Ultimate trade guide: Find out exactly who your club is chasing this off-season
WILL your club be a buyer or seller during this year’s trade period? Plenty of big names have been linked with off-season moves. Find out who could be going in and out of your club in our ultimate trade guide.
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WE have arrived.
After months of speculation, AFL clubs can finally start making deals as the 2018 trade period kicks off on Monday.
It’s a long time since this many big names have been linked with off-season moves.
Which club will snap up Dylan Shiel? Is Steven May heading to Melbourne? What will Lachie Neale cost the Lions? Where is Chad Wingard’s future?
FREE AGENT: PORT POACHES FLAG RUCK FROM EAGLES
NO DECISION: WAS GAFF’S B&F SPEECH A FAREWELL?
TRADE WAR: WILL KELLY BE ALLOWED TO RETURN HOME?
In anticipation for the massive two weeks, check the ultimate guide for all 18 clubs.
ADELAIDE
GONE: Sam Gibson, Curtly Hampton (retired); Harry Dear, Jackson Edwards, Ben Jarman (delisted).
IN PLAY: High-flying forward Mitch McGovern, who can also play in defence, has announced he wants to leave for Carlton and the clubs are likely to agree on a trade. Richmond’s Tyson Stengle, who had a good season for the Tigers’ VFL side, has named Adelaide as his preferred destination and a deal seems to be a formality. There was talk of Richmond being keen to trade for midfielder Brad Crouch but Crows list manager Justin Reid dismissed that rumour.
TARGETS: The Crows wanted a succession plan for Eddie Betts and appear to have that resolved in trading in Stengle. The Crows are looking for a back-up ruckman for Sam Jacobs and are also keen on South Australians Jack Lukosius and Izak Rankine, who are likely to be among the first selected in the national draft. The key for the Crows is how they position themselves with picks if the McGovern deal can be done.
DRAFT PICKS: 7, 15, 19, 37, 69, 79.
— JESPER FJELDSTAD
BRISBANE LIONS
GONE: Rohan Bewick, Tom Bell, Claye Beams, Marco Paparone, Liam Dawson, Jake Barrett (all delisted).
IN PLAY: Sam Mayes, the 2012 No. 8 draft pick, wants to return to South Australia to be nearer to his ill mother. There is goodwill between the player and the club and if the Lions can help him get home they will. Port Adelaide appears the most likely destination.
TARGETS: Docker Lachie Neale is the priority and the Lions will part with their first draft pick to get the deal done. But Fremantle wants more. The Dockers’ club championship was on Saturday night so the gun mid is now free to make his intentions public. The Neale deal could trigger other trades involving Demon Jesse Hogan and Sun Steven May. Off-contract Cat Lincoln McCarthy has also requested a trade to Brisbane and a third-round draft pick should get it done.
DRAFT PICKS: 4, 22, 40, 58, 76
— ANDREW HAMILTON
CARLTON
GONE: Alex Silvagni (retired); Aaron Mullett, Cam O’Shea, Matthew Shaw and Jesse Glass-McCasker (delisted).
IN PLAY: Levi Casboult has been put on the trade table and, while he’s not up for trade, there are concerns Ciaran Byrne may not return after going home to Ireland during the off-season. Blues hold the assets of the rights to two state league players they are keen to trade for picks. But with two high-profile targets in play, will they be forced to part with pick No. 1?
TARGETS: Mitch McGovern wants to play for the Blues, but a trade needs to be arranged for the contracted Crow. Working feverishly to land Dylan Shiel, while Alex Fasolo and Will Setterfield have also been linked with moves to Princes Park.
DRAFT PICKS: 1, 24, 25, 65, 73.
— SAM EDMUND
COLLINGWOOD
GONE: No players delisted or retired.
IN PLAY: Tom Langdon is expected to be re-signed shortly, with most of the improvement on this list coming from within. Levi Greenwood also wants to stay. Jamie Elliott has agreed to a new deal. Unrestricted free agent Alex Fasolo has been linked to Carlton.
TARGETS: Steven May and Marcus Adams are the club’s key defensive targets, as they try to bolster a back six which will have a slow start next year with Matt Scharenberg and Lynden Dunn recovering from ACL surgery. Melbourne is coming hard for May with the Pies also juggling draft requirements for top-30 picks Isaac Quaynor and Will Kelly.
DRAFT PICKS: 17, 48, 53, 71, 89.
— JON RALPH
ESSENDON
GONE: Brendon Goddard was moved on but is open to playing elsewhere. Josh Green and Jackson Merrett (delisted).
IN PLAY: Jayden Laverde recently penned a two-year deal and despite speculation the Bombers insist he’s going nowhere. Utility Mark Baguley, back-up ruckman Matthew Leuenberger, wingman Jake Long, ex-Tiger Matt Dea and defender Michael Hartley are yet to be offered contracts.
TARGETS: Trailing Carlton, Hawthorn and St Kilda in the race for Giants star Dylan Shiel. Keen on talented Gold Coast forward Jack Martin, but the Suns are playing hardball on the 23-year-old. Also chasing contracted Giants midfielder Will Setterfield, 20 — an Essendon fan growing up who has played just two games since being chosen with pick No. 5 in the 2016 draft.
DRAFT PICKS: 8, 31, 62, 80.
— MICHAEL WARNER
FREMANTLE
GONE: Michael Johnson (retired), Danyle Pearce (retired), Lee Spurr (retired).
IN PLAY: The Dockers maintain they are confident Lachie Neale will sign an improved long-term contract with them, but indications are they will fold and let him move to Brisbane if the Lions can provide the right deal. Brisbane’s first pick, currently pick 4, is not likely to be enough given Neale is contracted for another season and the Dockers will be emboldened by their tough stance with Gold Coast last season.
THE TARGETS: Richmond free agent Reece Conca has already been secured on a three-year deal, with Melbourne’s Jesse Hogan now the priority. The Dockers are likely to have two first-round draft picks should Neale depart but they will be determined to only give up one of them for Hogan. Fremantle is trying to prize uncontracted grand final star Tom Langdon out of Collingwood, while WA pair Tim Kelly and Rory Lobb prefer West Coast.
DRAFT PICKS: 5, 77, 95, 113, 131.
— BRADEN QUARTERMAINE
GEELONG
GONE: Aaron Black, Stewart Crameri, Ryan Gardner, Cory Gregson, Matthew Hayball, Timm House (delisted).
IN PLAY: Tim Kelly is the big one here. He is contracted for next season and has requested a trade to West Coast to be near family in Western Australia, but the Cats say “it is highly likely he will remain with the club”. Daniel Menzel, Jackson Thurlow, Lincoln McCarthy (Brisbane Lions) and George Horlin-Smith (Gold Coast) are looking for new homes.
TARGETS: Bulldog Luke Dahlhaus has joined as a free agent on a four-year deal and Swan Gary Rohan should come for a third or fourth-round pick. Dahlhaus will add some of that missing forward line pressure and Rohan gives the Cats some speed. The Cats want to keep their top pick (No. 11) to get back into the early part of the draft after trading out for the past three years.
DRAFT PICKS: 11, 47, 52, 55, 56, 83.
— JAY CLARK
GOLD COAST
GONE: Matt Rosa (retired); Michael Barlow, Mackenzie Willis, Josh Jaska, Max Spencer (delisted).
IN PLAY: Tom Lynch will join Richmond as a restricted free agent and Aaron Hall wants to join North Melbourne. Jack Martin wants to go to Essendon but the Suns won’t entertain it. Steven May has been linked to Collingwood but Melbourne has entered the fray and could have a pick to satisfy the Suns if Jesse Hogan is traded to Fremantle. Kade Kolodjashnij is likely to end up at Melbourne. Hawthorn is interested in top 10 draft pick Jack Scrimshaw.
TARGETS: Demon midfielder Dom Tyson is one player being discussed as a trade for Kolodjashnij. Tigers VFL pair Anthony Miles and Corey Ellis will join the club for a swap of late picks as will Geelong’s George Horlin-Smith. The Suns also get access to mature state league players under AFL assistance rules.
DRAFT PICKS: 2, 18, 26, 29, 38, 41, 74.
— ANDREW HAMILTON
GWS GIANTS
GONE: Ryan Griffen has retired and Tim Mohr hasn’t been offered a contract for next season and is considering retirement.
IN PLAY: The father of Dylan Shiel’s long term girlfriend Georgie, Mark ‘Choco’ Williams says Shiel is very close to making the biggest decision of his life. He is weighing up offers from Carlton, St Kilda, Essendon and Hawthorn. With a year still to run on his contract the Giants will need suitable compensation. Carlton has pick 1 but will be reluctant to give it up for Shiel which could be a major stumbling block. Rory Lobb is heading to either Fremantle or West Coast, the Dockers have pick 5 and the Eagles’ first pick is 20. Jeremy Finlayson is contracted for another two years but has been given permission by GWS to explore options elsewhere.
TARGETS: Shane Mumford is in the frame again with the strong chance Rory Lobb is heading back to WA. With Lobb and Shiel both attracting strong interest, the Giants will look to re-load with more young talent from a very strong draft.
DRAFT PICKS: 13, 23, 46, 51, 69 and 87
— NEIL CORDY
HAWTHORN
GONE: Cyril Rioli, Ty Vickery (retired); Kurt Heatherley, Jonathan O’Rourke, Dallas Willsmore (delisted).
IN PLAY: It appears the Hawks have deemed ruckman Jon Ceglar expendable and they are yet to offer free agent Brendan Whitecross a contract for 2019, who has been linked to a move home to Queensland. Talk surrounding captain Jarryd Roughead has dimmed and it appears likely he will stay in 2019. Ryan Schoenmakers, Taylor Duryea and Kieran Lovell are still unsigned and Teia Miles has been encouraged to explore other opportunities.
TARGETS: The Hawks are set for another aggressive off-season, but who will they land? They’ve already missed out on Tom Lynch and are now locking eyes on Chad Wingard, Dylan Shiel, Jack Scrimshaw and Steven May. Can’t match the cash of rivals but the Clarko factor — and premiership pattern — holds cache. They might also eye Jaeger O’Meara’s good mate Stephen Coniglio next year.
DRAFT PICKS: 14, 32, 50, 86.
— SAM LANDSBERGER
MELBOURNE
GONE: Harley Balic, Tom Bugg, Lochie Filipovic, Dion Johnstone, Mitch King, Pat McKenna, Cam Pedersen, Bernie Vince.
IN PLAY: Jesse Hogan has a foot out the door but hasn’t officially confirmed he wants to leave yet. The Demons will lose Dean Kent to St Kilda and maybe Aaron vandenBerg to Sydney. Dom Tyson could depart for more opportunities but they will keep speedster Jayden Hunt.
TARGETS: Would likely do the Hogan deal in a heartbeat if it secured them Gold Coast defender Steven May, although they believe Hogan has more trade value than May. Also keen for some outside run. Will secure Suns half-back Kade Kolodjashnij and also Roos ruckman Braydon Preuss.
DRAFT PICKS: 33, 43, 51, 87.
— JON RALPH
NORTH MELBOURNE
GONE: Billy Hartung, Tom Jeffries, Oscar Junker, Gordon Narrier, Daniel Nielson, Mitch Hibberd, Josh Williams and Declan Mountford (delisted). The Herald Sun revealed last month Scott Thompson would sign a one-year deal.
IN PLAY: Braydon Preuss will head to Melbourne in exchange for about a second-round draft pick. Who knows why Preuss would leave the Kangas because he will sit behind the AFL’s best ruckman Max Gawn. Weird one.
THE TARGETS: Aaron Hall will join the Kangas for a second or third-round selection, while Port wants pick No. 10 for speedster Jared Polec. They have missed out on Eagles free agent Andrew Gaff. The Roos aren’t interested in Demon Dom Tyson.
DRAFT PICKS: 10, 28, 39, 54, 64, 82.
— JAY CLARK
PORT ADELAIDE
GONE: Lindsay Thomas (retired); Emmanuel Irra, Jimmy Toumpas (delisted).
IN PLAY: Jared Polec has agreed to a deal with North Melbourne and the clubs are negotiating what is fair compensation. Dual All-Australian and Jack Cahill medallist Chad Wingard has been touted as a potential trade to a Melbourne club but now appears more likely to stay at the Power. Jack Hombsch has been linked to the Gold Coast, with the Power having an excess of key defenders.
TARGETS: Less than a week after lifting the premiership cup Eagles ruckman Scott Lycett is set to defect to Port Adelaide. He will provide back-up to Paddy Ryder, who had an injury-interrupted season, and will also allow Ryder to spend more time in the forward line.
DRAFT PICKS: 9, 21, 27, 45, 46, 81.
— JESPER FJELDSTAD
RICHMOND
GONE: Shaun Hampson (retired); Ben Griffiths (delisted) is pursuing an NFL punting career.
IN PLAY: A host of Punt Rd fringe players are on the move. Reece Conca is off to Fremantle on a three-year deal as an unrestricted free agent, Corey Ellis and Anthony Miles will be traded to the Gold Coast, Sam Lloyd is joining the Western Bulldogs and two-gamer Tyson Stengle is heading home to Adelaide. Premiership hard-nut Jacob Townsend is weighing up his options but could stay, while talented rookie forward Callum Moore will be upgraded. Nathan Drummond, cruelled by two knee reconstructions, is yet to be offered a contract.
TARGETS: It’s likely the Tigers will only bring in one player during the trade and free agency frenzy, but he’s a biggie — Gold Coast co-captain Tom Lynch. The Suns have until Monday to match Richmond’s offer but will surely accept pick No. 3 as compensation. Adelaide’s Brad Crouch was never an option. The Tigers will top up their list with four picks in the national draft and half a dozen rookies.
DRAFT PICKS: 16, 34, 70, 88.
— MICHAEL WARNER
ST KILDA
GONE: Koby Stevens (retired); Ray Connellan, Nathan Freeman, Sam Gilbert, Hugh Goddard, Darren Minchington, Nathan Wright (delisted).
IN PLAY: Jack Lonie has offers to leave, Billy Longer remains unsigned and there is also rival interest in contracted ruckman Tom Hickey. Geelong keeps sniffing around four-time best-and-fairest Jack Steven but the Saints maintain he — and their No. 3 draft pick — are not for sale.
TARGETS: The Saints have followed Jerry Maguire’s advice and shown Dylan Shiel the money — dangling $1.3 million per season. Dan Hannebery is certain to arrive and will most likely cost a 2019 second-round draft pick while Melbourne speedster Dean Kent will get across fairly cheaply. Also monitoring Port Adelaide’s Karl Amon.
DRAFT PICKS: 3, 57, 61, 63.
— SAM LANDSBERGER
SYDNEY
GONE: Alex Johnson, Dean Towers, Jordan Foote, Angus Styles and Jake Brown have all been delisted.
IN PLAY: Dan Hannebery said what was effectively his farewell speech at the best and fairest on Friday night. He was very confident a deal would be done with St Kilda. The Swans are looking to trade up for a high pick and the Saints have pick 3. Sydney may offer Hannebery and their first pick (12) and maybe another player. Gary Rohan is off to Geelong to be closer to his family and should get there without any hiccups.
TARGETS: There are no big fish likely to be landed by the Swans. Darcy Moore is set to re-sign with Collingwood and Tom Harley has ruled out Steven May and Dylan Shiel as possible targets. But there is definite interest in Melbourne’s Aaron vandenBerg, North Melbourne’s Ryan Clarke and Hawthorn’s Taylor Duryea.
DRAFT PICKS: 12, 30, 35, 66 and 84
— NEIL CORDY
WEST COAST
GONE: Eric Mackenzie (retired).
IN PLAY: Scott Lycett will move to Port Adelaide as a restricted free agent on a five-year deal worth about $3 million. The Eagles won’t match the bid and are likely to get an end of first round compensation pick. In a major coup for the reigning premiers, gun midfielder Andrew Gaff has rejected North Melbourne’s big-money offer and will stay.
THE TARGETS: The Eagles are lining up Greater Western Sydney big man Rory Lobb and Geelong midfielder Tim Kelly. West Coast will hope an end of first round pick, at about No. 20, will be enough for Kelly — perhaps sweetened with pick swaps — despite the Cats’ tough talk. Lobb is set to join the Eagles or remain with the Giants, while West Coast have also met with St Kilda ruckman Tom Hickey.
DRAFT PICKS: 20, 36, 68, 72, 90, 108.
— BRADEN QUARTERMAINE
WESTERN BULLDOGS
GONE: Luke Dahlhaus (Geelong); Shane Biggs, Clay Smith, Jack Redpath (retired); Kieran Collins, Nathan Mullenger-McHugh (delisted).
IN PLAY: Jordan Roughead will leave as a free agent and is most likely to join West Coast but fellow premiership star and free agent Tom Liberatore is expected to sign a one-year deal. Mitch Honeychurch and Tom Campbell face nervous waits to see if they remain at Whitten Oval.
TARGETS: Chad Wingard is their man and pick six (which will be bumped to No. 7) should get it done. The playmaker is close mates with Jackson Trengove and would give a dour attack some serious spice. Sam Lloyd has cleaned out his Punt Rd locker and is on the way in exchange for a late draft selection while they will cash in the Dahlhaus compensation pick (No. 25) to help secure father-son midfielder Rhylee West.
DRAFT PICKS: 6, 42, 59, 60.
— SAM LANDSBERGER
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