PORT Adelaide has registered interest in West Coast premiership player Junior Rioli, as clubs meet for an unofficial start for trade talks this week.

Inside Trading reported this month Rioli has been tabled a multi-year deal from the Eagles to stay at the club as he comes out of contract this year.

But he has not been in a rush to make a decision on his future after a difficult end to his season with the death of his father Willie Rioli senior.

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The Power are among the clubs interested in Rioli, who has links in South Australia after being drafted in 2016 after playing with Glenelg. Rioli, who returned to AFL level this year after his ASADA ban, kicked 14 goals from 13 games this season.

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Rioli wriggles away and dribbles through a beauty

Willie Rioli snares the opening goal of the game after coolly slipping away from Aaron Hall

Published on Mar 27, 2022

Port has lost livewire forward Robbie Gray to retirement, while Connor Rozee moved into the midfield for an All-Australian season and Zak Butters has also played a majority of time around the ball.

North Melbourne has also expressed interest in Rioli, with the Roos in the market to add to their forward line scoring power. Rioli has links in Victoria, too, having boarded at Xavier College during his school days before heading to the SANFL.  

West Coast has remained confident Rioli will stay at the club, with coach Adam Simpson on Friday telling SEN the Eagles were "hoping we can get it done in the next few weeks" and re-sign the brilliant goalkicker. 

West Coast players celebrate a Willie Rioli goal against Essendon in R15, 2022. Picture: AFL Photos

Meanwhile, clubs have used this week to start informal trade talks.

Arranged by clubs themselves, list managers and recruiters from numerous clubs caught up over multiple days in 'speed dating' sessions to have a better gauge of plans ahead of what is shaping as a wild trade period.

The information gathering process saw clubs meet and throw up potential targets as well as positional needs and who may be available, to give a clearer picture of where things sit ahead of the official free agency and trade period beginning the week following the Grand Final in October.

Some were unavailable to attend through different commitments such as exit meetings, but they are used as catch-ups before the flurry of trade period hits to assess the marketplace and possibilities.

There could again be more than 30 players change clubs this off-season, which would be back around the average of 34 players moving clubs since the start of free agency in 2012, as Inside Trading reported on Thursday.