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.

VETERAN HAWK SIGNS ON

JACK Gunston has signed a one-year extension to play on at Hawthorn for an 18th season.

The 34-year-old inked a new deal in recent days to continue his decorated career into 2027. 

Gunston has played 295 games since being drafted by Adelaide in 2009 and is six off 600 goals. 

The veteran has averaged more goals than any other player in the AFL this season - 3.3  per game - and is now up to 40 after overcoming a mid-foot sprain.

With so many moving parts in Hawthorn's forward line ahead of 2027, Gunston is now locked in.

As reported on AFL.com.au in June, Ben King wants to head to Hawthorn as a free agent, while the Hawks are also keen to lock down Mitch Lewis to a new longer-term deal to take his name off the free agency list. – Josh Gabelich 

EMERGING SWAN IN TALKS TO EXTEND

SYDNEY is in talks to extend defender Will Edwards' career at the club, with the Swans looking to take through his deal to free agency.

Edwards is out of contract at the end of 2027, but is in discussions on a deal that would extend him by three more years to the end of 2030 and reward his breakout season. 

That would take the Sydney Academy graduate to his free agency year, having joined the club in 2022 as a local product in the rookie draft.

The tall defender has taken time to get going, waiting more than 1200 days at the club to reach an AFL debut earlier this season and playing 12 games so far this year.

The competitive backman came into the Swans' side in round seven against the Western Bulldogs and has played 12 games for the club as Sydney vies to hold on to a top-two position in the latter stages of the season. – Callum Twomey

PORT KICKSTARTS PRE-AGENT TALKS

PORT Adelaide has started positive talks on an extension for star pre-agent Mitch Georgiades, but a deal remains some way off as the gun goalkicker weighs up his future beyond 2027.

The Power have been keen to lock away Georgiades ahead of him hitting his free agency season next year, following another standout campaign where he's booted 37 goals.

Speaking to AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable this week, Georgiades' manager Tom Seccull from Corporate Sports Australia said discussions on a potential new deal to remain at Alberton had already kicked off.

However, Seccull said a new deal wasn't something Georgiades was "rushing to do" with 18 months still remaining on his existing contract at Alberton.

"Short answer is yes [talks have started]. We've been chatting for a while regarding Mitch, as you'd expect," Seccull said.

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"For these pre-agents, especially with the change that's coming with Tasmania, it's probably moved everything forward a bit sooner than some players would like. In a perfect world, a lot of these players like Mitch – who are pre-agents – would like to just play footy.

"But because of the amount of change and potential movement that could be happening and the dilution of picks and what's possible, more clubs are asking questions about players that means more players will have to address it sooner.

"That's been the case with Mitch, which is what we're going through at the moment. We've been in talks with Port Adelaide and [list manager] Jason Cripps and that's going well. He's in a good place. He's obviously had a few knocks lately, but he's always been pretty committed to Port Adelaide." – Riley Beveridge

NEW CROW'S NEW DEAL

TWO MONTHS after landing a second chance in the AFL, Hugo Hall-Kahan has landed a two-year deal.

Adelaide has rewarded the mature-age recruit with a contract extension through until the end of 2028.

Hall-Kahan has played six games for the Crows since being selected at pick No.10 in this year's Telstra AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft.

The 22-year-old has played six of seven games since making his debut, slotting in at half-back under Matthew Nicks, averaging 19.7 disposals per game.

Hall-Kahan was selected by Sydney in the 2022 mid-season draft but didn't play a game for the Swans and was delisted in 2023.

After going back to the VFL and starting this season at Williamstown, Hall-Kahan is now playing a role for a contender in 2026. – Josh Gabelich 

DEES LOOK TO LOCK IN FORWARD

MELBOURNE is set to start talks on a new deal for young forward Matt Jefferson after his breakout four-goal game against North Melbourne over the weekend.

Jefferson remains without a contract for 2027, despite establishing himself as a regular member of the Demons' attack this season.

However, the club is keen to open discussions on an extension and is set to begin negotiations imminently after Jefferson's career-best game last Saturday.

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The 22-year-old Jefferson has played 11 of the last 13 games in Steven King's side, becoming a consistent contributor before his breakout performance against the Kangas last weekend.

The fourth-year key forward has now played 18 games at senior level, having arrived at Melbourne as a first-round pick back in the 2022 draft. – Riley Beveridge

CLUBS ASK THE QUESTION OF DOCKER

FREMANTLE winger Nathan O'Driscoll is attracting interest from rival clubs as contract talks with the Dockers continue to rumble on.

O'Driscoll remains without a deal at Fremantle for 2027, despite playing the last nine consecutive games for the ladder leading Dockers and 11 for the season.

It's led to enquiries from rival clubs as to his potential availability, although the expectations currently remains that he stays at Fremantle where a two-year deal would take him through to 2028 and free agency.

O'Driscoll is set to play his 50th game this weekend, having enjoyed a solid campaign amid his sixth season at the Dockers. – Riley Beveridge