Izak Rankine officially joined Adelaide on Monday, but it was months earlier that the move started heating up.
The talented forward’s trade request was granted when he was sent to the Crows for what was essentially pick 5 heading back to Gold Coast.
The Suns were keen to hold onto their former top pick and all signs pointed to that being the case mid-year. But the narrative suddenly changed late in the season.
Opening up on the trade just hours after the paperwork had been made official, Adelaide list manager Justin Reid said it was a game at Adelaide Oval that made Rankine reconsider.
“You always have ongoing conversations and Hamish (Adelaide national recruiting manager) and the team and myself have watched Izak for a long time leading into the draft four years ago and we knew, being a Crows supporter as a kid, he was jumping off his couch at the age of four in a Crows jumper with his dad,” Reid began on AFL Trade Radio’s The Late Trade.
“This year, we obviously kept in contact with his management but I think a bit of a lightbulb moment was when he played on Adelaide Oval against Port Adelaide and he had his family in the changerooms, I think that really opened up the door for us.
“I’m not sure when that was but once that round happened, things moved pretty quickly after that.”
That game in Round 15 saw Rankine kick three goals in a 91-93 loss for the Suns.
One minor surprise when the deal was unveiled was reports that Rankine has only signed for three years.
It contradicted multiple earlier reports, and while Reid confirmed the length of the deal, he hinted it was to Rankine’s desire.
The 22-year-old played the best of his four years at the top level in 2022 and will hope to go to another level in the coming seasons.
“Izak is a proper person, he backs himself in. He’s nearly a 50-game player and I guess he and his management see some upside now that he’s laid those foundations,” he added.
“We’re happy to work through that with Izak, we see him as a long-term player at the footy club and we’re looking forward to bringing him into the group.”
Reid also revealed the club has discussions with Jason Horne-Francis – who has requested a trade to Port Adelaide – but always felt “behind the eight ball”
Rankine was the only played reported to be coming into Adelaide during the trade period, but both the Crows and Suns still have several deals to finalise of players leaving the club.