Tom Stewart in action during Geelong's clash against St Kilda in round two, 2025. Picture: Getty Images

THE BICE is right, come on down! Sydney mature-age recruit Riley Bice (DEF, $387,000) quickly became a 'must have' after a dominant performance against North Melbourne. His job security and ceiling leave no question marks following his 125-point performance.

OK, the luxury of 'best 18' weeks are over, so for many of us, it's time for a reality check. Have a look at those putrid scores you dropped off, I know I had at least two 40-point performances in there, so we need to prioritise fixing that before we look towards chasing premium upgrades.

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As per usual, ruckin' issues have arisen in the big man department. Apart from Tom De Koning (RUCK, $1,026,000) who gets a pass on his sub-par performance following a great start to the year, there are question marks surrounding the big three of Tristan Xerri (RUCK, $1,051,000), Max Gawn (RUCK, $1,017,000) and to a lesser extent Rowan Marshall (RUCK, $1,098,000) after all disappointed despite their hefty price tags. Is there a cash grab alternative in play?

Non-owners of Nick Daicos (MID, $989,000) can wait one more week. As flagged last week, the Pies superstar would have 'Hewey' waiting for him straight after the bye which resulted in a score of 76 and it doesn't get any easier this week with James Jordon literally waiting with open arms. The ball-magnet managed just one mark which leaves him with a BE of 113.

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MOST TRADED IN

  • Riley Bice (DEF, $387,000)
  • Tom Gross (MID, $261,000)
  • Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $1,136,000)
  • Ryan Maric (MID/FWD, $550,000)
  • Caiden Cleary (FWD, $279,000)

MOST TRADED OUT

  • Joel Freijah (DEF, $686,000)
  • Nathan O’Driscoll (MID, $642,000)
  • Finn O’Sullivan (MID, $376,000)
  • Sam De Koning (DEF, $722,000)
  • Finn Callaghan (MID, $822,000)
02:13

On the chopping block: The Traders' early R5 moves

Roy, Calvin and Warnie reveal their early trades for round five

TOP FIVE PRICE RISES

  • Riley Bice (DEF, $387,000) +$107,000
  • Bailey Smith (MID/FWD, $823,000) +$93,000
  • Sam Davidson (FWD, $499,000) +$87,000
  • Connor O'Sullivan (DEF, $473,000) +$68,000
  • Caleb Daniel (MID/DEF, $778,000) +$67,000

TOP FIVE PRICE FALLS

  • Lachie Sholl (MID, $735,000) -$67,000
  • Tristan Xerri (RUCK, $1,051,000) -$61,000
  • Brent Daniels (FWD, $713,000) -$60,000
  • Patrick Cripps (MID, $919,000) -$59,000
  • Mark Keane (DEF, $505,000) -$59,000

LOWEST BREAKEVENS

  • Riley Bice (DEF, $397,000) -41
  • Zach Reid (DEF, $381,000) -12
  • Sam Davidson (FWD, $499,000) -7
  • Christian Moraes (MID, $405,000) -6
  • Lance Collard (FWD, $323,000) -2
Riley Bice celebrates a goal during Sydney's clash against Fremantle in round two, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

HIGHEST BREAKEVENS

  • Tristan Xerri (RUCK, $1,051,000) 155
  • Nic Martin (DEF, $1,002,000) 146
  • Max Gawn (RUCK, $1,017,000) 138
  • Patrick Cripps (MID, $919,000) 138
  • Dayne Zorko (DEF, $1,114,000) 137

STOCKS UP

Riley Bice (DEF, $387,000)
The 24-year-old rookie looks right at home at the top level and his performance on the weekend forces the hand of any coaches that don’' own him. He was outstanding against the Roos with a whopping 15 marks and 26 elite disposals on his way to 125. It leaves him with a BE of -41. Jump on and play him at D6, or even D5 depending on your structure.

Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $1,136,000)
It's hard to split the big three down back, but on the back of the Giants star scoring 139, he has become the clear frontrunner. He took full advantage of the Eagles match-up, collecting 35 disposals and 10 marks which leaves him with a very attainable BE of 103. You need him sooner rather than later.

Lachie Whitfield handballs during Greater Western Sydney's clash against Melbourne in round one, 2025. Picture: Getty Images

Tom Stewart (DEF, $805,000)
The star defender is available for a bargain price following his round two injury on just nine which caused his price to drop significantly. He returned for the round five match-up with the Dees in fine fashion with 24 disposals and 11 marks for 108. He has a BE of 103, so won't get a lot cheaper after dropping $94k to this point.

Will Ashcroft (MID, $870,000)
After starting slowly in round one with just 66, the Norm Smith medallist has hit his straps in the last three with scores of 90, 115 and 105. He has a great run of games ahead and a BE of just 67 which reinforces his value.

Caiden Cleary (FWD, $279,000)
It didn't take long for the youngster to earn his spot in the side on the back of a suspension and an impressive performance in the VFL. He looked great against the Roos for a score of 68 which included 12 disposals, three marks and six tackles. He has a BE of -1 and should serve as a great cash cow. 

Caiden Cleary tackles Jy Simpkin during Sydney's clash against North Melbourne in round four, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

STOCKS DOWN

Joel Freijah (DEF, $686,000)
After starting the season like a house on fire with 103 in round one, it has been all downhill from a scoring perspective with returns of 75, 63 and 44 in his last three, recording just one mark and two tackles in his most recent game. It leaves him with a BE of 89 leading into a tough match-up with the Lions.

Finn Callaghan (MID, $822,000)
The breakout candidate looked outstanding on the back of his move to the middle in Opening Round but unfortunately he hasn't reached those heights again. His score of 79 on the weekend gives him an average of just 68 in his last two games which leaves him with a BE of 98, a total he hasn't hit since OR. I am a fan, but he should be pumping out more than 79 against the Eagles.

Sam De Koning (DEF, $722,000)
The defender, turned ruck, turned defender, saved coaches who held one more week with a great performance, scoring 84 against the Dees. Thankfully, the Demons let the Cat defenders play kick to kick, and SDK took advantage of that, taking nine marks. Despite a low BE, if Rhys Stanley holds his spot, points will be a lot harder to come by moving forward.

Sam De Koning in action during Geelong's clash against Melbourne in round four, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Hugo Garcia (MID/FWD, 508,000)
After getting coaches' hopes up as a medium-term option to play on field when we return to best 22 following his impressive 110, it was back to reality on the weekend with a score of 42 from 12 disposals. He has a BE of just 35 and remains a sub candidate so moves need to be made to ensure he doesn't remain on field.

Tristan Xerri (RUCK, $1,051,000)
I don't think I could bring myself to trade the big fella out, but there is no doubt he has some ongoing concerns with a hamstring issue that is keeping him from his dynamic best. He hasn't looked himself the past two weeks and his scores reflect that, recording just 77 and 78. He has a tough draw ahead for rucks, including Jarrod Witts this week and a whopping BE of 155. If you were to make a move, Kieren Briggs (RUCK, $782,000) is worth considering for a cash grab after dropping $156k following an injury in Opening Round and he has returned for scores of 86 and 96 to give him a BE of 94.  

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