Fremantle has traded Liam Henry to St Kilda just two days from the end of the AFL trade period, months after the wingman first told the club of his intent to part ways.
The proud Noongar/Wajuk and Walmadjari man is set to call Moorabbin home for the next four years after expressing a desire in July to move to Victoria and later nominating St Kilda as his preferred destination.
In exchange for 22-year-old, the Saints surrendered future second-round and fourth-round picks next year while also obtaining the Dockers' future fourth-round pick.
Henry had been taken with the ninth selection – Fremantle's first pick – of the 2019 draft after joining the club's Next Generation Academy three years earlier.
But during a breakout AFL season where his average jumped from 8.9 touches a game in his opening three years to 20.7 possessions per game in 2023, Henry refused to sign a new contract for 2024 midway through this year's campaign.
Determined to be compensated over its lengthy investment in the Claremont recruit, negotiations slowed through the first week of the trade after the Dockers attempted to coax out a first-round pick back while the Saints tightly held onto selections 13 and 21.
Fremantle eventually conceded on Monday afternoon that St Kilda was adamant over holding its own early draft picks after gaining free agency compensation at the end of the draft's first round for losing Yorta Yorta man Jade Gresham to Essendon.
Henry expressed a sense of relief to close an early chapter and move towards having a storied career.
"I loved my time at the Dockers," he told the Saints website.
"They made my childhood dreams come true, which I'm very grateful for, but I felt like the time was right to make a change.
"I'm really keen to just dig into pre-season and do my best to contribute to the team."
The move east will allow the gifted, spectacular and pacy ball-user to reunite but also link up with childhood hero Bradley Hill.
The First Nations pair only crossed paths briefly at Fremantle when Henry had been invited to train with the Dockers' playing group while in the club's academy.
While Henry has essentially plied his trade up and down the wing, St Kilda are yet to declare whether the plan was for both men to occupy opposite sides of the ground or whether one will venture forward and create havoc around goal.
St Kilda list manager Stephen Silvagni was excited to snare the club's prized signing.
"Liam is an exciting young player with plenty of upside to excite Saints fans," he said.
"His ability to find space is complemented by his elite skills and composure with ball in hand. We can't wait to welcome Liam and his family to the club."
