WITH the Gillette AFL Trade Period to end at 2pm on Friday, St Kilda will be one of the more anxious clubs as it is still hopeful of securing West Coast defender Mitch Brown and Gold Coast ruckman Tom Hickey.

In the case of 23-year-old Brown, the Herald Sun reports that the Eagles have rejected the Saints' request for a trade to include young St Kilda midfielder Jamie Cripps. West Australian Cripps, who is reportedly homesick, is out of contract and could still become an Eagle via the NAB AFL Draft.

Negotiations have reached a stalemate, with the Eagles asking the Saints to devise a better offer.

Meanwhile, Eagles backman Brown is contracted, so St Kilda can only snare him via a trade.

Brown is keen to return to Melbourne for senior opportunities that the Eagles simply cannot guarantee, and the Saints have offered him, The Age reports, a lucrative four-year contract. However, the Eagles want to retain him as insurance and as a potential successor to skipper Darren Glass.

St Kilda is also straining to get a deal done for Suns big man Hickey - they are the frontrunners for his services, according to the Herald Sun - but could well baulk at Gold Coast's asking price: a prized first-round draft pick.

The Suns want the Saints' pick 13, but the Saints are hopeful that their selection 25 will suffice for 21-year-old Hickey, who has played 12 games for the Suns.

The Kurt Tippett saga continues to drag on, with Adelaide so far refusing to budge on a deal that would see the star forward exchanged for Swans big man Jesse White and pick 23.

The Advertiser reports that White appears surplus to requirements for the Crows, who on Friday traded pick 43 for Richmond ruckman Angus Graham, who will provide support for No.1 big man Sam Jacobs.

This deal was done around the time the Crows withdrew from the trade package for Tippett.

But all parties remain hopeful, with the Crows remaining open-minded on an exchange involving White, while White's manager Michael Quinlan said negotiations were "not over and done with".

The Advertiser also reports that if the Crows signed White, they would be forced to cut a contracted player such as Richard Tambling.

Meanwhile, the Herald Sun reports that clubs disgruntled with compensation they received for departing free agents have no avenue for appeal.

Hawthorn is particularly annoyed after receiving pick No.66 for Clinton Young (Collingwood) and nothing for Tom Murphy (Gold Coast).

Adelaide is also smarting after being left with nothing after Chris Knights joined Richmond.

Both the Hawks and Crows will this week approach the AFL for clarification.