AFL 2024: The 13 players who need to deliver to secure their futures leading into September
From Collingwood’s decorated veteran trio to contracted players who remain deep in public speculation, JOSH BARNES takes a look at the big names needing a big final few weeks.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Time ticks faster at this stage of the season, as clubs try to get unstuck from the glue in the middle of the ladder and players attempt to prove themselves for 2025.
Every club has a group of players who think they should go on and have the next five weeks plus to prove it.
From Collingwood’s decorated veteran trio to contracted players who remain deep in public speculation, like Clayton Oliver and Jack Macrae, here are the hottest names with something to prove before the season is out.
Steele Sidebottom, Jeremy Howe, Scott Pendlebury
Collingwood
Grouping the veteran trio together here and it feels like the mood on them outside of the Pies changes week to week. Howe has been the best performed of the three and is closing in on a contract trigger, Pendlebury has been in talks on a new deal and Sidebottom wants to play on. But Pendles and Steele have both clearly lost a step. Age worked in Collingwood’s favour last year but Saints great Leigh Montagna now reckons the Pies profile is “alarming”. Howe and Pendlebury should go on, Sidebottom likely goes around again too. Is there a sit down coming with contracted players like Mason Cox or Tom Mitchell to say it might be time? Fascinating decisions coming, particularly if the reigning premier misses the eight.
Clayton Oliver
Melbourne
Plenty of factors at play behind Oliver’s drop-off this year but to put it simply, he is clearly having his worst year since his debut in 2016. Melbourne has only reiterated it wants him to stay, he is under a long contract, and he has slowly won back the trust of his teammates, so at this point he isn’t going. But you do wonder if teams will pick that phone back up at the end of the season and how diminished his asking price would be. Would Adelaide give up anything more than a first-rounder for him? Dees veterans Tom McDonald and Jake Melksham are right on the bubble with five weeks to go.
Jack Macrae
Western Bulldogs
Hasn’t the talk about Macrae and Caleb Daniel died down as the Dogs have got on a roll? Macrae was stuck as the sub until deep into the fourth quarter on the weekend and the Bulldogs midfield is just fine without him at the moment. Not a perfect player and under contract but he would still find plenty of the ball in a midfield role elsewhere and only turns 30 next month. Daniel is also under contract but playing in the twos, where has had 61 disposals across the last fortnight. There has to be a role for him somewhere. Norm Smith medallist Jason Johannisen will hope to return from a serious calf injury late in the year as he hits the end of his contract.
Todd Goldstein, Dyson Heppell
Essendon
The Bombers went back to the Goldstein-Sam Draper pairing on Friday night and were beaten in the ruck by Reilly O’Brien. For just the fourth time in 329 games, Goldstein did not have a kick and in two of the three previous matches he was injured. Only once in his 14 games this year has he had more than five kicks and the former Roo has become a ball-up-only ruckman. With Nick Bryan dominating the VFL, Goldstein is probably surplus to requirements in 2025. Heppell was missed on Friday as the Dons made mistake after mistake in defence without his cool head. If he wants to carry on, he surely goes again.
Mitch Duncan
Geelong
A Geelong great, Duncan will be stranded just short of 300 games if he doesn’t get another crack next year. He wants to play on ad his game is at the level but if the Cats slip late for the second year running, is it time to properly clean house? Zach Tuohy is another who needs to play on to hit 300 games. Gary Rohan was a spark in Geelong’s recent revival but the jury is still out on whether he and Ollie Henry can fit together in a forward line, does he get another one-year deal? Tom Hawkins is still working to get back to fitness before any proper retirement call. Keeping ageing players is a lot easier if the Cats make a run deep into finals.
Dustin Martin
Richmond
Have we hit the point yet where Dusty has to prove he is worth the Tigers granting him an offer? Might be sacrilegious to say but how many 33-year-olds with crook backs get the benefit of the doubt? If he wants to play for Richmond again, it would help if he could get through a full game at some point. All through Richmond’s list are teammates on the edge. Marlion Pickett will be 33 by next season and without a deal. Kamdyn McIntosh is no stranger to waiting for contract talks. Maurice Rioli hasn’t made it yet in a make-or-break year. Dylan Grimes appears to have played his last game. Dion Prestia would like to get through the rest of the year to prove he is worth a multi-year contract.
Chad Wingard
Hawthorn
Lost a little in Hawthorn’s great run was a calf setback for Wingard, who hasn’t played an AFL game this year after his achilles rupture late in 2023. He toured Collingwood last season but told his masthead he was always staying as a Hawk. Where does the emergence of Connor Macdonald, Nick Watson and Jack Ginnivan leave him? Luke Breust showed signs of his goalkicking best on the weekend as he broke the record for most games as a rookie drafted player. Should be his call whether to carry on. He will be on 298 AFL games at the end of the home-and-away season if he plays through. Jack Gunston’s return hasn’t worked on-field. Harry Morrison is along-time Hawk hoping to play his way into a new deal and Denver Grainger-Barrass talks haven’t moved anywhere serious.
Taylor Walker
Adelaide
Matthew Nicks suggested on Friday he wants ‘Tex’ to play on next year pre-game but then at half-time it was hard to see where he would fit in as Riley Thilthorpe and Darcy Fogarty looked like a perfect forward pair. Walker and Fogarty are just so similar types. Elliott Himmelberg was the third forward on Friday and was quiet, as most expect him to look for the door after almost joining GWS next year. So there is room for Walker up forward but he is no automatic selection.
Tim Membrey
St Kilda
An unrestricted free agent key forward who just had clearly the best game of his career per SuperCoach points on the weekend. Membrey will have clubs aking the question at the end of the year whether he wants to go to a third club but he has kicked 21 goals in 14 games this year, including his bag of five against West Coast. Keep his form up and suddenly the offers will be growing substantially. A number of experienced Saints are in doubt for next year, such as Zak Jones, Seb Ross and the contracted Brad Crouch. All three may not be part of long-term plans at Moorabbin.
Jack Darling
West Coast
It does not bode well for the future when a new coach comes in and dumps a 32-year-old to the reserves. Darling has a contract for next year but the 293-game, 528-goal forward has to prove something in the last month and a bit. Andrew Gaff is surely out the door and the Eagles will weigh up how deep they plan to cut.
More Coverage
Originally published as AFL 2024: The 13 players who need to deliver to secure their futures leading into September
Through the fire: How Rioli found happiness after ‘very dark days’
Willie Rioli’s best footy comes when he’s happy according to his cousin Dean – but there was serious doubt he’d ever get back here. MATT TURNER tells the Port star’s story of perseverance.
Eight years since Port’s last loss to Sydney: Where are they now?
Port has the wood over Sydney – in fact, the Swans haven’t beaten the Power in eight matches. So where are the players from that Swans win in round 20, 2016, now?