By Marc McGowan
Essendon’s mulleted cult hero ruckman Sam Draper could be the next South Australian on the Crows’ hit list as he prepares to start the season without a contract for next year.
Draper, the top pick in the rookie draft nine years ago out of South Adelaide, is a free agent for the first time at age 26 and highly unlikely to re-sign before the Bombers’ season begins.
Essendon ruckman Sam Draper (left) is a free agent at season’s end.Credit: AFL Photos
Four industry sources who work in player movement, and were granted anonymity to speak more openly, told The Age that Adelaide were an interested party in the ruck market.
The Crows’ own big man Reilly O’Brien, who turns 30 in August, is also a free agent at the end of season 2025.
There is no indication yet that Draper will leave Essendon, where he has played 73 games and is the No.1 ruckman, but he is focused purely on playing for now after injuries again held him back last season.
The same sources believe Adelaide would need to make an offer of at least $800,000 per season to lure Draper home, given the ascending salary cap from the collective bargaining agreement between the AFL and the players’ association in September 2023.
Industry sources said the average ruckman who plays senior football every week earns somewhere around $550,000 to $600,000 annually, whereas seven-time All-Australian Max Gawn is on a salary of about $1 million.
Western Bulldogs ruckman Tim English, who was a restricted free agent last year before inking a five-year extension, could have scored a deal worth beyond $1 million per season had he switched clubs.
Draper is valued somewhere between that, and would likely attract a salary of at least $700,000, even if he stayed at Essendon, who have plenty of cap space, particularly after trading Jake Stringer to the Giants. Top free agents, particularly those with significant external interest, are consistently receiving six-plus-year contracts.
The Crows have prioritised recruiting South Australian talent, including trading for Jordan Dawson, Izak Rankine, Chris Burgess and Alex Neal-Bullen in the past four years, as well as making a play for Jack Lukosius last year.
Essendon teammates Draper and Nick Bryan do battle at training last month.Credit: AFL Photos
Adelaide also signed Broken Hill product Isaac Cumming as a free agent in October.
The Crows’ situation is just one piece of this intriguing puzzle.
The Bombers played ruckman Nick Bryan alongside Draper in the final month of last season, but the 23-year-old – who is out of contract this year – received limited senior opportunities in his first five years at the club.
Peter Wright, who won Essendon’s best and fairest award in 2022 as a key forward/ruck, is contracted until the end of 2027, but fell out of favour and played just once in the final six rounds last season.
Veteran Todd Goldstein is the other ruckman on the Bombers’ list, but is almost certainly heading into his final year.
Free agents Marcus Bontempelli, Jeremy Cameron, Andrew Brayshaw and Brandon Starcevich are considered likely to stay, but there is a level of intrigue about Tom Lynch’s future because of Richmond’s rebuild.
Carlton’s Tom De Koning, West Coast captain Oscar Allen – identified by Brisbane as a potential Joe Daniher replacement – and North Melbourne prime mover Luke Davies-Uniacke join Draper among the most fascinating cases in this year’s free agency sweepstakes.
Tom De Koning
There was huge interest in De Koning when he was out of contract, but still largely unproven, two years ago, so it is not surprising that the big Blue is a man in demand.
Tom De Koning is a man in demand.Credit: Getty Images
The 25-year-old averaged career-highs in disposals (16.2), contested possessions (10.1), hit-outs (19.9), clearances (4.9), score involvements (5.4) and tackles (3.4) in a breakout season last year.
Geelong are one of several Victorian clubs trying to prise out-of-contract Suns midfielder Matt Rowell out of Gold Coast, and are the wildcards in the De Koning race, given his brother Sam plays there.
However, St Kilda – suitors for De Koning last time around – have the most cash to splash and are reportedly discussing offering Carlton’s restricted free agent a seven-year deal exceeding $1 million a year.
Sydney were another club keen on De Koning two years ago. That was before the Swans traded for Brodie Grundy, but the ex-Magpie and Demon turns 31 in April.
The Blues won’t be the highest bidders, but will need to present a lucrative long-term contract to retain him.
Luke Davies-Uniacke
Davies-Uniacke will be a millionaire regardless of where he plays from 2026.
Luke Davies-Uniacke has a seven-year contract offer from North Melbourne.Credit: Getty Images
North Melbourne’s reigning Syd Barker medallist already has a seven-year offer in front of him to stay, and industry sources believe it might be the best one he receives from anyone.
St Kilda are the main dangers if Davies-Uniacke was to consider a fresh start.
The star Kangaroo has indicated he wants to remain at Arden Street, but would like to see the club belatedly improve after finishing in the bottom two for five consecutive seasons in a diabolical period.
Failure to do so looms as the greatest risk for North to lose Davies-Uniacke, the No.4 pick in the 2017 draft.
Oscar Allen
It is rare that a club captain departs, but Brisbane hope to make another West Australian raid as the reigning premiers look to fill Daniher’s void up forward.
A bone stress injury in Allen’s right knee limited the star Eagle to 11 games last year, after he kicked 53 goals a season earlier – almost double as many as he managed any other time in his career – and there are varying reports on where he is at physically.
West Coast co-captain Oscar Allen (right) has rival interest in his free agency year.Credit: AFL Photos
Jake Waterman emerged in the absence of Allen, who will be a restricted free agent. Waterman kicked 53 goals to make the All-Australian team, while West Coast drafted tall forward Jobe Shanahan last year.
The Lions’ recruits under Chris Fagan include Daniher, Lachie Neale, Charlie Cameron, Josh Dunkley, Tom Doedee, Linc McCarthy and Callum Ah Chee.
They also have a strong track record of rehabilitating injury-riddled footballers, while Daniher’s surprise retirement freed space in Brisbane’s salary cap.
Sam Collins
Key defender Collins turns 31 in June, but is set to score a three-year deal if he stays at Gold Coast – and possibly an extra season on top if he chooses to return to Victoria.
The most likely scenario is that Collins stays up north, and he could even sign a deal within the next week or so. If that does not happen, things could get interesting.
Collins has switched agents to Corporate Sports Australia’s Colin Young.
Brayden Maynard
North Melbourne inquired about Collingwood’s hard-nosed defender Maynard last year as they went hunting for more experience around their group of young guns.
That would have required a trade, whereas Maynard is a free agent at season’s end, so any renewed interest could have a different result 12 months later, particularly if the Kangaroos show promise and climb the ladder.
Jeremy McGovern
The five-time All-Australian, one of the best key defenders of his generation, won’t feature on the free agency list for much longer.
McGovern is set to ink a one-year deal at West Coast that could be finalised this month or by early March.
James Worpel is a free agent at the end of season 2025.Credit: AFL Photos
James Worpel
There is no traction yet on a new deal for Hawthorn’s competitive beast, who won the club’s best-and-fairest award in 2019 and has finished top five three times since.
What happens with Worpel, including the size of his contract if he stays, may depend on where the Hawks see him fitting into their blueprint, given their on-ball rotation includes Jai Newcombe, Will Day, Conor Nash – who they retained despite St Kilda’s lucrative offer – Josh Ward and Cam Mackenzie.
It took until August for the 26-year-old to re-sign two years ago.
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