AFL trade news: How Sam Draper fell into unrestricted free agent category and what it means for the Dons
The Bombers took a calculated risk over the off-season, and it could mean Sam Draper walks for nothing in 2025. But will he be the only ruckman potentially on the move?
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Essendon will hope its calculated risk to allow free agent Sam Draper to become an unrestricted free agent does not backfire after it brokered new deals over the off-season allowing him a free path out of the Hangar.
Draper is still keen to stay at Essendon but under the terms of his 2025 salary would have been in Essendon’s top pay bracket this year — meaning he would be a restricted free agent.
It would have allowed Essendon to match any bid for him just as Adelaide and GWS forced trade for free agents Patrick Dangerfield and Jeremy Cameron to maximise their worth.
But the Dons re-signed players including Jy Caldwell late last year, which meant Draper dropped out of the top nine Essendon players based on salary for 2025.
It changed his status from restricted to unrestricted free agent based on the AFL’s official free agents release this week.
Now Draper has total leverage to try to push a strong bargain and extract a hefty pay rise from Essendon, with the knee reconstruction to Nick Bryan meaning the Dons have even more reason to keep him.
Essendon has two mid-season rookie draft spots available after Tom Edwards’ ACL tear, with the Bombers understood to have heavily scouted Coburg ruckman Cooper Keogh in recent weeks.
Against Collingwood’s three VFL ruckmen two weeks ago, Keogh had 25 possessions, 35 hit-outs, 14 clearances and 10 score involvements.
Essendon list boss Matt Rosa was an interested observer at one of his recent games.
The former state league basketballer is described as a competitive animal at 200cm and would be a ready-made prospect who could immediately step up to AFL level.
Essendon also topped up deals for Zach Merrett and Sam Durham to better reflect their value over the off-season, but it is understood that did not change Draper’s spot in the 2025 salary pecking order.
Zach Merrett, Mason Redman, Andy McGrath, Ben McKay, Jade Gresham, Jordan Ridley and Durham would all be paid more than Draper on average.
With a Victorian partner and podcast and sponsorship interests in the state, Draper is not seen as keen to return to Adelaide despite the Crows’ interest.
But with Carlton on the brink of losing Tom De Koning and the future of Collingwood’s Darcy Cameron uncertain, there is much to play out with clubs looking for rival ruckmen.
Essendon and Draper’s management were happy for his contract to drift into 2025 given he was overcoming several injury-affected seasons and needed to prove he was worth a fat pay rise.
He is yet to finish in the top-10 in an Essendon best-and-fairest count but has been in career-best form this year, playing more forward with Bryan starting in the centre square.
Draper has kicked six goals in four games and won 22 possessions against Melbourne, besting Max Gawn with a pair of towering contested marks after Bryan went down injured.
If Carlton loses De Koning to St Kilda it has Marc Pittonet to call upon, having signed him for four years to 2027 for the express purpose of having ruck back-up if De Koning moved on.
The club could also allow Pittonet to find greener pastures and in effect have $1.3 million in savings from its ruck department, then try to go to the market for another ruckman.
De Koning’s loss would net them a first-round compensation pick.
West Coast is also desperate for a star ruckman in its attempt to help its underperforming midfield, which accumulated a historic low of 77 contested possessions against Carlton.
Bringing in a mature-aged ruckman would give the club its best chance at keeping players like Harley Reid, who are continually roving to losing hit-outs.
Originally published as AFL trade news: How Sam Draper fell into unrestricted free agent category and what it means for the Dons
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