Every Thursday AFL.com.au presents Inside Trading, with breaking news and the best analysis of the AFL trade landscape covering contracts, re-signings, free agents, the AFL Draft and industry insights.
PORT DEFENDER OPEN TO MOVE
PORT Adelaide defender Tom Clurey is open to a trade despite having two years to run on his deal with the Power.
The backman has played one senior game this year (in round three) and is out for the rest of the season with a back injury, but he will be on the trade market with the search for more opportunities.
Clurey, 29, is signed at Alberton Oval until the end of 2025 but clubs could look at him as they comb the competition for available key defenders.
The experienced backman has played 124 games with the Power and been a consistent member of their line-up in recent years. He played 13 games last season.
He played four games in the SANFL with the Port Adelaide Magpies before the back injury saw him ruled out for the remainder of 2023. – Callum Twomey
MAGPIE SET FOR EARLY EXTENSION
COLLINGWOOD fan favourite Beau McCreery is set to secure a new deal at the AIA Centre ahead of schedule.
The 22-year-old isn't out of contract until the end of next year, but the Magpies are understood to be finalising a contract extension for the next three seasons.
McCreery became a permanent fixture under Craig McRae last year, playing 22 of 25 games, including all three finals last September.
The South Australian has continued that rise in 2023, playing in Collingwood’s first 17 games to continue his emergence as a key cog in a well-oiled machine.
Collingwood GM of football Graham Wright had more contracts to deal with last year and was a busy man during the Trade Period, but the Magpies still need to finalise deals for John Noble, Mason Cox, Oleg Markov and make decisions on some players outside the best 23. – Josh Gabelich
ESSENDON VETERAN EYES 2024
EX-BOMBERS captain Dyson Heppell is keen to play on next season after a consistent campaign in his 13th year at the club.
Heppell has played all bar one game this season for the Bombers under coach Brad Scott, who backed him at the start of the year to hold down a position in his line-up.
After handing over the captaincy to Zach Merrett this season, Heppell's experience has been important as the Bombers strive for a return to the finals in Scott's first year as coach.
The 31-year-old last year garnered some interest from Gold Coast as he came towards the end of his contract with the club before re-signing at Essendon for the 2023 season.
TRADE HUB All the latest player movement news
Heppell said recently he would wait until late in the year before settling on his plans for next season.
"I'm just chipping away. I'll make a call towards the back end of the year and see how we're tracking as a team and individually," he said.
"If I'm still loving my footy I don't see any reason why I won't play on but certainly no decision's been made as yet."
He has averaged 20 disposals and seven marks this year with his cool head valuable for the young side. Another season would see the 229-gamer close in on his 250th appearance. – Callum Twomey
CONTRACTED DEE LOOKS AT OPTIONS
MELBOURNE defender Adam Tomlinson will again survey his trade options as he looks for a more secure backline spot at another club.
Tomlinson was on the trade table last year but with two years to run on his deal at the Demons he remained at the club.
Now with one season to go, he remains intent on playing at AFL level and clubs are expected to consider him as a trade possibility.
The former Giant has played five games this season but is behind Jake Lever, Steven May and Harrison Petty in the defensive pecking order, having been omitted after a strong performance against Collingwood in the King's Birthday clash.
The 29-year-old was in career-best form at the start of 2021 before a knee reconstruction saw him sidelined for the Demons' premiership win.
The former first-round pick has played 173 games, 33 of which have been at Melbourne. – Callum Twomey
BLUES COMPLETE SET OF SIGNINGS
CARLTON has locked away its final two draftees from last year's crop, with uncapped duo Jaxon Binns and Harry Lemmey the latest to extend their deals at Ikon Park.
Both were already contracted for next season, but wingman Binns has penned a two-year extension through to 2026 while key forward Lemmey has agreed a one-year deal that will take him to 2025.
They join fellow off-season recruits Ollie Hollands (2026), Lachie Cowan (2026), Alex Cincotta (2025) and Hudson O'Keeffe (2025) in signing extensions, with Carlton now successfully securing all six of its summer arrivals to new contracts.
Binns, an endurance machine, has been edging closer to an AFL debut throughout the season after averaging a prolific 28.8 disposals and 7.6 marks at VFL level. Lemmey, a 201cm forward, has kicked 10.10 from 13 reserves matches. – Riley Beveridge
GIANTS YOUNGSTER SIGNS ON
XAVIER O'Halloran had to wait until after last year's Trade Period to secure a deal for this year.
Now the former first-round pick has landed a contract for the next two years.
The 23-year-old has been one of the most improved players at the Giants this year, thriving under Adam Kingsley, following a year in limbo.
O'Halloran is facing a race against the clock to play again before the end of the home and away season after breaking his thumb in round 17.
But if the Victorian doesn't make it back in 2023, O'Halloran now has a contract until the end of 2025. – Josh Gabelich
SUN SET TO STAY
GOLD Coast is about to lock in small forward Malcolm Rosas jnr with a two-year contract extension.
Rosas jnr is due to come out of contract at season's end, but the goalkicker is close to penning the new deal, which will lock him in at Carrara until at least the end of 2025.
The 22-year-old played 14 consecutive games earlier this season before being left out of the 23 to face Port Adelaide in round 17.
Rosas jnr has previously attracted interest from Essendon, but after a slow beginning in his time at Gold Coast, has settled and blossomed as a player in the past two seasons.
He has now played 33 career games – 29 in the past two years – and kicked 25 goals.
Rosas jnr told AFL.com.au earlier in the year he was "very keen" to stay.
He was drafted by the Suns in 2019 from its Darwin Academy zone, which has also produced Joel Jeffrey, Sandy Brock and Lloyd Johnston as listed players. – Michael Whiting
HAWKS CONTINUE TALKS FOR B&F WINNER
HAWTHORN is making slow progress on a new deal for former best-and-fairest winner James Worpel, having opened discussions around a contract extension for the midfielder last month.
After a meagre 2022 campaign, where he managed only 11 senior appearances, Worpel has found form under coach Sam Mitchell this season and is averaging 26 disposals and 6.1 clearances per match.
As reported in AFL.com.au's Inside Trading in June, it led to the Hawks opening discussions around an extension where a two-year deal would take Worpel through to free agency.
Speaking on AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable, Worpel's manager John Meesen from Kapital Sports Group said talks were ongoing and stressed they "haven't explored" rival interest as he nears the end of his deal.
"That's one that I've been speaking to Mark McKenzie at Hawthorn about quite regularly over the last month. We're making a little bit of progress on that," Meesen told Gettable.
"I think, ideally, he'd like to stay at Hawthorn. He's a really competitive guy, he's almost at 100 games, he's a best-and-fairest winner and I think this year he's really got back to his best form.
"We'd love to be able to get that done, but I wouldn't say it's imminent just yet." – Riley Beveridge
LIONS LOOKING FOR LEVI
BRISBANE is considering whether it takes a focus on key-position talent during this season's trade and draft period, as the club prepares to pair gun midfielder Will Ashcroft with younger brother Levi next year.
Levi emerged as one of the 2024 draft crop's best talents playing as a bottom-aged prospect for Vic Metro at the national under-18s championships over the last month, averaging a prolific 26.7 disposals from three matches.
Set to head to the Lions under father-son rules – his father Marcus played 318 games for Brisbane – Levi will add to the club's incredibly talented midfield stocks and has a skillset similar to last year's No.2 pick Will.
DRAFT HUB Click here for the latest draft news
Speaking on AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable this week, Brisbane's national recruiting manager Steve Conole elaborated on what to expect from Levi after he spent a week training with the club earlier in the month.
"They've got some similarities, haven't they? Certainly, their consistency and their ability to play their role week in and week out and get from contest to contest with real intensity," Conole told Gettable.
"[Levi] is just a super smart player. He's a little bit different to Will in that he'll be doing year 12 next season, so he'll have the challenges involved with his academic pursuits and will still be playing a bit of school footy. Will finished and had his 18th year as a bit of an apprenticeship.
"Levi will have a few more things to juggle but I'm sure he'll handle it very well, as Will did."
Brisbane will also have access to 185cm midfielder Sam Marshall as part of its Academy system in 2024, with Conole conscious of the club bringing in a host of onballers through the draft recently.
"They're both midfield types. Certainly, if those boys both came through we'd be getting stocked with some good, quality young midfielders. If the opportunity arose to get some different types, you would. But, then again, in the draft sometimes if the players are there you've got to take them," Conole said. – Riley Beveridge
