‘No way’: AFL rocked by night of trade bombshells

Port Adelaide and West Coast nightmares are beginning to take shape after several trade bombs dropped on Monday.

Port Adelaide and West Coast nightmares are beginning to take shape as a number of trade report bombs dropped on Monday night.

Power midfielder Zak Butters’s increasingly uncertain future was one of the headline developments as reports suggest an increasing number of Victorian clubs are planning attempts to snap him up.

Footy journalist Sam McClure reported on Monday interest in Butters has skyrocketed with Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn and Richmond preparing moves.

The most eye-catching detail of the report McClure gave on Channel 9’s Footy Classified was that Butters would be “open” to exploring a trade at the end of this season.

The 24-year-old star is contracted through to the end of the 2026 season, but circumstances may shift to a point where Port Adelaide would be better off cutting a deal for Butters this year rather than risk losing him in free agency 12 months later.

FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer.

“There are now four Victorian clubs who are aware that his head may be turned not next year during free agency, but at the end of this season,” McClure said.

“There are a myriad of reasons why they think that the Bacchus Marsh boy may do that. One, that the Power may not be the powerhouse that Zak Butters was hoping they would be going into this year. The second crucial element of this, is that Zak Butters is one … who has developed an extremely close bond to Ken Hinkley.”

Hinkley finishes up his coaching role with the club at the end of this season before he hands the job to Josh Carr.

Tom De Koning (left), Zak Butters (centre) and Harley Reid (right).

The noise surrounding Butters is something Port have always expected to play out this year and Power general manager of football Chris Davies said last week the club is ready for the lucrative offers expected to be tabled to Butters.

“No doubt there are going to be offers for Zak when the time comes he is coming out of contract,” Davies told SEN Breakfast on Monday.

“That is not until the end of next year. I imagine at that point he is going to be a restricted free agent, so we’ve got control of that situation anyway.

“But there’s no doubt that Zak is going to get paid.”

Hawthorn’s double raid would cut Eagles off at knees

West Coast’s start to the 2025 season has not helped the club’s hopes of retaining superstar talent Harley Reid.

According to reports on Monday, the situation is much worse for the WA club with the Hawks showing interest in Reid and star forward Oscar Allen.

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has reportedly met with free agent Allen to ramp up the club’s interest in the Eagles captain.

Mitchell and his wife have used the Hawks’ early bye week to take a holiday to Perth and the Hawks coach has reportedly met with the top trade target.

“It just so happened that we’re in Perth, we might catch up with an out-of-contract player,” McClure quipped.

“Whether you choose to believe that or not ... they’re getting in early for Oscar Allen.”

Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd said he did not like the look of the captain meeting with a rival club.

“There’s no way I would do that. I would be saying ‘meet with my management, but there’s no way I can be doing that, I’ve just hardly touched the footy, we’ve just been smashed in a derby, I’m the captain’,” Lloyd said on Footy Classified.

“I personally wouldn’t be doing that. I’m not saying he has, but if the story is true, it’s not a great look and you would be pretty sheepish going back into the club the next morning as captain of the footy club.”

Allen had just four disposals in Sunday’s Derby loss to Fremantle with Eagles coach Andrew McQualter moving him to defence in a desperate bid to help him find the ball.

“There’s an elephant in the room here,” the Herald Sun’s Jay Clark said on Fox Footy’s First Crack.

“They’re going to lose Oscar Allen, that’s the way it looks. And West Coast might get pick 2 or pick 3 for him.

“But looking at body language, I don’t know, he just looked like a guy who might be thinking about his future at another club. We know Brisbane and Hawthorn are both interested in him. He is going to be a big story as the season progresses.”

The Hawks’ interest in Allen comes as Ten’s Lachy Reid reported on X that former No. 1 draft pick Harley Reid is also a target for the Hawks.

Harley Reid is contracted until the end of 2026, but it has been reported Essendon and Richmond, who both own two 2025 first-round picks, are likely suitors for the rare talent if he decides he wants to return home to Victoria.

Eddie McGuire has suggested Essendon has a war chest ready to throw at Reid.

Oscar Allen of the Eagles celebrates a goal. Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images.

“Essendon are the one that they’re talking about at the moment,” McGuire said on Nine.

“And my mail is they’ve got $2.5 (million) in their salary cap.

“I don’t know if it will all go to him, but they’ve got $2.5m sitting there.”

Essendon’s link to Reid was first reported three weeks ago when it was reported it “makes sense” for Reid to end up at the Bombers.

Carlton ruckman closer to an exit

Blues star Tom De Koning is one of the most sought-after players heading into free agency this year and reports suggest it is going to get harder by the day for Carlton to retain him.

The 25-year-old signed a two-year extension rather than a long-term deal in 2023.

It emerged in February, he could receive offers of up to $1.7 million per-year, making him the highest-paid player in the game.

It has been widely reported St Kilda is ready to offer a monster deal worth $12 million over seven years.

Veteran reporter Caroline Wilson reported on Seven’s Agenda Setters on Monday night that De Koning had met with St Kilda coach Ross Lyon in December.

She said the offer from the Saints would be for $1.7 million per-season.

“He is exactly the player St Kilda need,” she said on Seven.

“I reckon now it’s down to Carlton or St Kilda.”

Originally published as ‘No way’: AFL rocked by night of trade bombshells