Get all the latest news in the trade, free agency and draft landscape every day of the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period 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.
SUN OFF LIMITS AS PIES MAKE MOVE
GOLD Coast has emphatically shut down any chance of Bailey Humphrey being involved in any trade after Collingwood raised its interest in the young gun as part of the John Noble deal.
Humphrey, the No.6 pick from the 2022 Telstra AFL Draft, is signed at the Suns until the end of 2028 and viewed as a key member of the club's future, including being currently in America with a group of Suns teammates at a training camp.
The Magpies flagged their interest in Humphrey as part of talks to progress the trade sending Noble to the Suns, however Gold Coast has blocked any chance of the exciting midfielder/forward being part of any deal.
Humphrey, who has played 40 games in his first two seasons, was drafted from the Gippsland Power and quickly became a favourite of new Suns coach Damien Hardwick. He is considered a crucial part of the Suns' future.
The Noble trade has been tied up in talks involving the Suns, Pies and Port Adelaide, as the Pies hunt Port's Dan Houston and the Power look to land Pie Joe Richards and Sun Jack Lukosius.
All clubs have also discussed separating the deals and doing them individually, with the Pies needing Gold Coast's pick 13 to be in the mix for Houston.
Collingwood list boss Justin Leppitsch on Friday conceded on Gettable Trade Radio that talks had become "messy" and that many iterations of a possible deal had been talked through.
"We're hoping to get things done but it's not going to be easy," Leppitsch said. "Nothing ever is. I think it will be something that we'll pick up early next week and give it another go."
The Kangaroos remain ultra keen on Houston and have put forward a five-year deal and are dangling their future first-round pick to get a trade done. Port Adelaide is able to operate in both markets – with the Kangaroos situation and the Suns and Pies scenario – and wait to see which offer would bring in the best result.
"I'd say we're in the mix. We're really keen to bring him into the footy club," Roos list boss Brady Rawlings told Continental Tyres AFL Trade Radio on Friday. – Callum Twomey
HAWKS CREATE TRADE CHAOS
HAWTHORN will use its future hand of draft picks to continue to pursue West Coast defender Tom Barrass after making a trade period-shaking deal on Friday that has Liam Baker considering his next move.
The Hawks blew up the trade period when they traded out their pick 14 for Carlton's future first and second-round picks, leaving them with two future first-round picks, two future second-round picks as well as pick 33 in this year's draft.
They will continue to pursue Barrass, who has three years to go on his deal, using their 2025 draft hand.
Their move came after talks broke down on a deal involving pick 14 for Barrass, with the Hawks having offered picks 14, a late pick and a future third-round pick for Barrass and a late selection. The Eagles had been pushing for a better pick to go with No.14.
The bold move to trade out the pick to the Blues means the Eagles will not have the selection to on-trade to Richmond for Baker.
Baker nominated the Eagles ahead of Fremantle as his preferred destination but is expected to consider whether he flips to the Dockers, who were willing to put pick No.11 on the table for the two-time flag winner.
Fremantle had been keen through the year to offer all three of its first-round picks – No.10, 11 and 18 – for Baker and teammate Shai Bolton. If Baker did shift his preference, it would break the deadlock in the Bolton deal as well allowing the triple picks to be sent to Richmond.
Baker has not wanted to leave Richmond without strong compensation for his departure, with the Hawks' trade having significant complications in that process. – Callum Twomey
BLUES ON WATCH FOR DRAFT MOVE
CARLTON is open to a move further up the draft order as clubs clamour for early selections like rarely seen before.
The demand for top picks in this year's strong and deep draft has seen extravagant offers tabled across the competition for first-round picks, with the Blues' successful hunt for Hawthorn's pick 14 (using their future first- and second-round selections) proving the price.
Four clubs – Collingwood, Melbourne, Western Bulldogs and Sydney – are locked in a battle for Gold Coast's pick 13, while the same clubs, plus North Melbourne, have also offered picks for Fremantle's pick No.11 should they keep multiple draft selections.
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The Demons have also put a suite of picks forward for Essendon's pick No.9, including a future first-round selection and multiple picks in this year's draft.
The Blues will stay open to shifting even higher up the draft board, having also thrown up a deal for West Coast's pick No.3, involving their pick 12, future first and future second-round picks before they sent those picks to Hawthorn.
That would have brought the Blues right into the mix for the stars of this year's draft crop, with Finn O'Sullivan, Sam Lalor, Harvey Langford and Sid Draper all considered to be taken around that range.
West Coast has been listening to offers for the selection and could look at other options given the Hawks' pick 14 is now off the table in the Tom Barrass discussions. North Melbourne is also open to a minimal shift down the order from No.2 if another first-round pick was thrown in for the slide. – Callum Twomey
SCHOEY TO STAY
WEST Coast's Jarrad Schofield will remain at the Eagles next year to work alongside new coach Andrew McQualter.
Schofield had taken on the reins as West Coast's interim head coach after the late-season departure of Adam Simpson, steering the Eagles for seven games, which produced two wins.
He went through the process as the Eagles appointed their next coach but ultimately the club went with McQualter, who had a long coaching CV with Richmond and then Melbourne last season.
Schofield had considered options for next year but AFL.com.au can reveal he will be returning to be a part of the Eagles' coaching panel.
The 206-gamer across West Coast, Port Adelaide and Fremantle was the Eagles' midfield coach before the elevation to the interim senior role. – Callum Twomey
KANGAS HIT DANIEL ROADBLOCK
NORTH Melbourne has held preliminary discussions with the Western Bulldogs around the potential of a Caleb Daniel trade, though the Kangas believe a move for the contracted defender remains unlikely.
Daniel is reluctant to officially request a trade to Arden Street unless a suitable agreement can be reached between the two clubs, but has interest in getting to North Melbourne by Wednesday night's deadline.
However, the Kangaroos have said their initial chats with Bulldogs officials "didn't get far" and reiterated their belief that Daniel – who is contracted through until 2026 – would be retained at the Whitten Oval.
Speaking to AFL.com.au's Gettable on Friday, North Melbourne list manager Brady Rawlings said the Bulldogs hadn't yet given the Kangas an indication of what they would accept for Daniel in a trade.
"Not sure on that one," Rawlings said of a potential Daniel deal.
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"We certainly have interest. (But) he's a contracted player and he's contracted for another couple of years.
"I've had a chat with the Dogs and it doesn't seem like they have much appetite at all to trade him out. We'll keep in touch, but at the end of the day he's contracted for two more years and the Dogs want to keep him." – Riley Beveridge
BOMBERS TRACK SWANS FORWARD
ESSENDON has interest in Sydney forward Jacob Konstanty, but that could be for after the trade period.
Konstanty is without a contract for next year after two seasons with the Swans, but the Bombers are among the clubs with a level of interest in him.
However it would likely be as a delisted free agent, should he get cut by Sydney. He wasn't part of their group of delistings announced last week but is one of few players there without a contract for 2025.
St Kilda has also spoken with the 19-year-old, with the Saints' current recruiting manager Simon Dalrymple at the Swans when he was selected, but they are considered unlikely for his landing spot. Konstanty hasn't played at AFL level yet.
The Bombers have looked at potential bargain buys across this trade and free agency window, with Brisbane's Jaxon Prior also on their radar. – Callum Twomey
SWANS PONDER PICK DECISION
SYDNEY is exploring all options with its pair of first-round selections, with the club likely to continue those conversations through until draft night.
The Swans currently hold picks No.19 and 22 in this year's draft, with both selections highly sought after as clubs look to either move up or shift back in what is considered a talented and deep pool.
Sydney is among a number of clubs that has had interest in moving up to Gold Coast's No.13 pick, but it has also held talks around potentially shifting its selections back or into the future.
Speaking to AFL.com.au's Gettable on Friday, Swans list boss Chris Keane suggested there was no rush on deciding which direction they would take with their picks and said it was likely a final call would be made on draft night.
"We think it's an exciting part of the draft to be sitting at," Keane said.
"Clearly, the beauty of having a couple of picks in that range is that we do have a level of flexibility and we can explore different scenarios around what that looks like and what's best for our football club.
"We've explored coming up, we've explored moving back and moving out. We'll continue to do that as we go. I'd suggest the more likely play is that we'll see what happens closer to the draft date than through this Trade Period." – Riley Beveridge
HAWK TO STAY
HAWTHORN expects Finn Maginness to still be in brown and gold when the trade period ends next Wednesday night.
Essendon has explored a move for the 23-year-old, while other clubs have kept tabs on him during a 2024 campaign where he was starved of opportunities at stages.
Maginness played 13 AFL games – three as sub – around 10 appearances for Box Hill this year, but replaced Will Day in round 24 and played well in both the elimination final win over the Western Bulldogs and semi-final loss to Port Adelaide.
INDICATIVE DRAFT ORDER Your club's picks as they stand
Hawks GM Rob McCartney believes Maginness has a key role to play for the club in 2025 and beyond.
"The one thing I want to say about Finn is a reflection of his progress across the year was his finals form," McCartney told Continental Tyres Trade Radio on Friday.
"I think Finn would be sitting back right now whether he is on a beach somewhere overseas, he would be reflecting and saying to himself that I played some footy that makes me and others believe I have a big part to play at Hawthorn.
"He is an amazing connected young fella; he is in that age group that we have so many young players in; I think he would be wanting to do what the rest of the group does and get better at Hawthorn.
"I'm of the belief that Finn knows he is a player that can add value to our football club. I expect him to be in the brown and gold next year."
Maginness has played 45 games since being selected as a father-son pick in 2019 and is contracted until the end of 2025.
Key defender Sam Frost and ruckman Ned Reeves have both attracted rival interest in recent months, but have committed to remaining at Waverley Park. – Josh Gabelich
