‘Impatient’ footy stars behind ‘exciting’ new era of AFL and NRL

“Exciting” AFL and NRL off-seasons with more player movement than ever has exposed a modern new reality about the footy codes.

Matthew Sullivan

9 min read

February 19, 2025 - 2:56PM

AFL

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The team that took the AFL world by storm last year have been warned they will have to adjust to having “all eyes on them” heading into season 2025 after a bumper trade period.

Hawthorn recovered from a 0-5 start to fly up the ladder, finishing fifth and recalibrating all expectations around their rebuild, which now looks less like a slow burn and more like a fast-track to premiership contention.

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Last season’s success made Hawthorn an attractive destination for players, with defensive duo Tom Barrass and Josh Battle joining the Hawks in the trade period.

With a fairly injury free list in pre-season, a rock solid back six and a bevy of emerging young players like Will Day, Cam McKenzie, Josh Weddle and Nick Watson — it will be a tough team to crack into.

But with forwards Mitch Lewis and Calsher Dear sidelined to start the season, captain James Sicily is expected to swing forward from defence as a goalkicking option.

Shaun Burgoyne, who won three of his four premierships at the Hawks, believes his old team should play finals if they can get accustomed to the higher expectations.

“They surprised everyone, they got on a bit of a roll and they rode that,” said Burgoyne, who is joining Fox Footy’s AFL coverage this year.

Burgoyne said of the exuberant Gen Z goal celebrations from Hawthorn’s young forwards: “It’s a different type of goal celebration. It’s not something I’m used to or would have gone down that path when I was playing,”

Tom Barrass joined Hawthorn from West Coast. Picture: David Crosling

The Hawks picked up defender Josh Barrass from St Kilda. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

“They’ve got some exciting players in their forward line. They’ve got Jai Newcombe and Will Day in the middle.

“I think it was a relatively free hit last year because they came out of nowhere and they kept winning and getting on a roll and no one expected that.

“This year there’s a lot more expectation. They’re expected to win, all eyes are on them. It’s a different mindset for some players to play under pressure. But they’re embracing expectations and the hype.”

If all goes well over the next few years, the Hawks are on track to continue their streak of winning a premiership in every decade since the 1960s.

“Hawthorn identified they needed more key defenders, they went out and targeted Barrass and Battle and they get them in,” Burgoyne said.

“It definitely shores up their list. They made finals last year, they were an exciting team. It allows James Sicily to go forward, (or) play back and it gives Sam Mitchell more flexibility.”

Hawthorn are tipped to be strong under Sam Mitchell this season. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Finals or bust for Crows, recruits to ‘free up’ X-factor

Hawthorn is just one of a handful of teams that had their playing lists reshaped over the off-season thanks to a busy trade period.

Adelaide recruited midfielder Alex Neal-Bullen from Melbourne. Giants duo James Peatling and Isaac Cumming are also heading to the Crows.

Burgoyne predicts the Crows to make finals the first time since 2017, otherwise coach Matthew Nicks might be out of a job.

“Adelaide have done really well in the off-season with their recruiting and their trades,” he said.

“Alex Neal-Bullen comes in as a senior player. James Peatling and Isaac Cumming come in from the Giants and add some much needed experience in and around that field, which I think will be really good for their captain Jordan Dawson and Izak Rankine in particular, to give him some more freedom to get up the field and play around on ball.

Jason Dunstall's thoughts ahead of the 2025 AFL season

“I think Riley Thilthorpe is a star in the making, his body’s let him down a couple times. They’ll be hoping he can have a breakout year. Tex (Taylor Walker) is getting on a little bit but all reports are he’s training well.

“If you can get a breakout year out of Thilthorpe along with Darcy Fogarty, who’s taken some big strides in the last couple of years, complimented by Taylor Walker, they should be on the rise.

“Under ‘Nicksy’, who’s been coach there for a few years now, they’d want some exposure to finals.”

The Crows will hope Izak Rankine can have a blinder and they make finals. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

‘Exciting’ trades, transfers shaking up AFL and NRL

Elsewhere in the trade period, two-time All Australian Dan Houston joined Collingwood, along with Harry Perryman from GWS.

Jack Macrae, Bailey Smith and Caleb Daniel all left the Western Bulldogs, while Matt Kennedy is joining the Bulldogs from Carlton.

Jack Darling and Luke Parker will celebrate their 300-game milestone in North Melbourne colours after leaving West Coast and Sydney, respectively, in search of a long-term deal.

The proliferation of trades and transfers in Australia’s footy codes is a sign of the times — teams are more conscious of salary cap management than ever and want to stay competitive and in the hunt for finals.

The rebuild has become a bit of a dirty word in the AFL, and clubs won’t want to bottom out in the next few years given the best talent will go to the AFL’s 19th team when Tasmania joins the league in 2028.

The AFL’s draft system is set up with the goal of parity so all teams can dare to dream of making finals.

Long-term deals are becoming more common too as a way of for clubs to mitigate the risk of a player requesting a trade..

A handful of players, including the Daicos brothers, are already contracted with their clubs until 2030 and beyond.

It’s a sign of the times that as soon as a player is mentioned as disgruntled, or decides put off contract talks until later — they will leave and join the club of their choice. Think Bailey Smith to Geelong and Dan Houston to Collingwood.

In many cases, there is demand for a player, but often in the AFL, trades mean the big clubs get stronger and can remain competitive for longer.

There is already speculation Sydney Swans star Chad Warner will return to his native WA with Fremantle or West Coast when his contract runs out at season’s end.

Harley Reid has only played 20 games for West Coast, but there is already talk he will become the AFL’s first $2 million man in his fourth season, whether or not he leaves the Eagles.

Last year, Gold Coast youngster Mac Andrew signed the AFL’s longest deal reportedly worth as much as $12 million over nine years.

In the NRL, Dylan Brown and Sam Walker will soon be earning seven figures per season, such is the demand for playmakers.

“I think it’s a good thing for the game, it’s exciting for the fans,” Burgoyne said of the trade period.

“Players swap and change for different reasons and we’re seeing more of it. I think it’s a really good way for list managers and clubs to identify players in the league who can fast track their rebuild or zero in on a tilt at the premiership.

“I think you’ve got to have a really good list management team with a vision to see the shortcomings in your list and pitch to players across the league.

“We’re seeing more players, bigger names traded and fans are really getting involved in that as well.

Mark Ricciuto, Eddie Betts and Shaun Burgoyne will be part of Fox Footy’s AFL coverage.

“Dan Houston is arguably the best half back flanker in the league. Goes to the biggest club in the land in Collingwood, gets to play at the MCG most weeks.

“He’s going to add flexibility to Collingwood’s list. They potentially don’t need Nick Daicos to play halfback anymore. He can be a full-time on baller and allow Houston to slide in defence. It’s exciting.

“You’ve got to see into the future, where your shortcomings are and target them.

Port did the same. They needed some more forward power with Charlie Dixon retiring. Jack Lukosius comes in.

“It’s exciting. I like it. There’s talks of potential midseason trades. I’m not sure we’re ready for that just yet. But it’s exciting.”

In the NRL, there was plenty of action before the November 1 deadline, with

Ben Hunt returned to the Broncos, the Dragons picked up Damien Cook, Clint Gutherson and Valentine Holmes and Addin Fonua-Blake is suiting up for the Sharks.

The Panthers lost James Fisher-Harris to the Warriors, while Jarome Luai headed to the Tigers along with Sunia Turuva and Terrell May, who was surprisingly let go by the Roosters.

Knights forward Leo Thompson will head to the Bulldogs roster from 2026 after turning down the Raiders.

Josh Addo-Carr and Zac Lomax are joining Parramatta, while Dylan Brown could well be the NRL’s next million dollar player, with the Eels five-eighth exploring his options.

Brown is contracted with the Eels until 2031 but the 24-year-old has a clause in his contract allowing him to negotiate with rivals up until round 10, when he must let Parramatta know if he wants to stay there for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

Parramatta five-eighth Dylan Brown is tipped to leave the Eels. Pic: NRL

The 24-year-old is expected to attract bumper offers of around $1.2 million per season from rivals, including the Newcastle Knights.

Todd Carney said on his Sixes and Sevens podcast: “If Dylan Brown is worth $1.2 million, Nathan Cleary is worth $2.8 million.”

Phil Rothfield told the Footy Talk podcast: “To come back for more money when you’re on $900,000 is greed. That’s my view. I think he’s a $750,000 five-eighth.”

News Corp’s Brent Read added: “You’re worth what someone will pay you. I’m sure he’ll get a million dollars from someone. In the current environment, that’s what the good halves get paid.

“I don’t think six years at $6 million is enough to get him away from Parramatta.”

Brown and Daly Cherry-Evans are the big names out of contract at the end of 2025, while Cowboys hooker Reece Robson’s arrival to the Roosters next season is expected to see Brandon Smith switch clubs.

Speaking to news.com.au, Roosters premiership winner and Fox League guru Brian Fletcher said attitudes toward switching teams had changed over the years, pointing to the growing influence of the Rugby League Players’ Association.

“It’s turning into not so much baseball or basketball, over in America they get used to teams changing,” Fletcher said.

“Back in the day, even when Cooper Cronk was playing, he looked so strange wearing a Roosters jersey.

“But now I think the younger generation, everyone’s quite impatient, it’s more acceptable. “We’re going to see more and more players leaving midseason, I feel.

“That would never happen back when I was playing. You signed with a club and you were loyal to the club. But now as we know, it’s a business.”

Jarome Luai is one of the big names to switch NRL clubs in the offseason. Picture: Rohan Kelly

Fletcher is tipping the Panthers, Storm, Sharks and Broncos to be strong, and for the Tigers to finally climb off the bottom of the ladder and avoid a fourth consecutive wooden spoon.

“They’ll improve, they won’t run last, the Wests Tigers,” he said.

“They will not run last. You can already see at training. The game is the easy part. It’s the preparation, and Jarome Luai, who’s won four comps in a row, will pass that onto the kids.

It’s a handy side now - Lachie Galvin, Jahream Bula at fullback, Api Koroisau, it’s a pretty handy spine.

“For a smokey, I think the Dogs. They showed what they did last year, smokey for the top four.”

Despite the departures of several key players from the Roosters, Fletcher was adamant the “Chooks will make the eight”.

“Super surprised that Terrell May (was let go), considering he played every game last year,” the 2003 premiership winner said.

“I’m still not convinced that’s the reason why Robbo (coach Trent Robinson) let him go, saying ‘you’re just not part of it’.

“He’ll play Origin, I don’t know if it’s this year or the year after. If he keeps his head down, there’s not too many players like him.”

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FOX FOOTY 2025 LINE UP

IN: Shaun Burgoyne, Leigh Matthews, Tom Hawkins, Adam Simpson, Corbin Middlemas

HOSTS: Sarah Jones, Kath Loughnan, Lauren Wood, Kelli Underwood

CALLERS: Anthony Hudson, Gerard Whateley, Dwayne Russell, Mark Howard, Adam Papalia, Corbin Middlemas, Matt Hill

EXPERTS: Garry Lyon, Nathan Buckley, Jonathan Brown, Jason Dunstall, Gerard Healy, David King, Alastair Lynch, Jordan Lewis, Nick Dal Santo, Mark Ricciuto, Matthew Pavlich, Brad Johnson, Cameron Mooney, Eddie Betts, Jack Riewoldt, Ben Dixon, Leigh Montagna, Dermott Brereton, Shaun Burgoyne, Leigh Matthews, Tom Hawkins, Adam Simpson, Will Schofield. Ruby Schleicher.