Will Hayward and Ollie Florent at Carlton HQ. Picture: Bek Vilardo
THE MESSAGE was delivered loud and clear.
As Sydney set about a blockbuster trade for Charlie Curnow earlier this month, the hunt for collateral began. Of all places, it would be found in Argentina, where Will Hayward and Ollie Florent were holidaying together as part of their post-season celebrations.
Both had an inkling that players might be tapped on the shoulder as part of the Curnow chase. But then Florent got the phone call. On the other end of the line were Swans coach Dean Cox and footy boss Leon Cameron.
“Oh yeah, it was tough. It was definitely tough,” Florent tells AFL.com.au.
“They pretty much just said we want you out. We want you gone.”
Hayward was next. Cox was on the line. And the coach was just as emphatic.
“Over the whole period, I had two phone calls with ‘Coxy’,” Hayward tells AFL.com.au.
Will Hayward and Ollie Florent at Carlton HQ. Picture: Bek Vilardo
“That’s pretty much it. Those phone calls made it pretty easy to want to join Carlton.”
It was a jolt to the system. Florent and Hayward had both spent their first nine years at Sydney. Both had played 184 games for the club. Both had been part of multiple Grand Final sides. Both had experienced the highs and the lows.
But now, it was over. Having left for South America as fully fledged and fully committed Swans, the two close mates had suddenly been thrown into a situation of being forced to mull a move to an entirely new club in an entirely new city.
Add in the fact they were on the other side of the world, dealing with significant time differences, with a series of frantic calls to friends and family back home, and it turned what was once a relaxing end-of-season holiday into an exhausting experience.
“It probably could’ve been handled better,” Hayward says.
“That club is full of great people. It’s probably just a little slip-up with how it was handled. It’s a great club. But I also don’t want to take that away from the fact that I’m super grateful to be here and that I’m actually really happy to be here.
“That movie is finished now. We’re starting a new one here and we’re super excited.”
It’s only now, a fortnight on and back in Australia again, that they’re coming to terms with the whirlwind ride. Hayward landed on Saturday, while Florent jetted back on Wednesday morning before heading into Ikon Park for the first time on Thursday.
The reality is still dawning on both, though. In a variety of ways.
“We start pre-season in three weeks and we’re both homeless,” Hayward laughs. “I didn’t realise this was going to happen … I need to do some organising,” Florent adds.
It’s taught the pair a huge lesson in the reality of modern football. Last season, both Hayward and Florent were uncontracted and deciding on their futures. They overlooked rival clubs to stay loyal to Sydney, only to be told to pack their bags 12 months on.
Will Hayward and Ollie Florent after being drafted in 2016. Picture: AFL Photos
“I don’t really want to talk badly of the Swans,” Florent says.
“I’ve had the best time there. I’ve learnt so much. I definitely felt like that was my family. We were both signed there for another four years. But, at the end of the day, I just learnt that it really is a business. They make football decisions at the end of the day.
“It wasn’t a reflection of the whole football club. It was just the club wanting to go in a different direction. That club made me who I am today. I’ve got nothing against them, and I’m also really excited for this new opportunity to be here.”
Hayward’s free agency call is all the more intriguing in hindsight. Back in 2024, as he weighed his decision, he chose to stay at Sydney on a five-year contract despite being pursued strongly by Carlton.
Ollie Florent and Will Hayward ahead of the 2022 Grand Final. Picture: AFL Photos
The forward had met with Blues coach Michael Voss and came close to taking up a lucrative offer to move to Ikon Park. That experience was still fresh in his mind when the opportunity arose once again to wear the navy blue.
“I was really close to coming here last year,” Hayward says.
“I had some really good chats with ‘Vossy’ and the team. After Sydney got to where they needed to get to, I remember texting [recruiting manager] Mick Agresta and saying, ‘If shit ever hits the fan, this is the only other club I’d consider playing for’.
“Well, shit hit the fan and here we are.”
That last line draws a laugh from Florent. “Well said,” he adds.
From Argentina, fresh from being told explicitly that their days at Sydney were numbered, the two went in different directions. Florent headed to Buzios in Brazil for the final days of the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period. Hayward flew to Medellin in Colombia.
By that point, though, the two had made a pact. They would be leaving, and they would be leaving together. While some uncertainty remained, the thought of heading to Carlton soon crystallised and became their preferred outcome.
“Mine happened really quickly,” Hayward says.
“I was in Argentina with Ollie and he told me he was leaving. It had been flagged with me, but nothing really serious yet. But I was the same. Originally, I was keen to stay in Sydney. But after talking with some people and really thinking about it, it was easy in the end.
“At the start, I was like, ‘No, I don’t want to leave’. But my trade went to the last two minutes and I was on the phone to my manager begging him to get it done. By the end of it, I was super keen to move over here and start fresh.”
Ollie Florent and Will Hayward ahead of Sydney’s game against Adelaide in R14, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
However, the distance between Florent in Brazil and Hayward in Colombia would make for some sticky situations. Particularly on deadline day, when chaos and drama reigned in the final moments of the 10-day window.
On the morning of deadline day, rival Victorian clubs still believed Florent could be swayed and wasn’t entirely settled on joining Carlton. Word of that got out. For his good mate, who thought they had a deal together, it was rather unsettling.
“I remember seeing that story come out,” Hayward says.
“It said other Victorian clubs were chasing Ollie, so I FaceTimed Ollie and he didn’t answer for three hours. I was thinking, ‘Mate, we are in this together, do not tell me you’re going to St Kilda’ or wherever it was.”
“I was the horse’s mouth,” Florent replies. “I’d told him, you have to trust me.”
“But you were giving me peanuts,” Hayward argues.
“Because I’d told you what was going on,” Florent laughs back.
“Although, in saying that, it wasn’t wrong. There were others interested. I chatted to a few clubs. But the main thing was just having Will go to the same club. That was probably the biggest thing for me.”
Florent’s trade was ultimately conducted separately to the Curnow-Hayward deal and was finalised just before 2pm local time. At that point, more than five hours remained in the trade period. It would be a stressful time. For one of them, at least.
Florent, who concedes he was “exhausted”, went to bed. Hayward, though, couldn’t sleep. It was nearly 3.30am in Colombia when pictures of his management team of Paul Connors and Robbie D’Orazio celebrating the deal finally flashed up.
“I was refreshing everything, then I realised you could actually watch it,” Hayward says.
“With about 10 minutes to go, I still hadn’t been traded. I FaceTimed Robbie and he didn’t pick up, so I FaceTimed Paul. I could hear Robbie in the background stressing out. I just thought, ‘Oh no … it’s not going to get done’.
“It was the first time that I was a bit worried it wasn’t going to get done.”
But his concerns were quickly abated. Sydney, having already parted with Florent earlier in the day, agreed on a deal that saw three first-round picks and Hayward join Carlton in exchange for Curnow. Four minutes remained when the trade was lodged.
Will Hayward and Ollie Florent at Carlton HQ. Picture: Bek Vilardo
Now, a journey that started in Sydney, included phone calls in Argentina, featured frantic messages in Brazil, and a stack of social media scrolling in Colombia, will end for both in Carlton. It’s a fitting finale for the two close friends.
“We almost joked about it,” Hayward says.
“Even at the start of our trip, when Ollie knew that he was going to leave a little bit sooner than I did, I would just say I was coming with him. We almost spoke it into existence a little bit.
“It definitely helped. With a few other familiar faces as well, it makes it not as hard coming in. You know a few people. We’ve obviously played our whole career together, from start to finish. It’s awesome to continue that.”
