Moneyball: All the trade and contract news around the AFL

How many of Collingwood’s veterans will play on next year? Plus news out of Hawthorn, Essendon, Melbourne and more in Moneyball.

Evergreen Collingwood forward Brody Mihocek is confident all of the club’s over-30’s brigade are capable of playing into next season – and beyond – as the Magpies continue to buck the AFL trend for extending players’ careers.

The Magpies currently have 10 players aged 30 or more – eight of which come out of contract later this year – with another two players set to turn 30 within the next month.

Collingwood’s general manager of list and talent Justin Leppitsch will use the club’s round 14 bye to consider what comes next for the club’s veterans, who are playing a key role in the Magpies’ push for a second premiership in three seasons.

But Mihocek says there is no reason on form or fitness that the bulk of them won’t play on into 2026, and potentially even longer.

Brody Mihocek is one of Collingwood’s veterans set to play on. Picture: Getty Images

“I don’t see why any of us can’t keep going for another one or two-plus years,” said Mihocek, who kicked four goals last week, including his 250th major.

Mihocek told this masthead he was keen to strike a new deal as soon, but stressed he understood why the Magpies were playing a bit of a waiting game.

“Yeah, I would love to get it done now, but I also know it is a business,” he said.

“When you get older – even though 32 is not old – you can sort of understand it. I respect the decision not to rush, but all I can do is hold up my end and keep playing good football.”

He said the Magpies had created a system which had allowed older players to flourish – in part with the strength and conditioning team headed by Jarrod Wade but also with the trust of the coaching staff – and it is reaping huge dividends right now.

Mihocek (18) and Jamie Elliott (28) have kicked 46 goals between them, Steele Sidebottom is in All-Australian form, Scott Pendlebury is edging closer to Brent Harvey’s games record and Jeremy Howe is still one of the Magpies’ most valuable defenders.

Of the over 30s, only two of them didn’t play in the statement-making win over the Hawks last Friday – Mason Cox and Tom Mitchell were playing VFL football and still searching for an opening into a talent-laden AFL side.

Mihocek has missed two games this season – and insists he could have played in both but listened to the conditioning team about playing the long game.

“It’s an older list, but we are definitely looking after our blokes,” he said.

“Those games I missed were needed … I would try to play through anything, but that can be detrimental. I’ve got a young kid now (eight-month-old Arthur, with his partner Polly) and I’ve got to look after myself.

“I was close to playing both (of those games). I need the people to say ‘settle down and have a rest’ and it has worked. I feel really good now because of it.”

Vigo Visentini could join Isaac Kako as one of Essendon’s many debutants this season. Picture: Getty Images

HUGE RESET AT BOMBERS

Essendon believes it could be about to debut an astonishing 10 players across the 2025 season for the first time in 51 years.

The Dons have already handed seven players their first games this year and with backup ruckman Vigo Visentini and its new haul of four mid-season selections has more debuts in store.

Those 2025 debutantes are Zak Johnson, Isaac Kako, Tom Edwards, Lewis Hayes, Archer Day-Wicks, Angus Clarke and Saad El-Hawli.

Visentini has put together a huge six-week block as a ruckman and with 37-year-old Todd Goldstein due for a rest in coming weeks he will likely debut.

Visentini was told by the club when they brought in WAFL ruckman Lachlan Blakiston he was still in the picture and backed it up with 20 possessions and 58 hitouts on Friday in the VFL against Brisbane.

The club’s new 198cm forward Archer May, Blakiston and Liam McMahon are also contenders given the club’s injury crisis means none of their key position talls are due back any time soon.

McMahon made his Essendon VFL debut last week and while he kicked goals playing forward he also was trialled down back late.

This Sunday’s opponent Carlton has a trio of key forwards but McMahon is far from a certainty to come into a backline that has only undersized Jaxon Prior and Jayden Laverde.

Laverde was excellent in the fighting loss to Brisbane and is out of contract, so has timed his return to footy after injuries well as he seeks to play on at the Dons or elsewhere.

The Bombers haven’t had 10-plus debutantes in a season since 1974, when Des Tuddenham was coach.

The Hawks are moving to lock away Josh Ward. Picture: Getty Images

HAWKS KEEN ON SIGNING SPREE

Hawthorn is looking to fend off rivals for a number of its key players with discussions already underway to extend players including Massimo D’Ambrosio and Josh Ward.

The Hawks are hopeful of keeping James Worpel and are getting closer on a deal with ruckman Lloyd Meek beyond this year.

D’Ambrosio is contracted for the next two seasons but the Hawks could extend that even further with talks underway about a potential longer deal.

Ward has filled part of the void left by Will Day’s injury in the midfield and his deal runs out this year but the club is already talking with his management about a new contract.

Harry Sharp has quietly signed on. Picture: Getty Images

THE QUIRK IN CONTRACT FOR DEE

Running machine Harry Sharp will be given a solid runway to make the most of his bright start at his second club, having quietly signed with the Demons until the end of 2027.

Sharp moved south from the Brisbane Lions in the trade period, having played 16 AFL matches and 55 VFL games with the Lions across four seasons.

But he hasn’t played in the reserves once at the Dees, having played in all senior games, even with five of his 12 matches coming as the starting sub, and two in which he was subbed off.

He held a contract for 2025 at the Lions and that was maintained when he was traded for pick 49 and a swap of future third rounders in October, and the Demons then added two more years to his tenure.

Sharp hasn’t had more than 12 disposals in any game, partly because he has been thrown around by the sub vest.

Sharp arrived already as Melbourne’s best runner and has been part of a switch in Simon Goodwin’s game style tweaks, to invest in more leg speed and open up the game.

The Demons will face contract calls on Tom McDonald, Jake Melksham, Jack Billings, Taj Woewodin and Charlie Spargo later this year.

Mitch Duncan’s coaching career is drawing closer. Picture: Getty Images

DUNCAN THE COACH?

Highly respected Geelong veteran Mitch Duncan is certain to step into coaching as his career winds down, as clubs search for decorated players to join the coaching box.

Duncan, who turns 34 on June 10, has been a valuable contributor since earning his spot back in Geelong’s side over the past five weeks, including a typically clean outing against West Coast on Sunday.

In the build up to his 300th game, Duncan revealed he was preparing for 2025 to be his last season, even if he hadn’t made a genuine call on retirement yet.

Part of that preparation was Duncan switching focus to coaching, and he has even taken up the dark art of coding games, an often tenuous exercise coaches go through to break up edits for players to look at during the week.

Duncan has begun coaching courses and relished a three-game stint in the VFL at the start of the season to work with some younger Cats.

“For me personally it was so good to help with my transition,” he told the Dyl and Friends podcast.

Clubs have grown increasingly concerned champion players have left clubland after winding up their careers in recent years.

Recently retired 300-gamers such as Jack Riewoldt, Joel Selwood, Tom Hawkins, David Mundy, Dustin Martin and Marc Murphy have gone down other avenues than coaching since hanging up the boots.

Originally published as Moneyball: All the trade and contract news around the AFL