AFL contracts: Every current player without a deal for 2022
New Carlton coach Michael Voss has decisions to make on the future of nine Blues still without a contract for next season. Who stays and who goes — plus who’s in limbo at your club.
AFL
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AFL clubs are finalising their list decisions ahead of the player movement period, which begins with free agency on Friday.
Some teams are more settled than others, with list spots and salary cap space at a premium at almost all of them.
Here are the players who are still without a contract for next season.
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Adelaide
Out of contract (2): Ben Davis, Ronin O’Connor
Unrestricted free agent defender Jake Kelly will sign with Essendon as early as Friday. Davis and O’Connor will have to wait after limited senior opportunities this season. Out-of-contract Swan Jordan Dawson has requested a trade to his hometown Crows.
Brisbane Lions
Out of contract (3): Connor Ballenden, Tom Joyce, Brock Smith
Mid-season draftee ruckman Kalin Lane has re-signed for next year, but fellow big man Archie Smith retired after initially requesting a fresh start a fortnight ago. It will be interesting to see whether the Lions try to secure another ruckman or if they stick with Tom Fullarton, Lane and Henry Smith behind Oscar McInerney. It’s a waiting game for Ballenden – another big man – Joyce and Smith.
Carlton
Out of contract (9): Jordan Boyd, Matt Cottrell, Michael Gibbons, Oscar McDonald, Lochie O’Brien, Matt Owies, Luke Parks, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Sam Ramsay
Petrevski-Seton has requested a trade to West Coast that could see out-of-favour Eagle and fellow first-round draft pick Jarrod Brander become a Blue. Restricted free agent George Hewett is expected to leave the Swans and sign with the Blues for up to four seasons. Josh Honey has re-signed for 2022 after an impressive end to this year, while category B rookie Owies will likely ink a deal of the same length. Kennedy had his best season to date and was rewarded with a new one-year deal, while O’Brien’s future is up in the air.
Collingwood
Out of contract (8): Isaac Chugg, Mason Cox, Max Lynch, John Noble, Scott Pendlebury, Jay Rantall, Brayden Sier, Josh Thomas
Trey Ruscoe scored a two-year deal – which was agreed upon some time ago – while Jack Ginnivan, Tom Wilson and Jack Madgen are off the market after committing to one-season contracts. Pendlebury will remain a Magpie, but whether his contract is for one or two years is still to be determined. Noble played every game this season and is tipped to stay at Collingwood for another two years. Lynch is a player of interest for ruck-needy rivals, so is one to watch in the next fortnight. Could he unlock the Patrick Lipinski deal? It’s a waiting game for several others, including Rantall, who likely won’t find out his future until after the trade period.
Essendon
Out of contract (2): Dylan Clarke, Marty Gleeson
The Bombers are well advanced on their list composition, with Tom Cutler, Tom Hird and Irish rookie Cian McBride the latest to be locked away for next year. They are preparing to welcome ex-Crow Jake Kelly as a free agency signing, while Clarke and Gleeson will probably have to wait until the end of the trade period to discover their fate.
Fremantle
Out of contract (3): Adam Cerra, Mitch Crowden, Darcy Tucker
Cerra looks set to be the biggest prize in this year’s player movement period after requesting a trade home to Victoria. He is expected to land at Carlton in exchange for the Blues’ pick 6 and potentially some other moving parts. Discussions on an extension are ongoing for Tucker, while Crowden will have to wait a bit longer. They both played 16 senior games this year. The Dockers are hoping to broker a trade with Geelong for 2018 first-round draft pick Jordan Clark.
Geelong
Out of contract (6): Oscar Brownless, Brad Close, Charlie Constable, Francis Evans, Zach Guthrie, Nathan Kreuger
Rhys Stanley has re-signed to extend his Cats career into an eighth season, while Close is nearing a two-year arrangement. Kreuger wants to be traded to Collingwood, and Fremantle is honing in on the contracted Jordan Clark. Lachie Henderson has decided to hang up the boots but Guthrie and Evans are both likely to go around again, and Brownless showed promising signs at the lower level but will have to wait. Constable wants more senior opportunities after another excellent VFL campaign. Category B rookie Stefan Okunbor is returning to Ireland.
Gold Coast
Out of contract (6): Matt Conroy, Patrick Murtagh, Hewago Paul Oea, Malcolm Rosas, Luke Towey, Jacob Townsend
Rosas is close to finalising a new deal for the next two seasons after knocking back the Bombers’ inquiries. The Suns will secure Tiger Mabior Chol on a four-year free agency deal, while category B rookie Oea and Queensland rookie products Conroy and Murtagh are expected to continue. Irishman Towey will have to wait to find out his fate, and whether Gold Coast gives four-club player Townsend another year remains to be seen. Contracted pair Will Brodie and Darcy McPherson are open to opportunities elsewhere.
GWS Giants
Out of contract (8): Callum Brown, Phil Davis, Matt Flynn, Daniel Lloyd, Jake Riccardi, Will Shaw, Zach Sproule, Jake Stein
Flynn and Riccardi are both expected to re-sign for two more years with the Giants, while former co-captain Davis will continue at the club, too. Shane Mumford will retire and focus on his coaching duties at the club. No one else is expected to be delisted, with Lloyd, Sproule and Stein all set for one-year deals. Brown and Shaw are poised for another season as category B rookies.
Hawthorn
Out of contract (6): Jackson Callow, Ollie Hanrahan, Dan Howe, Finn Maginness, Tim O’Brien, Jack Saunders
Negotiations are ongoing for Maginness, but he is expected to remain in brown and gold, as should Howe after a career-best season. Mid-season draftee Callow is on track to stay on the list for 2022, while Hanrahan and O’Brien are on hold through the trade period. Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs are among the clubs that have shown preliminary interest in O’Brien if the Hawks don’t offer him a contract. The rookie rules will help Saunders’ cause.
Melbourne
Out of contract (8): Toby Bedford, Kade Chandler, Majak Daw, Michael Hibberd, Marty Hore, Deakyn Smith, Kye Declase, Daniel Turner
Oskar Baker and Mitch Brown have re-signed for one year each, while premiership defender Hibberd, grand final emergency Chandler and Bedford are also set to go around again. Daw was a late list addition but was a good VFL performer – primarily as a ruckman – and is poised to receive an unlikely lifeline. Mid-season draftees Declase and Turner will have to wait but both are likely to be retained. Hore and Smith will need to be patient. Aaron vandenBerg opted to explore his options elsewhere rather than wait for a potential offer post-trade period.
North Melbourne
Out of contract (4): Shaun Atley, Tom Campbell, Trent Dumont, Charlie Ham
Robbie Tarrant will depart the Kangaroos to accept a two-year deal with Richmond – and fellow unrestricted free agent Dumont is also set to play elsewhere in 2022. North has put contract negotiations on hold for Dumont, Atley, Campbell and mid-season addition Ham. Tiger tall Callum Coleman-Jones wants to join the Roos on a long-term deal, so Tarrant may end up being part of that trade instead of signing at Punt Rd as a free agent.
Port Adelaide
Out of contract (6): Trent Burgoyne, Jarrod Lienert, Sam Mayes, Steven Motlop, Boyd Woodcock, Jed McEntee
Negotiations for Motlop to play on are ongoing. Burgoyne, Lienert, Mayes and Woodcock will have to wait, as will mid-season draftee McEntee, but he is expected to be at Alberton in 2022. Tyson Goldsack will retire for a second time. Peter Ladhams will explore his options to see if he can be a No.1 ruckman elsewhere, with the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda among his potential landing points. But Port Adelaide would expect good compensation. Gray, Bonner and Frederick have all re-signed with the club.
Richmond
Out of contract (7): Callum Coleman-Jones, Noah Cumberland, Derek Eggmolesse-Smith, Ryan Garthwaite, Ben Miller, Bigoa Nyuon, Sydney Stack
Coleman-Jones wants to become a Kangaroo, but the Tigers, who have lured veteran defender Robbie Tarrant from Arden St, have made it clear they expect a fair return in any trade. Tarrant’s arrival could impact on whether both Garthwaite and Miller remain on the list. Mabior Chol will sign a four-year free agency contract with Gold Coast, so Richmond may try to trade for Tarrant to not impact on their Chol compensation. Stack will stay in yellow and black but his new deal is not yet official. Cumberland, Eggmolesse-Smith and Nyuon will have to wait.
St Kilda
Out of contract (5): Paul Hunter, Darragh Joyce, Dean Kent, Jack Lonie, Seb Ross
Ross is the standout name here and has had a multi-year contract offer in front of him for some time. The unrestricted free agent is one of many inside midfielders still on the market but the most credentialed, as a dual club champion. The Saints are after another ruckman, but Hunter could stay on the list either way. Lonie’s been linked to various clubs over the years and will have to wait to find out his fate, along with Kent and Joyce. Luke Dunstan has parted ways with St Kilda, and Gold Coast has shown interest in signing him as a rookie.
Sydney Swans
Out of contract (6): Jordan Dawson, George Hewett, Barry O’Connor, Sam Reid, Ben Ronke, Sam Wicks
Dawson has requested a trade to Adelaide, while restricted free agent Hewett is expected to sign with the Blues on a long-term contract. Colin O’Riordan and Callum Sinclair removed themselves from this list with fresh one-year extensions, while Wicks is very close to inking a multi-year contract to remain in red and white. There are younger options challenging Reid at the Swans and he ended the season out of the senior side, but he may be back in 2022. A new deal for category B rookie O’Connor is on hold but he is a good chance to continue, while it’s unclear where Ronke sits after an injury-marred season.
West Coast
Out of contract (6): Jarrod Brander, Luke Foley, Shannon Hurn, Jamaine Jones, Josh Kennedy, Connor West
The Eagles have told Brander to explore his options elsewhere and he may end up being part of the deal for Carlton’s Sam Petrevski-Seton, who has requested a trade to West Coast. Veterans Hurn and Kennedy can return for another year if they choose to. Contracted small forward Jarrod Cameron’s decision to take a break from the AFL next year has boosted Jones’ prospects, while Foley is likely to be retained. West survived the delistings to date, unlike fellow mid-season draftee Will Collins.
Western Bulldogs
Out of contract (8): Ben Cavarra, Will Hayes, Patrick Lipinski, Stefan Martin, Roarke Smith, Jordon Sweet, Mitch Wallis, Lewis Young
Lipinski made official on Tuesday what’s been reported for weeks – he wants to be traded to Collingwood. He may not be the last Bulldog to do that, with Young gauging opposition interest despite having a two-year offer from the club. Wallis can also stay if he wants to, which is increasingly probable, given his lack of other options. If Wallis re-signs, it’s unlikely Cavarra will score a new deal. Smith was a solid performer in the grand final and had his best season at AFL level, so he will be retained. The Dogs are on the hunt for a ruckman, so it will be interesting to see how that pursuit impacts on Martin and Sweet. Hayes will have to wait.
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