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Trading and drafting

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Mason Cox’s unlikely AFL journey will continue at Fremantle.

The second-chance saloon: How one club’s trash becomes another’s treasure

Many delisted AFL players are on the lookout for new teams this off-season – but how has your club fared in the recycled market in the past?

  • Marc McGowan

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Zach Merrett’s time as Essendon skipper has ended.

Essendon avoid a summer of discontent with Merrett’s captaincy call

Zach Merrett reached his decision to vacate the captaincy in the past few days after meetings with club president Andrew Welsh, CEO Craig Vozzo and senior coach Brad Scott.

  • Michael Gleeson
Dyson Sharp, like Sullivan Robey, was an Essendon diehard growing up.

‘I have to live up to the hype’: Dons draftees eye Hawks blockbuster

As Zach Merrett settles back into life at Essendon after his failed trade bid, the club’s boom draftees say they’re ready to help with the heavy lifting in 2026.

  • Jon Pierik
Zach Merrett has opened up about his off-season decision to request a trade from Essendon to Hawthorn.

Zach Merrett knew leaving Essendon was a long shot, but he tried anyway. He explains why

Merrett’s request to leave Essendon for Hawthorn was the talk of trade period, but a deal didn’t get done. He explains why he’s excited to be back and why he wanted the move in the first place, and gives an answer on the captaincy for 2026.

  • Michael Gleeson
Essendon’s 2025 first-round selections, Jacob Farrow, Sullivan Robey, and Dyson Sharp.

Sharp dealing: What was behind Essendon’s brave draft plan?

They held their nerve on preferring to draft, rather than pursuing the likes of Dan Houston. The 2025 draft might’ve been compromised, but the Bombers haven’t.

  • Jake Niall
The stars of the 2025 draft.

From Gold Coast’s golden academy, to the club that didn’t pick at all: Analysing every club’s 2025 draft

All up, 60 footballers found an AFL home in the most compromised national draft in history. We look at each club’s haul and hear from recruiting and list managers to explain their strategies.

  • Marc McGowan
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Sam Grlj is set to be a first-round selection in the AFL draft.

When this draft hopeful started to get noticed, things fell apart. This is how he got back on track

Draft prospect Sam Grlj has ridden an emotional rollercoaster in his draft year, but he sought advice and learnt to ride the ups and downs and now his dream career awaits.

  • Marc McGowan
Jeremy Cameron, Gary Ablett jnr and Jack Riewoldt in their draft years before they became AFL stars.

From teens to titans: How 16 of the AFL’s biggest names looked in their draft year

Some are unrecognisable, others haven’t changed a bit. We revisited these stars to see what they looked like and what was said about them as AFL wannabes.

  • Greg Dundas
Zeke Uwland, Daniel Annable, Harry Dean and Willem Duursma will be among the hot properties in this year’s AFL national draft.

It’s AFL draft day. Here’s who your club is set to pick

Here’s our final forecast of how the first 30 picks at this week’s AFL draft will play out.

  • Marc McGowan
Zeke Uwland will end up at Gold Coast in the AFL draft, but it’s likely another club may make a bid on him beforehand.

How Tigers, past and present, will shape the top of the AFL draft

Richmond have declared they’ll go against the grain and make multiple bids for players early in this week’s draft, while many of the other major players on draft night have previous connections to the club.

  • Marc McGowan

Original URL: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/topic/trading-and-drafting-64h