AFL.com.au presents Inside Trading, with breaking news and the best analysis of the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period covering contracts, re-signings, free agents, the NAB AFL Draft and industry insights.
NORTH IN BOWES MIX
NORTH Melbourne is another club showing its interest in Gold Coast midfielder Jack Bowes and the Suns' pick No.7 combo.
The Roos have the salary cap space to accommodate Bowes' remaining two years of his back-ended deal with the Suns and are understood to be among the clubs keen to pursue the 24-year-old.
The 83-gamer will meet with a number of clubs in the coming days as he makes a call on where he wants to play, with Geelong, Essendon, Hawthorn and Brisbane also showing their interest in him. St Kilda, too, has looked at Bowes.
As revealed by AFL.com.au last week, the Suns have dangled pick No.7 in this year's national draft to create a market to take on Bowes and the early draft selection.
They will likely receive a future selection in return for the deal, which is not expected to be early in the draft, and a choice will be left in Bowes' hands where he wants to play in 2023.
The Suns Academy product is signed to the club through to the end of 2024, but had an interrupted season this year after pre-season shoulder surgery. – Callum Twomey
TIGER COULD UNLOCK GIANTS DEALS
PORT Adelaide's growing interest in midfielder Jack Graham could have a spin-off effect in seeing Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper land at Richmond.
The Tigers and Giants have been in talks over how to construct the deals for the out-of-contract Taranto and contracted Hopper to ensure both arrive at their preferred destination on their respective seven-year deals.
Richmond currently has picks 12, 19 and 30 in this year's draft as well as next year's future first-round pick, but could bring in a future second-round pick from Port Adelaide for losing Graham if the South Australian decides to seek a trade.
That selection would give the Tigers a more complete draft hand to then lure Taranto and Hopper to spearhead their midfield for the future.
The Giants are set to have an enormous draft bounty for this year and next, with the club already holding picks No.3 and 21 in this year's draft plus what they bring in for the star midfield duo.
INDICATIVE DRAFT ORDER Every club's hand as it stands
GWS football boss Jason McCartney told AFL Trade Radio earlier this week the club was keen to spread its draft investment over this year and next, which could see the Giants eye a future first-round selection from Geelong for Tanner Bruhn instead of this year's No.18 pick. – Callum Twomey
FREE AGENCY WINDOW TO OPEN
BRISBANE could look to make a trade for Jack Gunston to offset the compensation pick that would arrive at the Lions if Dan McStay departed under free agency.
The free agency window opens on Friday and will run through to next Friday, October 7 and with it comes a range of possibilities as clubs look to manoeuvre the best possible results in terms of draft outcomes.
Gunston has decided to join Brisbane and could move there as an unrestricted free agent, but the Lions could also look to trade a late selection to Hawthorn to ensure it doesn't water down or cancel out the draft compensation they receive for losing McStay as a free agent to Collingwood on a five-year deal.
The AFL's compensation system uses a player's salary on the terms they have accepted as part of the new deal as well as other factors, including the player's age, to determine the banding of the compensation selection.
TRADE HUB All the latest player movement news
Given Gunston's age and shorter nature of the deal, clubs believe the Hawks might not receive any compensation for losing him, thus making a trade an option.
But the McStay move could also depend on Jordan De Goey's decision to stay at Collingwood or leave for a free agency offer at St Kilda. The Pies could choose to trade for McStay to protect a first-round free agency compensation pick that would come for De Goey if he departed but be diluted if McStay was an in and De Goey an out via free agency.
The AFL's free agency system sees compensation picks decided by the 'total net' of free agents, meaning clubs can prefer to do late draft swaps rather than lose their draft compensation.
Karl Amon's move from Port Adelaide to Hawthorn as an unrestricted free agent could also be sealed with free agency opening. Rival clubs believe the most likely free agency compensation pick for Amon will be a second-round pick. – Callum Twomey
SUNS WANT SHARP PRICE FOR YOUNGSTER
GOLD Coast will demand top dollar for wingman Jeremy Sharp should the talented youngster look to explore a move home to Western Australia and request a trade to Fremantle.
Sharp, who is contracted for next season, has attracted interest from the Dockers ahead of a trade period where the Suns are expected to clear salary cap space to target ready-made talent in the coming years.
As well as the interest in Jack Bowes, another contracted midfielder, Brayden Fiorini, is expected to land at Collingwood.
But the 20-year-old Sharp is not part of the club's salary cap reallocation plans, with Gold Coast determined to retain the running wingman after an impressive first 23 games at Metricon Stadium.
"For us to move Jeremy we'd have to receive something in return that is compelling. Nothing has moved very far on that at this stage. I think it's just a wait-and-see there," the club's list boss Craig Cameron told AFL.com.au's Trade Exchange.
Gold Coast expects forward Chris Burgess to stay at the club after a season in which he claimed the Jim 'Frosty' Miller Medal for the VFL's leading goal kicker, but Josh Corbett has been encouraged to explore his options. – Riley Beveridge
DEMONS FORWARD WEIGHS DECISION
MELBOURNE forward Toby Bedford is weighing up his future after this week visiting Sydney to meet with the Giants.
The small forward has a three-year offer in front of him from the Demons, who are keen to keep him, but is also considering Greater Western Sydney's interest in adding him to their forward line.
Bedford played 16 games this year but 10 of them were as the Demons' medical substitute. The 22-year-old kicked nine goals alongside Melbourne's small forwards Kysaiah Pickett, Charlie Spargo and Alex Neal-Bullen.
The Giants have been keen to add to their small forward division in recent years and will lose Bobby Hill to Collingwood as one of the first deals completed next week.
But Melbourne also sees the Next Generation Academy product as a part of its future forward line under coach Simon Goodwin. – Callum Twomey
VETERAN DOG SIGNS ON
WESTERN Bulldogs veteran Taylor Duryea has been locked in for 2023.
The 31-year-old was elevated to the leadership group at the start of this year and will now spend a fifth season at the Whitten Oval, as flagged by Inside Trading last month.
Duryea overcame a knee injury in the middle part of the season to force his way back into Luke Beveridge's side in round 23, but missed the trip west for the elimination final due to the birth of his first child.
The two-time premiership Hawk has now played 54 games since crossing from Hawthorn, for a career total of 172.
With Jason Johannisen inking a new two-year contract extension earlier in the week, the Bulldogs are not expected to re-sign any other uncontracted players before the end of the trade period.
Josh Schache and Mitch Wallis are waiting and see where things sit after the deadline, while Zaine Cordy has a two-year offer from the club and options elsewhere but is still yet to decide what he does in 2023 and beyond. – Josh Gabelich
ROUGHY'S RECRUITING ROLE
JARRYD Roughead has worn many different caps since joining St Kilda at the end of 2019 after a decorated career at Hawthorn that included four premierships and a Coleman Medal across 283 games.
The 35-year-old is a key part of the Saints’ football department at RSEA Park, working in list management, leadership and coaching.
But in recent months, Roughead's focus in the trade and draft space has intensified following the departure of recruiting manager Chris Liberatore to the AFL.
It is understood that the Hawthorn great will continue to spend more time with list manager James Gallagher and his team ahead of the draft and in 2023.
St Kilda is yet to replace Liberatore but have found a decent option in Roughead.
DRAFT HUB Click here for the latest draft news
With forwards coach Brendon Lade departing for the Western Bulldogs, there is a vacancy that fits Roughead’s experience, but it is well known that he prefers list management and football operations more than coaching.
The Saints have been key players in the trade period since Gallagher arrived at the club in 2018, landing the likes of Brad Hill, Brad Crouch, Dougal Howard and Paddy Ryder, and could have a big say in the coming fortnight. – Josh Gabelich
