AFL trade news: Brayden Maynard’s Collingwood future, Ed Richards and more

Premiership Magpie Brayden Maynard is having to come to grips with the possibility of finishing his career at another club. Full details and the latest trade news in Moneyball.

Heart-and-soul Magpie Brayden Maynard is happy to play further into the season without a new deal as he comes further to grips with the possibility of leaving Collingwood.

The durable and beloved premiership player is due to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year and at 28, could be eyeing the last big contract of his career.

The 211-game defender drew interest from North Melbourne in last year’s trade period and his defensive toughness fits with almost any side in the league.

Maynard said in February he was expecting a deal to be done soon with Collingwood, but now he is focusing on his game, coming off a rare two-goal performance in a thumping win over Port Adelaide on Saturday.

North Melbourne showed interest in Maynard last year. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/Getty Images

Collingwood brought in rebounding defender Dan Houston and Giants midfielder Harry Perryman on deals around $800-900,000 each, setting a market for Maynard to pursue in negotiations.

“I am going to let my footy do the talking for the next little while,” Maynard told this masthead.

“Like I said a little while ago, I would feel weird in another jumper but it is a business so whatever happens, happens.

“I love Collingwood and we have a great culture here, so we will see what happens.”

Maynard battled a difficult plantar fasciitis injury in pre-season but has played unhampered through Collingwood’s opening two games of the season.

Fellow 2023 flag winning Pies Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, Jamie Elliott, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Jeremy Howe, Brody Mihocek, Mason Cox and Oleg Markov are all due to be free agents at the end of this season.

COULD KEY MAGPIE TEST RUCK MARKET?

Darcy Cameron seems determined to test the market despite his status as a contracted player at Collingwood as Carlton considers him as a fallback position if Tom De Koning departs.

West Coast is keen to secure an A grade ruckman and got another reminder to why as Jarrod Witts annihilated Matt Flynn (68 hitouts to 13) in round 1.

So they will continue to monitor Cameron, who the Herald Sun reported last week was a half-price pie given he is on less than $500,000 compared to Harry Perryman and Dan Houston’s $900,000 deals.

Darcy Cameron is attracting interest from clubs including West Coast.

The Blues are aware TDK’s “lifechanging” offer from St Kilda will be hard to resist and have Marc Pittonet as a back-up.

But in an era when contracts are rarely worth the paper they are written on, the Blues will monitor Cameron’s status all year.

Even if the Pies came to him with a revised offer he is in no hurry to get a deal done past 2026.

De Koning wants to remain at Carlton but those close to him are aware it will be extremely hard to knock back the St Kilda sum which is over $1.5 million a season across seven years.

Luke Jackson isn’t looking for a move. Picture: Getty Images

JACKSON EAGER TO STAY

Luke Jackson would ideally sign a contract through to 2033 - matching the tenure of future Fremantle captain Hayden Young - as he locks himself in as a Docker for life.

But the Dockers are in no rush to hand him a larger deal yet given the shape of a contract which is extremely lucrative as it pushes towards the final years of its tenure ending in 2029.

Jackson made clear on Monday that he did not want to return to Melbourne despite the links with Kysaiah Pickett in a potential trade, categorically ruling out a return to Victoria.

He is open to a contract extension and ideally would have a deal matching Young’s lengthy tenure, with both players 23 but midfielder Young six months older.

The Dockers are in no hurry given Jackson’s deal is until at least 2029 and potentially longer.

It will also make him a wealthy player in a deal that is more lucrative than initial reports.

So while the Dockers could eventually extend his contract he is already very well paid and for a very long time.

ED’S SLICE OF HISTORY … AS THE DOGS WORK TOWARDS A NEW DEAL

Western Bulldogs midfielder gun Ed Richards carved out a remarkable slice of family footy history last week and will be looking to build on that as he and the club edge closer towards striking a new lengthy deal.

The 25-year-old has fast become one of the Dogs’ most important players and he is a clear priority signing along with skipper Marcus Bontempelli and Adam Treloar with the trio being key members of the club’s stellar midfield.

Insiders have expressed the boost in leadership Richards has shown in recent seasons, and that was evident last Saturday night when he and Tom Liberatore led the Dogs’ midfield in Bontempelli and Treloar’s absence with injury.

Ed Richards makes them pay.#AFLDogsNorthpic.twitter.com/Hsw4iYjwnj

— AFL (@AFL) March 15, 2025

The Herald Sun understands there is good will between the Bulldogs and the Richards camp as they look to take him off the free agency tables.

There is no firm timeline but the two parties are working towards a positive resolution, with rival clubs believing Richards will remain in the red, white and blue next year and beyond.

Richards scored a perfect 10 from the two coaches in last week’s round 1 win over North Melbourne.

It took his own games tally to 126 matches, lifting his family to an outright first (1065 matches) in terms of VFL-AFL games on record.

Richards is the seventh member of his family to play league football, dating back to his great-great grandfather Charlie Pannam Sr, who first played for Collingwood in the VFA back in 1894 before playing his first match in the VFL in 1897 – 128 years ago.

Rhylee West and Ed Richards enjoy Western Bulldogs’ round 1 win over North Melbourne.

Richards grew up as a Magpies supporter and was even pictured as a newborn in 1999 outside Victoria Park with his grandfather Ron Richards and great uncle Lou Richards.

He was taken by the Bulldogs as pick 16 in the 2017 draft and his move into the midfield last season helped him develop swiftly into one of the Dogs’ most important players.

He is seen as a potential future captain with the Bulldogs in the future, with the club eager to lock him away as soon as they can.

TIGER VETERAN SET TO STAY

Tom Lynch has pledged his future to Richmond even as he becomes a free agent this year in a side with no prospects of finals in the foreseeable future.

Clubs asked about Lynch last summer but he made clear he wasn’t interested in a move.

A move to Brisbane might have worked perfectly given their need for a Joe Daniher replacement.

His huge back-ended salary would have been challenging for clubs to absorb but they could have added an extra year to his deal to smooth out the wage over multiple years.

Now as a free agent he could jump ship and the Tigers would receive little or no compensation given he is 33 in October.

Tom Lynch is likely to stay at Richmond after his current deal expires.

But Lynch has made clear he has been well rewarded - both in multiple flags and in salary - across his Tigers career after moving from the Suns as a free agent.

He is keen to repay the club and will at some stage sign a new deal after only eight games across 2023 and 2024.

His importance to the Tigers in the second half was evident as he fought back against a dominant Jacob Weitering, although he was handed a one-week ban for a high hit on Tom De Koning.

Richmond football boss Tim Livingstone told the Fox Footy telecast on Thursday Lynch had a massive role to play in coming years.

“He is critically important. His importance doubles with our young forwards. He’s just so significant and we are expecting Tom to see out his entire career here. He’s a ripper, Lynchy, he’s a wonderful competitor and a wonderful person,” he said.

Originally published as AFL trade news: Brayden Maynard’s Collingwood future, Ed Richards and more