AFL 2023: Every player out-of-contract at each club
Caleb Marchbank played a big role in Carlton’s finals win over the Swans, but will he get a new deal? Here’s where every out-of-contract player sits at your club.
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More than 160 players are stuck in the waiting game.
A dozen clubs have played their last games of 2023 but remain stuck on list movement, with every club still working through players who are out of contract.
When canvassed for this piece, one player manager said he didn’t expect much movement for two more weeks.
Another said clubs were hesitant to make moves early until more teams bow out of the premiership race and have made clear intentions about players they want to keep and want to move.
The hold-up in the collective bargaining agreement between the players and the AFL is also causing some delays on contract talks.
Fewer list spots will be open this year than in recent times as clubs baulk at what is seen as a weak draft and every team outside of North Melbourne, West Coast and Hawthorn see a wide open path to the finals in 2024.
Here is where every club’s out-of-contract lists sit and who will be retained or removed.
Doedee has serious interest and good offers from opposition teams as he weighs up whether to stick with the Crows. Borlase is one of many stuck waiting on how many list spots his club has open. Crouch took himself off the table last week with a two-year deal. After 50 games, including six of Adelaide’s last seven matches this year, McAdam has asked for a trade to Victoria, with Melbourne leading the way.
Expect Zorko to play on, while McKenna will sign a new deal soon. Robertson has been wooed by West Coast and could head west. Hard to see Joyce continuing, while Mathieson hasn’t been able to crack a strong Lions midfield. Likely the end of the road for Cockatoo despite a season of health while Fullarton may draw interest as a ruck option. Carter Michael has signed a contract for next year.
Silvagni has been made to wait this year but looks increasingly likely to stick around as the market appears cool on the forward. Plowman has been stuck in the seconds all year so will be hard pressed for a new deal, while Marchbank broke into the team late in the home-and-away season and was excellent in the elimination final. Durdin played just one game this year after crossing over from North Melbourne. Fogarty and Cuningham have both been valuable on the half-forward flank, while Dow is almost certain to be at a new club in 2024.
Each of Bianco, Carmichael and Ruscoe have proven to be very good VFL players but are yet to make an impact on a strong Collingwood AFL side. Also stuck out of the side after again battling injuries this week, Kreuger is expected to stay for another year. No official announcement yet on Markov but he will sign a new deal.
Essendon has contract offers in front of a number of players on this list, including D’Ambrosio, Baldwin, Menzie and Zerk-Thatcher. Zerk-Thatcher is leaning towards a trade, with Port Adelaide leading the way, despite Essendon putting a multi-year offer in front of him. A good talent, D’Ambrosio is assessing his options and hasn’t made a decision yet on his future. Snelling is waiting, while, as revealed by the Herald Sun, Munkara struggled adapting to life in Victoria and has returned to the Tiwi Islands.
Fremantle has much of its list locked down, with only Henry and Hamling out-of-contract. A great survivor down back, Hamling is set to be offered a switch to the Dockers’ rookie list. The popular Henry will have multiple Victorian clubs chasing him with St Kilda now seen as the frontrunner. Wilson will wait to scour the market for a third club.
The Cats have seen six leave the list since their season ended and are all set to keep Hawkins, Tuohy and Stanley for another season. They will want a good pick in return for Ratugolea, who wants a trade to Port Adelaide. Hardie impressed in his six months after joining the club in the mid-season draft, while Kroeger hasn’t had a chance to get on the park in the last two years due to injuries.
New coach Damien Hardwick has been meeting with individual players as they go through exit interviews and he has plenty of work to do with his list management team. Anderson hasn’t been at the club since June and has moved on, and it’s likely Blakely and Constable will join him. Sharp and Tsitas are on the block, too, while veteran Day may have reached the end of the road. Casboult looks set to go on and will definitely return if contracted tall Mabior Chol seeks a trade. McLaughlin is an interesting watch, given he finished second in the VFL goalkicking tally but didn’t get a look in at AFL level.
Former skipper Ward declared in June he wanted to play on and he has probably earned the right to get one more year. Davis and Lloyd will pull up stumps. The Giants marked Preuss as their No.1 ruck but a back injury meant he hasn’t played any AFL games this year and Kieren Briggs has made the ruck role his own. Preuss is now healthy but he will wait until the Giants finish their finals campaign to know more about his future. Fellow ruck Flynn is waiting to get on the ruck merry-go-round. A brilliant survivor, Keeffe played in the Giants’ last five games and their elimination final so may get another deal. Fleeton played two senior games in defence early in the season but hasn’t been seen since.
After breaking into the Hawks’ side late in the year, Ryan has agreed to a new one-year deal, as revealed by the Herald Sun. Brockman wants a move to West Australia, with both WA clubs chasing him. Jeka, Morris, Greene and Serong are potentially on the chopping block, while Koschitzke’s future may depend on what the Hawks can pick up in the trade period. Wingard signed on for another year last week despite an achilles injury.
The Dees will wait until their premiership campaign ends to make any announcements. Melksham wants to play on despite a ruptured ACL. Hibberd has been in the wars this year and will retire at season’s end. Dunstan also tore his ACL and after no AFL games this year, it’s hard to see him carrying on. Jordon will be hunted by other clubs given he is a free agent and can be signed for nothing.
There is a big clean-out coming at Arden St with a host of players in trouble, including Bonar, Edwards, Dawson, Mahony and Howe. Shiels may have another year in him, while the club is so pleased with rookie Drury that he was mentioned among the shining lights in president Sonja Hood’s season review and he will get a new deal. The league is waiting to hear where McKay will end up, with it looking extremely unlikely he will be a Roo again. Goldstein believes he has more footy in him and the Roos are happy to give him another year but he is weighing up offers from other clubs.
Tom Jonas is the only confirmed out from Alberton so far as the Power focus on a premiership hunt. Boak could play on but he wasn’t selected in the starting 22 for Port’s first final. Narkle is expected to get another deal. The ruck will be a fascinating point for the Power this off season – Lycett seems likely to go elsewhere as Port Adelaide pursues Brodie Grundy.That could tip Hayes out too and Teakle is also on the edge. Fantasia is up in the air.
The Tigers dropped summer signing Bradtke and with four retirees, don’t have to make too many more changes unless they want to chop deep. Dow hasn’t played more than six games in any of his four seasons but is highly rated internally and finished the year strongly enough to get a new deal. Nyuon is one of many players left waiting as the Tigers weigh up whether to keep the athletic tall on the books after four seasons.
Gresham is one of the most intriguing cases across the league. The Saints want to keep him but coach Ross Lyon said on Monday the classy forward was going to take in other offers first before dealing with St Kilda. Clark, too, will consider his future after the Saints’ finals campaign came to an end. Coffield has battled injury and Jones may be kept but on a reduced salary to his past seals. The Saints cut Oscar Adams, Jack Peris, Jack Bytel and Leo Connolly on Tuesday. Stocker missed only one game during the home-and-away season for the Saints so surely stays, while Webster is one of the club’s most important players. Both free agents, could a club swoop on the ready-made defensive duo?
The Swans are deep in the market for talls, having lost McCartin, Franklin and Hickey from their 2024 plans. Does that mean Reid gets another year despite being sidelined for all of 2023? Clarke has been a reliable contributor for a long time so should play on while Melican will have interest if he looks around. Stephens, too, will be much-wanted if he hits the market. Wicks forced his way into the team in the second half of the season so should get another deal.
There is a lot of work to be done with the West Coast list and plenty of cuts to make. Foley was the first, delisted on Monday after 32 games, including nine in 2023. Witherden played every game bar one this year so seems a safe bet to go on. Culley ruptured his ACL mid-season but should get another crack. Petrevski-Seton seems to be at the crossroads, while Winder didn’t play any AFL games this year. Waterman was caught in an ugly spot in the middle of the year when his father, premiership Eagle Chris, complained about Jake’s treatment after a bout of illness. But despite the messiness, he is moving towards a new deal, even if he and the Eagles still remain somewhat apart.
Hannan was the first moved on in the week after the Dogs season ended and O’Brien, McCromb and Raak followed him on Monday. Expect Duryea to play on while McLean will surely be wanted on the market. Sweet will draw interest across the league from clubs looking for ruck support but he is yet to indicate whether he wants to leave Whitten Oval, while O’Brien’s future may hinge on others. Bailey Williams took his time but inked a four-year deal this week.
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