Get all the latest news in the trade, free agency and draft landscape in Inside Trading, AFL.com.au’s dedicated column for player movement. Find out the latest on contracts, deals, trades, draftees, rules, agents and who is going where from the AFL.com.au team.
GOLD Coast forward Ben Ainsworth is exploring his trade options with three years to run on his deal.
The Suns are shaping as the busiest club of the Trade Period, with Christian Petracca set on joining the club and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan also in Gold Coast’s sights.
Sam Flanders, Brayden Fiorini, Connor Budarick and Malcolm Rosas are either assessing their future at the Suns or already on the way out to rivals, with Ainsworth also on the radar of clubs.
Last year, the Suns forward signed a four-year free agency deal with the club, knocking back interest from Essendon to re-sign at Gold Coast.
He played 24 games this year, including his 150th, and booted 23 goals and has clubs considering plays for him given the extra players coming into the Suns’ front half.
Gold Coast has been adamant that powerful youngster Bailey Humphrey would not be involved in any trade deal for Petracca, but things took a twist on Friday when a photo emerged of new Dees coach Steven King and midfield assistant coach Nathan Jones meeting with Humphrey.
His manager Michael Oakes told AFL.com.au: “When we spoke at 10.30am this morning nothing had happened, but with the evolving nature of trade period, Bailey saw fit to catch up with his former coach this afternoon.”
Melbourne offered three first-round picks to Essendon in 2022 to get the selection to land Humphrey in the draft but the Bombers denied the deal. – Callum Twomey
CLAYTON Oliver will meet with Greater Western Sydney while in Sydney in coming days, with the Giants now the strong favourites for the Melbourne midfielder.
Oliver was already headed to Sydney on Thursday after being told by Melbourne to explore his options, with the Giants quickly emerging as a real candidate to bolster their midfield with him.
They will meet this week in a significant step towards the Giants’ interest in trading for the All-Australian and 2021 premiership Demon, with Melbourne set to contribute to his wage elsewhere given he has five years remaining on his deal.
The Demons are on a list and midfield reset, with Christian Petracca keen to join Gold Coast, while Steven May has also been told to explore his options. Judd McVee is pursuing a trade to Fremantle. – Callum Twomey
GOLD COAST midfielder Sam Flanders has met with Melbourne, St Kilda and Essendon again across the last 24 hours, as the contracted Sun continues to weigh up a call on his future.
Flanders had coffee with new Demons coach Steven King and midfield assistant Nathan Jones on Friday morning, while he also sat down with officials at the Saints and the Bombers on Thursday, with the onballer still tossing up his preferred home.
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His meeting with King and Jones came just hours after Melbourne superstar Christian Petracca settled on Gold Coast as his trade destination, having also flown to South Australia to tour Adelaide’s facilities earlier this week.
The Demons will now hope to persuade Flanders to join the club and become involved in Petracca’s trade talks involving the Suns, with the 24-year-old expected to settle on his next club across the weekend.
Carlton also had interest in Flanders and met with him last month, but as reported by AFL.com.au on Thursday the Blues have since been struck from the race and are diverting their attentions elsewhere.
Petracca’s decision likely means Gold Coast is now out of the race for Carlton spearhead Charlie Curnow, who continues to wait to see whether Sydney or Geelong can engineer a move for his services.
Curnow and Flanders are among a handful of players still weighing up their next homes, with Collingwood forward Brody Mihocek now leaning towards a free agency move to Melbourne.
Brayden Fiorini is also undecided between a free agency switch to either Essendon or Port Adelaide, or staying at Gold Coast, while Hawthorn youngster Jai Serong has interest from North Melbourne, Sydney and Fremantle. – Riley Beveridge
The Blues will likely finish with picks No.10 and No.22 at the conclusion of the free agency window, but will need to juggle points given the impending arrival of Dean and Next Generation Academy member Jack Ison at this November’s draft.
Dean is considered a top 10 pick, Ison is also nudging his way into first-round calculations, while Walker’s arrival next year as a potential No.1 contender will coincide with significantly harsher restrictions on matching bids.
Clubs are aware Carlton is subsequently dangling the De Koning and Silvagni compensation picks to rivals, looking to either shuffle down the order this year for more points or move the picks into 2026 with considerations for Walker.
The Blues are certainties to land the No.10 pick as ‘Band 1’ compensation for De Koning’s exit, given the significance of the monster eight-year free agency offer he took up from the Saints worth around $1.8 million for the majority of the deal.
Carlton already received ‘Band 2′ compensation for Silvagni’s switch on Friday, landing the club a pick that will scale down to No.22 after moves for De Koning, Oscar Allen and Sam Draper are finalised. – Riley Beveridge
THERE is close to $30 million of player contracts tied up in deals for players looking for new homes in this Trade Period, as the explosion of big names on the move
Between Melbourne contracted duo Christian Petracca (four years remaining on his deal) and Clayton Oliver (five years), Essendon’s Zach Merrett (two years), North Melbourne’s Jy Simpkin (four years), Carlton’s Charlie Curnow (four years) and St Kilda’s Jack Steele (two years), there are 21 seasons worth of contracts remaining for six players looking for new homes for different reasons.
Whilst the Demons pair are averaging around $1.3 million a season remaining on their contracts, the average for the others is around the $1 million a season mark, making for close to $25 million in deals pertaining to the group, who are either seeking new homes or have been told to explore for new destinations.
Throw in one year left of Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s $900,000 contract, two years of Rowan Marshall’s at a similar rate and two years of Sam Flanders’ deal, which is worth an estimated $700,000, and the numbers climb further.
This figure only includes contracted players moving or potentially moving clubs, with West Coast’s Liam Ryan, Fremantle’s Will Brodie, Melbourne’s Steven May and Western Bulldogs defender Buku Khamis among other contracted players pushing for new homes.
The record financial numbers come as players with long-term deals make bold moves for the exit doors of clubs and push for trades whilst in contract. – Callum Twomey
GEELONG veteran Jed Bews is yet to receive another contract from the Cats but is keen to play on in 2026.
The unrestricted free agent managed only four senior appearances in 2025 due to a delayed start to the year, but was named as an emergency for last Saturday’s Grand Final.
Bews was a permanent fixture under Chris Scott between 2017 and 2023, but has been restricted by injuries over the past two years.
Fremantle considered a play for Bews earlier in the year, but are not expected to pursue the defender after Judd McVee requested a trade to the Dockers last weekend.
Geelong hasn’t ruled out to re-signing Bews, but will need to wait until other list decisions are made in October.
The 31-year-old has played 175 games in the hoops since joining the Cats as a father-son pick at the end of 2011. – Josh Gabelich
