# AFL trade period player movements > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/afl-trade-period-player-movements > Updated: 2026-10-11T08:39:05.000Z. Sources: 10. Developments: 2. During the AFL trade period, Hawthorn and the Gold Coast Suns engaged in a series of player movements. Hawthorn initially secured midfielder Zach Merrett from Essendon in a deal involving multiple draft picks and a four-year contract. Hawthorn also lodged free agency paperwork for Gold Coast forward Ben King. Following these developments, the Gold Coast Suns acquired Sam Butler and Aidan Schubert from Hawthorn to strengthen their forward line after the departure of Ben King. In exchange for Butler and Schubert, Hawthorn received several draft picks from the Suns, including 2028 first and second-round picks, a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2027 third-round selection. ## Claims - Gold Coast has acquired Sam Butler and Aidan Schubert from Hawthorn. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Hawthorn received Gold Coast's 2028 first and second-round picks and the Suns' 2027 second-round pick in the trade. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Hawthorn received a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 third-round selection from Gold Coast. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Sam Butler played 33 games across five seasons at Hawthorn. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Aidan Schubert was the No. 23 pick in the 2025 national draft. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The trade follows the loss of Ben King from Gold Coast to Hawthorn. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-10-11: Gold Coast Suns acquire Sam Butler and Aidan Schubert from Hawthorn The Gold Coast Suns have traded for Hawthorn players Sam Butler and Aidan Schubert to strengthen their forward line following Ben King's move to the Hawks. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/gold-coast-suns-acquire-sam-butler-and-aidan-schubert-from-hawthorn ### 2026-10-05: Hawthorn secures Zach Merrett and pursues Ben King in AFL trades Hawthorn has secured midfielder Zach Merrett from Essendon in a multi-pick trade and has lodged free agency paperwork for Gold Coast forward Ben King. 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/hawthorn-pursues-essendons-zach-merrett-and-gold-coasts-ben-king --- Cite as: AFL trade period player movements. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/afl-trade-period-player-movements