AFL 2023: The 15 players with the biggest contract decisions to make next year
Despite the swirling rumours, Bailey Smith is still a Bulldog for the 2024 season. But 2025 is a whole other story. Jon Ralph looks at what might play out.
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With the trade and free agency period over and clubs having failed to make a dent in their new cap space, which are the 15 players with the biggest decisions to make in the next 12 months?
Jon Ralph rules a line through the big contract decisions of 2024.
1. Tim English (Western Bulldogs)
There is no bigger out-of-contract player in footy. A free agent with links to Perth in current All Australian form in a year where the salary cap goes up 15 per cent, with another 15 per cent lift for 2025.
If West Coast doesn’t offer a player who has only just turned 26 a six year deal at $8 million they aren’t trying.
But English’s partner Rudi is expected to return to Melbourne next year to play netball for Vixens, he has brought property in Melbourne and he’s happy at the club.
So the Dogs are every chance to sign him – if they offer megabucks.
2. Logan McDonald (Sydney)
Another young key position player who grew up in WA with local teams desperate for his services. The Dockers not only have massive cap space after the exodus of players these past three years, they have three 2024 first-rounders to make a play for him.
Imagine a McDonald-Jye Amiss pairing for the next 200 games.
It is understood he is in no hurry to sign a new deal as the new key forwards – McDonald, Hayden McLean, Joel Amartey – get used to life post-Lance Franklin.
McDonald’s 32 goals in 20 games this year was an excellent haul despite some critics of his early-career progress.
3. Tom Stewart (Geelong)
Footy’s best defender is one of 13 free agents at Geelong, but the Cats will lock him away early given his loyalty and determination to remain. What will be of more interest is how Tyson Stengle plays out his contract given he is an unrestricted free agent next year as a previously delisted player. Stengle is a premiership player keen to build a career at Geelong but is only just turning 25 so has some leverage and will hope for a bounce-back 50-goal season.
4. Hugh McCluggage (Brisbane Lions)
This masthead reported last month the Lions are well advanced on deals for pre-agent Hugh McCluggage and Grand Final hero Keidean Coleman past 2024.
McCluggage is likely a million-dollar-a-year player in footy’s new economy given pay rises to 2027 of over 30 per cent and is only 26 in March.
Jarrod Berry is also a free agent next year but the Lions have locked away most of their stars long-term so are in good shape to keep their priority targets.
5. Andy McGrath (Essendon)
McGrath has been loyal to the cause, has emerged as a significant leader at a club that doesn’t have them in spades, and now comes out of contract at what should be approaching the peak of his powers.
How does Essendon find a price point for him given he was fourth in the club’s best-and-fairest playing half-back but might get more midfield time elsewhere after agreeing to play half-back under Brad Scott.
Especially given Jade Gresham has just earned $700,000 a season and Ben McKay $800,000 a season over six years with the chance to earn $850,000 with bonuses.
It’s not an easy contract to broker.
6. Errol Gulden (Sydney)
Pay him whatever he wants. The 21-year-old became the youngest player in 43 years to win the Sydney best-and-fairest in a year he was also selected in the All Australian team.
Sydney will hope Nick Daicos’ deal through to free agency can chart the course for Gulden – accept $1 million bucks a year but allow the club to retain enough cap space to build a premiership list.
Gulden will never want for money but Sydney was hampered in recent years by Franklin’s massive contract. They will preach to the local boy that he will only truly reach greatness if he can win premierships with an elite support cast.
7. Sean Darcy (Fremantle)
Fremantle list boss David Walls says the club is finally in a good place with Darcy and his family over a new long-term deal for the 2024 free agent.
He has never had more leverage – a big cap rise, players departing Fremantle, free agency status, clubs like Geelong keen to drag him home.
All of it means he is likely to be paid in the same realm as Luke Jackson – $900,000 a season.
So look for a summer extension, with Fremantle aware if this contract drags into the 2024 season it will be a circus.
Pay up then get on with the business of helping maximise Jackson’s craft as a hybrid mid and forward who can also chop out Darcy in the ruck.
8. Zak Butters and Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide)
Responsible cap management means the Power still have plenty of room to pay this pair despite four inclusions including Esava Ratugolea, offered as much as $700,000 a season.
Rozee is the local boy and likely 2024 captain and while Butters is from Melbourne he is also invested.
Butters has only just turned 23. Rozee is 24 in January.
In an era of crazy long-term deals, both are actually at the perfect age for 6-8 year deals that lock them in long term and factor in any potential rise in the next pay deal past 2027.
9. Cam Zurhaar (North Melbourne)
Zurhaar had a good look around at clubs including Essendon before pledging his loyalty last time around, waiting until September 2022 to sign a new two-year deal.
He hits free agency at the end of next year and the Roos will hope to lock him in over summer.
But the silver lining is that if his contract drifts on someone might be prepared to pay him funny money to trigger first-round or end-of-first round compensation.
He is a more damaging player than Jade Gresham, who just accepted $700,000 a year.
So the Roos can’t really lose no matter which way Zurhaar goes.
10. Jack Graham and Dion Prestia (Richmond)
Both players are free agents next year, with Graham only 25 and Prestia 31 but with plenty of football left in him. Prestia finished only eighth in the best-and-fairest with reports he was considering a move back to Queensland, while Graham played 20 games but finished only 12th in the best-and-fairest.
How can new coach Adem Yze integrate those players into his midfield given the onus on maximising Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper’s output, giving Dustin Martin and Shai Bolton midfield minutes and blooding Tyler Sonsie and Thomson Dow?
So many mouths to feed in the Richmond midfield, which will have rivals assessing the progress of Prestia and Graham.
11. Tarryn Thomas (North Melbourne)
Thomas finished the season with a sixth placing in the best-and-fairest despite only 12 games, a staggering comeback for a player whose career was in doubt given a string of court dates and allegations about conduct towards females.
He could still be anything – imagine if the Roos can secure a Zane Duursma half-forward type and have Thomas, Zurhaar and Duursma rotating out of the centre square pushing into attack?
So after exploring his options then deciding to stay his future is in his hands, put together a full 2024 and the sky is the limit for his future and next contract.
12. Changkuoth Jiath (Hawthorn)
Jiath endured another horror season with injury, playing only eight games after 14 games in 2022 and 16 in 2021. He can be Hawthorn’s best recruit next year with a 23-game season and in the process send his contract value skyrocketing. He should believe he can be footy’s most attacking half back if he can finally eradicate his nagging injury issues.
13. Bailey Smith (Western Bulldogs)
The introduction of James Harmes surely won’t help Smith’s bid for more midfield time. The chances of him moving on seem to be about 80 per cent. So the onus is on Smith to work his butt off to improve his kicking and onball craft so Luke Beveridge simply has to give him more centre bounce opportunities. Then he can either stay on a significant deal or explore the market at the end of 2024. This year his lack of impact meant Beveridge wasn’t proved wrong by pushing him to half forward.
14. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Western Bulldogs)
This masthead has reported that Sydney will make a massive play for Ugle-Hagan and why shouldn’t they. After 35.35 this year he should believe he is capable of 60 goals next year.
But would he revel in the exposure of being a million-dollar franchise player or is playing alongside Aaron Naughton with Cody Weightman (and maybe next year Nick Watson) at his feet better for his career progress?
Either way he’s put himself in position to be a millionaire at the age of 22.
15. Harrison Petty (Melbourne)
Petty is actually contracted to 2025 but his future will be one of Melbourne’s biggest talking points. An open question – what would Petty think of the current issues of teammates Joel Smith and Clayton Oliver as a very low-key, family-oriented player desperate to leave no stone unturned to maximise his career? So the Demons have a season to hope they can develop Jacob Van Rooyen and pick 15 Matthew Jefferson, given a trade request would seem almost certain to arrive this time next year.
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Originally published as AFL 2023: The 15 players with the biggest contract decisions to make next year
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