Get all the latest news in the trade, free agency and draft landscape in Inside Trading, AFL.com.au's dedicated column for player movement. Find out the latest on contracts, deals, trades, draftees, rules, agents and who is going where from the AFL.com.au team.
LIONS' BAILEY PLANS
BRISBANE is preparing for all outcomes in its plan to keep in-demand free agent Zac Bailey – including matching an offer – as the two-time premiership player mulls his call.
Adelaide is seen as the frontrunner for Bailey if he chooses to leave the Lions, with AFL.com.au revealing in March the Crows had presented an offer of seven years worth around $10 million for Bailey.
Brisbane has a six-year deal on the table for Bailey worth around the $6-6.5 million mark, with the Lions conceding they are close to their final offer for the 26-year-old.
The Lions will have the choice to match an offer for Bailey if he was to exercise his free agency rights and the club is working through all scenarios in an attempt to keep him, which includes the possibility to force a trade for rival suitors.
Port Adelaide also has strong interest in Bailey and would be in the mix to make him a top target through this year given his South Australian links. Essendon and Collingwood are also keen in Victoria but the Crows have been seen as favourites if he is to leave the Lions, with the dynamic forward expected to address his decision around mid-season.
The Lions also have unrestricted free agent Lachie Neale weighing up his future given his family situation, while young premiership midfielder Sam Marshall is the target of significant Victorian interest after not playing at AFL level so far this year since featuring in last year's Grand Final win. – Callum Twomey
DOG'S NEW DEAL
LACHIE Bramble has reignited his AFL career at the Western Bulldogs and will continue for at least two more years at the Whitten Oval.
The 28-year-old has secured an extension that will take him through until the end of 2028.
Bramble spent his first three years in the system at Hawthorn, where he played 30 games before being delisted at the end of 2023.
The Western Bulldogs offered him a lifeline via the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP) ahead of 2024.
Since then, Bramble has played 53 consecutive games for Luke Beveridge's side.
The Western Bulldogs have a handful of role players out of contract right now, including Michael Sellwood, Oskar Baker, Lachie McNeil and free agent Buku Khamis, but can take Bramble off the list. – Josh Gabelich
DOCKERS LIVEWIRE LOCKED IN
FREMANTLE livewire Isaiah Dudley has hit a trigger for a new deal at the Dockers for 2027.
The 22-year-old joined the club via the SSP at the start of last year.
After playing 16 games in his first season at the club, Dudley needed to play a handful more to trigger an extension.
Dudley has been one of the most improved small forwards in the AFL this year, kicking 10 goals from the first six rounds to command a spot in Justin Longmuir's best 23.
The 168cm pocket rocket has now played 22 games for the Dockers since landing a rookie deal just over 12 months ago. Now he has a third season secured at Fremantle. – Josh Gabelich
MID-SEASON DRAFTEES EMERGE
THE POOL of mid-season draftees is growing as the list of clubs with available picks at the intake also takes shape.
AFL.com.au reported last month about Sandringham Dragons forward Oliver Griffin growing as a likely mid-season selection and No.1 pick contender and he continues to impress, booting 2.4 from 15 disposals in a Vic Metro under-18 trial game on Sunday.
But a host of other names have also emerged as catching the eye of clubs as mid-season options, including Tasmania VFL trio Max Mapley, Jed Hagan (formerly of Port Adelaide) and Jaxon Artemis. Mapley, a 202cm ruckman, has caught the attention of clubs searching for ruck options in the mid-year intake.
North Melbourne VFL pair James Tarrant, a key forward, and midfielder Xavier Bamert have pushed their case, with Tarrant a late riser and addition to the Victorian state team in the recent clash against the SANFL side.
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Sam Toner played well for Richmond's VFL side last week against the Marsh AFL Academy group and has been on the radar of clubs for some time, as has his Tigers teammate Ned Renfry, who received some attention at last year's draft but was ultimately not taken.
Oskar Ainsworth trained with St Kilda over summer but was overlooked for a pre-season supplemental selection period spot, while Louis Pinnuck and Thomas Bell will also be in the mix after being eyed by clubs as SSP signings but ruled ineligible by the AFL. North was keen to list Pinnuck and the Crows had interest in signing Bell but neither was able to join training programs under SSP rules.
Geelong Falcons forward Jett Elek is right in considerations, while Geelong VFL prospect Marcus Herbert has also pushed his name in front of clubs.
And there is a growing group of clubs who will hold selections at the draft, with West Coast and Port Adelaide having space for two picks each, and St Kilda, Adelaide, Hawthorn and Greater Western Sydney all have one spot available.
The likes of Richmond, Geelong and Sydney could also open up selections before the May 26 mid-season draft, while Melbourne ruckman Tom Campbell is considering retirement after dealing with his neck injury since January. – Callum Twomey
OFFER FOR ROO
NORTH Melbourne has a two-year offer in front of defender Riley Hardeman who had a breakout season last year.
Hardeman played 17 games last year and has had an injury-interrupted start to this season and is yet to play at AFL level in 2026.
The West Australian is out of contract at the end of this year and a two-year extension would take him through to the end of 2028.
He was selected in the 2023 national draft and played two games in 2024, before featuring more consistently last year and showing his dare as an attacking rebounder.
He is one of a number of emerging Roos who are out of contract this year, including former first-round pick Wil Dawson, who has interest in the key defensive market, and Brayden George, who has returned from injury setbacks to have a hot start to the season in the VFL. – Callum Twomey
CLUBS BRACE FOR VFL CHANGE
CLUBS have been told to plan to pay for a VFL licence in their budgeting for next year as the AFL takes a sharp lens on the second-tier competition.
The League is taking a close look at the state of the competition, which is being led by experienced administrator Geoff Walsh.
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There has been a commitment made to retain the current structure of the competition for three years, but with that there are expected to be changes.
AFL clubs were briefed earlier in the season that that would include a return to them paying a licence fee to be involved in the VFL competition.
The VFL has a 22-team competition, comprising all AFL clubs' secondary teams apart from the South and West Australian teams, alongside standalone clubs Frankston, Port Melbourne, Coburg, Sandringham, Southport, Williamstown and Werribee. – Callum Twomey
POWER TRIO SIDELINED
PORT Adelaide could see three of its highly touted tied players miss the Marsh AFL National Under-18 Boys Championships after being struck with injury.
As revealed by Inside Trading earlier this month, 2026 draft talent Dougie Cochrane has undergone surgery on his patella tendinitis and will miss South Australia's campaign.
And he will be joined on the sidelines by 2027 Next Generation Academy prospect Zemes Pilot, who suffered a knee injury in a camp while in Melbourne and is set to miss the under-18 carnival.
Fellow 2027 prospect Louis Salopek is also racing the clock to be back for the under-18 championships with Vic Country with a chest injury earlier in the season that has seen him out of action, including missing the Vic Metro and Vic Country trial games over the weekend.
Pilot and Salopek recently committed to Port Adelaide for the 2027 intake and withdrew themselves from Tasmania's players of interest watchlist for their access to 17-year-old players. – Callum Twomey
BLUES ADD PORT RECRUITER
CARLTON has added Port Adelaide's former head of AFLW Shane Grimm to its recruiting department.
Grimm was formerly with the Power in a range of roles, most recently as the club's SANFL and Next Generation Academy manager.
That had followed a stint as the Power's AFLW football boss as well, in a long line of roles with the club.
Grimm has joined the Blues as their South Australian based recruiting officer, with Carlton having made a number of changes to their department in recent months, including the Blues' former South Australian and West Australian recruiting manager Jake Fuller joining Hawthorn.
Carlton also parted ways with its national recruiting manager Michael Agresta, with the Blues yet to replace that role. – Callum Twomey
WARDLAW'S FOOTY FOCUS
NORTH Melbourne great hope George Wardlaw's first thought is getting more games under his belt, with contract discussions to come.
The injury-prone midfielder has now managed four games on the trot after yet another hamstring flare-up, and is out of contract at the end of the season.
The length of the contract for the former No.4 pick is especially intriguing, given his great talent but history of soft-tissue injuries.
"I'm not too sure. I'm just trying to focus on my football at the moment. Like we were talking about with the continuity, once I can get that piece down, I can look forward," Wardlaw told AFL.com.au.
"But hopefully I can just stay on the park and keep being part of team wins." – Sarah Black