RICHMOND last night put Jordan McMahon into a yellow and black jumper, with the Western Bulldog defender choosing the Tigers over Port Adelaide for a three-year deal worth almost $1 million.

McMahon, 24, informed the Tigers of his decision in the early evening after earlier visiting Port in his home state.

His decision will give the Dogs Richmond's priority pick, selection 18, which means that the Tigers have only one selection,No. 2, inside the first 30. Pick 19 was exchanged with selection 30 to acquire Mitch Morton from West Coast.

The Tigers got McMahon but missed on Brisbane Lion Rhan Hooper, who agreed late yesterday to sign a new deal with the Lions.

For the Queenslanders, a day that began with the threat of an exodus appeared to end in face-saving relief, with Hooper's decision to stay matched by Josh Drummond and Troy Selwood. With the Tigers circling around Hooper in the hope of enticing him into the pre-season draft, the Lions had Carlton trying to lure Drummond in the same fashion, the Kangaroos chasing a disgruntled Selwood, Essendon wooing Jared Brennan with a three-year offer and Richard Hadley also wanting out.

The Blues brought Drummond, a 24-year-old Sunshine Coaster, to Melbourne late yesterday morning and offered him a three-year deal. Despite the temptation of playing alongside new Blueboy Chris Judd, he flew home and agreed to a three-year contract with the Lions.

After being told that a new contract offer would not be available until next week, with the trade window closed, Selwood indicated to the Kangaroos early yesterday that he was keen to join them. The Lions, however, refused to deal with the Roos and assured him that an improved offer was on its way.

Hadley will be leaving, however, in all likelihood to Carlton for a low-level pick. Brennan's future was less certain. The enigmatic 23-year-old is effectively estranged from the club and the Dons are keen to winkle him out of Brisbane for nothing through the pre-season draft.

Collingwood's Rhyce Shaw thought he was heading to Brisbane on Wednesday night when he agreed to join the Lions as part of the three-way exchange involving Travis Johnstone and Cameron Wood. To do so, though, he wanted an improvement on his two-year deal with Collingwood. Brisbane declined to improve his terms and the shift collapsed. He still could leave the Magpies, who offered the 25-year-old running defender to Sydney yesterday without success and later, with ruckman Guy Richards, to St Kilda for the Saints' second-round pick at 26.

Eventually, Wood went to Collingwood for selection 14 alone, with the Lions on-trading the pick to Melbourne for Travis Johnstone, who agreed to a three-year deal with the Lions. It is believed that next season, Melbourne will pay half of the $400,000 he was contracted to it for in 2008.

St Kilda may not have got the ruckman it desired but added run to its side by trading pick 26 to Sydney for premiership players Adam Schneider and Sean Dempster. With the pick returning the Swans to the second-round of the draft, they then struck a deal for Geelong forward Henry Playfair for a third-round selection, pick 44.

Kangaroo Brad Moran seems destined for Adelaide. The 21-year-old agreed to join the Crows yesterday for a two-year contract, subject to a trade being struck.

Fremantle put a three-year offer to Essendon wingman Ricky Dyson but had not settled on the terms of a trade with the Dons last night. The Dockers also were considering the option of taking Kepler Bradley from Windy Hill, if not for a late pick, then through the pre-season draft.

It is believed that Essendon wants Fremantle's second-round pick 24 for Dyson for the deal to proceed. The Dockers have in mind a fourth-round pick for the 22-year-old or the option of getting Dyson and Bradley in exchange for pick 40.