A LITTLE-KNOWN change detailed last year would stop Port Adelaide from contributing money to a player's deal at the Western Bulldogs if Zak Butters joins the Bulldogs as a free agent, with a memo detailing the rules sent to clubs on Thursday.
The clubs learned on Wednesday that a memo ahead of last year's trade and free agency period detailed how clubs were prohibited from engaging in trades that include money top-ups to deals if there has been a different player switch between the same clubs as a free agent in that same player movement window.
And on Thursday afternoon the League sent a memo to clubs from AFL general manager of football performance Greg Swann spelling out all of the rules and stipulations.
"Any potential trade involving top-up payments must be communicated to the AFL Head of Football Performance, List Management and Engagement prior to the lodgement of the trade for approval by the AFL. Upon approval of the trade and top-up payments, a completed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) must be submitted within 48 hours of the trade approval," reads Swann's memo, seen by AFL.com.au.
"As set out in a memo to clubs dated 26 September 2025, top-up payments will not be approved in relation to a trade between two Clubs who have engaged (or intend to engage) in a free agency exchange for a Restricted or Unrestricted Free Agent in the same player movement period."
This would scupper the discussions between Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs on a proposed deal that could have Power tall Todd Marshall head to the Bulldogs in a 'pick purchasing' deal where Port Adelaide paid for the large majority of his remaining salary in exchange for early picks from the Bulldogs.
Under that arrangement, that would have followed Butters leaving Port as a free agent and the club receiving the No.5 pick as free agency compensation.
However the AFL in recent days made the clubs aware of the little-known change stopping any such move that involved top-up payments.
The Power and Bulldogs had been working with the League on different options over recent weeks and months, but the discovery of that change, which was identified to all clubs in an AFL memo ahead of last year's trade period, has stopped that option.
It wouldn't stop Marshall or any other Port Adelaide player from being traded to the Western Bulldogs as part of a deal, but it would mean that under that arrangement the Power couldn't contribute any money to his deal for the next three years, of which he has around $800,000 due to be paid a season until the end of 2029.
The League sent out a detailed memo to clubs on Thursday with its full rundown of rules ahead of the trade period, including live examples of different considerations, including details on free agency, integrity protection, the AFL's investigative powers and potential sanctions.
Clubs believe the change was added last year after discussions between Brisbane and Essendon, where the Lions could have topped up their offer to free agent Sam Draper to garner the Bombers a first-round compensation selection if the Bombers opened the door on a trade for Jordan Ridley.
This wasn't blocked by any rules at the time, however the AFL moved to put in place the restrictions ahead of last year's player movement period.