Dayne Beams is set to join the Brisbane Lions after Collingwood agreed to send the star midfielder north in a blockbuster trade.
The Lions’ push to add top-end talent to its list sees Beams join former Geelong gun Allen Christensen as trade period recruits, coming at the expense of drafts picks no.5 and 25, as well as 21-year-old midfielder Jack Crisp.
To further complicate proceedings, the Magpies will send pick 25 to North Melbourne in exchange for Levi Greenwood; helping pave the way to complete a five-team trade that will see a number of high-profile players switch homes.
“I think it’ll get done this afternoon, it’s all been agreed,” Collingwood president Eddie McGuire told Triple M on Tuesday morning.
“The five-way [trade] will go through with everyone included, with Heritier Lumumba going to Melbourne, Travis Varcoe to Collingwood, Mitch Clark to Geelong, and Beams (to the Brisbane Lions).”
Beams requested a move to Queensland last month, telling the club he helped to the 2010 premiership that he wanted to move closer to his father Phillip, fighting bowel cancer.
The 24-year-old has emerged as one of the league’s top midfielders since collecting 30.9 disposals and a goal a game in 2012. He returned from injury-plagued 2013 to average 27 touches and a goal in 19 contests last season, but missed Collingwood’s failed finals push after sustaining an ACL injury in mid-August.
The Lions debuted Christensen at a press conference on Tuesday following the trade of experienced defender Joel Patfull to finalise the deal. The 2012 breakout star is still on the mend after undergoing a second back surgery in the space of a year.
“It’s going really well, pretty much pain-free and passed the medical (examination) the other day, so (the Lions) were happy with it,” he said.
“I’m four weeks today and it’s about a 12-week recovery, so I’m only a couple of months from joining in training.”
Greenwood agreed to a four-year, $1.8 million deal with the Magpies last week.
Photo: Michael Dodge/Getty Images
