AFL Trade 2023: Mick McGuane on who your club could lose and where they could be headed
They are both talented but perennial whipping boys for Blues fans, but what other clubs might be interested in Jack Silvagni and Paddy Dow?
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With the 2023 season almost over for 10 clubs, attention is quickly turning to the trade and free agency period.
AFL analyst Mick McGuane has taken a look at who the players from every club who could be targets for rivals looking to bolster their lists for 2024.
ADELAIDE
Midfielder Matt Crouch’s current form warrants another contract at the Crows.
However, given he has found himself in and out of the Adelaide side over the past two seasons, it might be worth his while to seek out another opportunity elsewhere.
With a shortage of key defenders across the competition, Tom Doedee will attract attention despite rupturing his ACL in June.
The Crows would be wise to make a lower offer for him to stay, knowing that other clubs would be hesitant to offer a lucrative long-term deal to a player who has now done both knees.
But Doedee could be a good fit for a club like Brisbane, to support Harris Andrews and Jack Payne down back.
Wingman Lachlan Sholl would have to be of interest to North Melbourne, which is desperate for an outside runner and effective ball user.
Forward Shane McAdam looks likely to stay a Crow after working his way back into the senior side over the past six weeks and playing some good footy.
BRISBANE LIONS
Midfielder-forward Deven Robertson is in the team at the moment, but if he wants to go home there could be a suitor in Western Australia.
West Coast needs a young midfielder who can lead and Robertson has genuine leadership qualities along with plenty of football talent.
Still just 22 years old, he would have greater opportunity to play regular senior football at the Eagles.
At the moment he’s on the fringe of a very strong Lions midfield.
Kai Lohmann is a player I rate and I wouldn’t be surprised if he also found a new home during the trade period.
He’s a busy small pressure forward who has a bit of X-Factor about him and can do some special things, but he has spent most of the season stuck in the VFL.
CARLTON
My mail is that free-agent Jack Silvagni wants to work something out and stay at Princes Park, despite still not having a contract offer.
But if I was Richmond, I’d be seeing if I could lure him to Punt Rd.
With the retirement of Jack Riewoldt, the Tigers could do with another marking forward to support Tom Lynch and the 25-year-old Silvangi could be an answer.
If the Tigers were to lose Ivan Soldo, Silvagni could also be handy as a back-up ruckman to Toby Nankervis.
Paddy Dow was shopped around last year but chose to stay at Carlton, roll up his sleeves and earn his spot.
He’s done that in the second half of the season, but it could be a short-lived stay with Sam Walsh and Adam Cerra set to return from injury.
If Dow does get dropped and doesn’t play finals, he would surely interest a club like the Western Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs need to start thinking about life after Tom Liberatore and Dow could be part of their succession plan.
COLLINGWOOD
Finlay Macrae can’t get into Collingwood’s midfield but is playing good footy at VFL level and should be entertained by other clubs as a potential depth player or primary starter.
His older brother Jack is at the Western Bulldogs and the Dogs could do with some more midfield depth as some of their stars approach the twilight periods of their careers.
Defender Trey Ruscoe hasn’t been able to lock down a regular senior spot in his four seasons at the Magpies and is out of contract.
At 193cm, he can play reasonably tall and generates run and drive with his kicking off halfback, which would interest other clubs.
Ruscoe could prove a low-price, high-reward trade.
Jack Ginnivan has had a rocky season but has been back in the side the past two weeks and has shown just how much he can influence games in a short period of time.
As much as rival clubs will ask the question, the Magpies wouldn’t want to lose Ginnivan because players like him don’t fall out of trees.
ESSENDON
Harrison Jones might need a fresh start.
Since bursting onto the scene in 2021, the key forward hasn’t done a lot and needs to ask himself how serious he is about his footy.
There is clear upside there if another club can secure Jones and get the best out of him and his body, which has had its injury issues.
He’s an athletic 196cm lead-up forward, which are hard to find.
Jones could fit in well at a club like Richmond, following Jack Riewoldt’s retirement.
Unsurprisingly, out-of-contract defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher has interest from other clubs.
He would certainly suit Port Adelaide with their ageing defensive group and the Bombers might be happy to orchestrate that trade if they secure North Melbourne free agent Ben McKay.
All indications are that Darcy Parish wants to stay at the Bombers, but he remains unsigned entering the final round of the season.
Geelong has generally gone for bigger and stronger onballers but Parish would certainly be of interest to the Cats and could reinvigorate their midfield if he can’t agree on a new deal at Tullamarine.
FREMANTLE
Given he has been able to bed down a role on a wing for the Dockers this year, I’m not sure why Liam Henry would want to leave.
However, the whispers are linking the out-of-contact 21-year-old to a move to Victoria.
Henry is a West Australian boy, but if he does want a change of scenery I could see him slotting in nicely at Essendon, St Kilda or Melbourne.
The Saints in particular need to look to what life after Brad Hill looks like and Henry could be a very handy player to have for that role down the track.
After the recruitment of Luke Jackson last year, there is much speculation about whether fellow ruckman Sean Darcy wants to stick around.
However, given Jackson is also proficient as a forward, Fremantle can play both in the same team.
GEELONG
The Cats can expect to lose out-of-contract key defender Esava Ratugolea during the trade period.
Port Adelaide and Sydney are desperate for a key defender and are into the former key forward.
However, one club that hasn’t been widely discussed in the race for Ratugolea is Hawthorn, who should also be having a massive crack at him given their need for another tall down back.
As it stands, the Power look to have their noses in front and the recruitment of Ratugolea would allow Aliir Aliir to play higher rather than as a deep one-on-one defender.
If I were a rival club looking for a young mid-sized forward, I’d be considering Oliver Dempsey.
The 20-year-old is playing good VFL footy and has natural forward craft as he naturally finds space, along with a little bit of X-Factor.
Brandan Parfitt has been in and out of the senior side this season but is a capable AFL midfielder who should also seek out opportunities elsewhere.
GWS
The Giants are largely locked and loaded with their list for coming years.
However, one player that could be put on the trade table is ruckman Matt Flynn.
There are not many developed ruckmen across the competition and Flynn is a 25-year-old who would be of interest to some rivals.
Flynn has been playing in the seconds in the second half of the season, on the back of the rise of Kieren Briggs in the No. 1 ruck role.
GWS might be happy for Flynn to move on, freeing up some space on their list.
GOLD COAST
Newly-appointed coach Damien Hardwick believes 80 per cent of the Suns’ next premiership side is already on their list.
There will be some changes around the edges, but Gold Coast doesn’t look like being a very active player in this year’s trade period as it prepares to welcome a raft of Suns Academy talent through the draft.
One player who might attract a bite from rival clubs is forward Mabior Chol.
While he has a contract until 2025, the 26-year-old has found himself squeezed out of the forward line for much of this season on the back of the return of Ben King from injury and the move of Jack Lukosius forward.
Chol clearly has talent, but his consistency and competitiveness has lacked at times across his career.
HAWTHORN
Having struggled to consolidate his spot as a key forward, could Jacob Koschitzke be seen in a different light by another club?
The 23-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and has kicked just eight goals from 11 games for the Hawks.
Koschitzke is 196cm and is a competitor, so I would strongly consider switching him to the other end of the ground as a defender.
If North Melbourne was to lose Ben McKay through free agency on the back of Griffin Logue’s ACL injury, the Kangaroos would look very thin in defence.
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson has worked with Koschitzke previously and could spot the opportunity that presents.
We’ve seen plenty of key forwards in the early stages of their careers turn into very good key defenders.
MELBOURNE
The combination of Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy in the same team this year hasn’t worked.
However, if the Demons do let Grundy go after one year it is a raw admission of failure from Simon Goodwin and the list management team.
If Melbourne looks at its list, it might think it needs to keep Grundy as a security blanket in case of serious injury to Gawn.
But I’m not sure that Grundy wants to be a security blanket when he could instead be a No. 1 ruckman at Port Adelaide or Sydney next year.
The sticking point could be the money, though, and whether Melbourne is prepared to pay part of Grundy’s remaining contract for him to play elsewhere.
Adam Tomlinson has another year to run on his current contract at the Demons but has been starved of opportunity over the past two years.
His currency isn’t what it once was, though, with his speed, footy IQ and kicking not being great.
NORTH MELBOURNE
All indications are that Ben McKay will be exercising his free agency rights at season’s end — and who could blame him?
Across 70 games with the Kangaroos since 2017, he has played in just seven wins.
It’s not much fun playing as a defender in a struggling side when you know where the ball is going to live each week.
Essendon, Sydney and Port Adelaide have all been strongly linked to McKay as they search for ready-made key defenders, of which there are few around.
I wouldn’t pay McKay the $800,000 a season that he is being shopped around for, but he has the opportunity to cash in given the shortage of similar players on the market.
As much as Tarryn Thomas’ name has been thrown around in trade conversations, the Kangaroos need to keep and support him.
North Melbourne is a club that can ill-afford for its top-end talent to leave.
PORT ADELAIDE
It is sounding more likely by the day that forward Mitch Georgiades will soon agree to terms on a new contract to stay at the Power.
He’s a young player who has great talent and complements Port Adelaide’s future plans.
Georgiades had a knee reconstruction earlier this year but has 49 senior games under his belt and is still only 21 years old, so he will bounce back.
Miles Bergman was also discussed as a trade target earlier in the season but has since re-signed.
There’s not many players that rival clubs will be pinching form Port this year.
RICHMOND
Ruckman Ivan Soldo is 27 years old and he has probably got to a point in his career where he is sick and tired of being second-fiddle to Toby Nankervis.
While Soldo is still contracted for next year, the Tigers couldn’t begrudge him if he wanted to leave.
Geelong could be the perfect fit for Soldo, given Rhys Stanley is not getting any younger and Jonathon Ceglar has retired.
The Tigers would be keen to improve their draft hand this year and giving up Soldo could allow them to do that.
Out-of-contract key forward Jacob Bauer could also receive interest from clubs, having shown glimpses of his talent this year.
ST KILDA
Forward Jade Gresham is still without a contract for 2024 and there are three clubs who should be having a good, hard look at him.
They are Hawthorn, Richmond and Carlton.
The word is that Gresham wants to play more games at the MCG and those three clubs are all regular tenants of the home of football.
Gresham hasn’t had his best season this year, but he has just turned 26 and has still averaged 17.4 disposals and a goal a game for the Saints.
SYDNEY
Key defender Lewis Melican has found himself out of favour at the Swans over the past two seasons and has played just seven senior games this year.
If North Melbourne loses Ben McKay to free agency, the Kangaroos should make a play for Melican to help shore up their defence.
He has a history of soft-tissue injuries, but is one of few options the Roos might have.
History suggests that North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson also likes bringing in good wingmen who can hold shape and use the ball well.
Based on that, the Kangaroos should also be looking to drag Dylan Stephens out of Sydney.
Stephens has a contract offer on the table to stay, but North Melbourne might be able to offer more money or a longer-term deal to entice him.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Maybe it is time for a fresh start for midfielder Bailey Smith.
The 22-year-old is contracted for next year, but he and the Bulldogs could decide it is mutually beneficial to part ways.
Since his standout 2021 season and an impressive start to 2022, Smith hasn’t been the same player.
However, he is still young and would have plenty of currency at the trade table if he was to be put up.
Ruckman Jordan Sweet has been starved of opportunity behind potential All-Australian Tim English this year and could be attractive to some clubs desperate for a ruckman.
Similarly, forward Buku Khamis is not getting many opportunities in attack as he sits behind the likes of Aaron Naughton, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Rory Lobb.
Khamis could interest another club as a third-tall forward.
He has shown glimpses but needs to find greater consistency in his game.
WEST COAST
Defender Tom Barrass was the player that could have found a new home, but he has signalled his intention to stay the course at the Eagles.
The boat looks to have sailed on trading out Andrew Gaff for a decent draft pick, but I’d certainly entertain moving on fellow midfielder Elliot Yeo if there were any takers.
If another club was able to get Yeo’s body right, it could reap some rewards over the next couple of years.
Yeo, who turns 30 in October, has averaged 17.4 disposals and 383 metres gained from 10 matches this season.
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