weren’t up for trade – particularly Humphrey.

“I think Melbourne and us can sit down and work something out in the long run,” he said.

Cameron also revealed Ugle-Hagan would undergo a medical at the Suns on Thursday and the fact the club was based outside the “football bubble” meant it was in “a good place to start to rebuild his football career”.

Asked what the Suns were keen to see from Ugle-Hagan when they met with him last week, Cameron said: “We were looking to see someone who was looking to make a commitment to getting himself back to a position where he can play consistent football – and I’m talking about actually being able to get on the park and play consistent football

“He met with our leadership group, he met with our Indigenous liaison officer in Jarrod Harbrow and obviously had a chat to the coach and myself.

“We’ve still got to run through some things with him … But we are progressing that.”

Cameron insisted “no one has rung us” about Walter and that Rogers wasn’t for trade, declaring: “We think Jake is one of those players who can take us forward.”

But Cameron said the club was “comfortable” for Ben Ainsworth to either consider his options or remain at the club after having “open dialogue” with his management, who’d indicated to the Suns that Carlton had interest.

“I think the best way to describe why we’re comfortable with that is we made finals this year and making finals is not the ultimate aim of this footy club,” Cameron said. “We need to look at ways to get better. We got taught a lesson in the second week of the finals by eventual premiers Brisbane and I’ve always thought footy can teach you lessons if you’re prepared to listen and observe.

“We need to get better and we need to bring a group of younger players through because of where we need to go to. We believe we can improve from inside the list with players like Leo Lombard and Jake Rogers, as well as some players we’re looking to bring in during this trade period.”

Click here to read article