Get all the latest news in the trade, free agency and draft landscape every week 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. 

LIONS MAKE FREE AGENT OFFER

BRISBANE star Hugh McCluggage has a six-year offer in front of him from the Lions as he attracts significant rival interest in his free agency year.

McCluggage has been comfortable taking in the start of the season with the Lions before getting to his contract decision as one of the best free agents in the game.

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With the offer from Brisbane there, which would take him through to the end of 2030 at the club, it could see McCluggage get closer to his decision.

The gun midfielder, who is from South Warrnambool in Victoria, has had strong interest in Victoria although clubs have seen him as most likely remaining at the Lions, where he has been top three in the best and fairest for the past five years.

He was also in the extended All-Australian squad for four consecutive seasons between 2019-2022 and is the Lions' vice-captain. As a restricted free agent, if he was to pursue a rival offer the Lions could match the deal and force a trade.

Inside Trading last week reported the Lions had also put forward a longer-term deal to fellow restricted free agent Jarrod Berry. – Callum Twomey

RIVALS CHASING EAGLES STAR

CLUBS are strongly pursuing West Coast star Elliot Yeo as the premiership midfielder enjoys a red-hot start to 2024.

Yeo, an unrestricted free agent, sits fourth in the AFL Coaches Association's player of the year votes and won the best-afield medal for the Eagles' derby win over Fremantle last weekend.

Rival interest has grown as Yeo has pieced together a strong and healthy start to the season, with the Eagles yet to table a contract offer for the 2018 flag winner. 

Clubs were keen on Yeo last season while under contract, with Geelong and Essendon among the rivals to register their interest, however Yeo signalled his intentions to stay at the Eagles.

The West Australian moved back to Perth after two years in Brisbane to start his career and has played 198 AFL games, with clubs keen to see if he will entertain finishing his career in Victoria or outside of WA.

After a horror injury run across recent seasons, Yeo has played every game to start 2024 and is averaging 26 disposals and eight clearances. – Callum Twomey  

DOCKERS POACH CATS RECRUITER

FREMANTLE has strengthened its recruiting department by poaching long-time Geelong talent scout Liam Woodland.

The Dockers had been among the clubs looking to bolster their recruiting team throughout recent months, with Woodland accepting the role this week after more than a decade working at the Cats.

The highly rated Woodland, who first began at Kardinia Park in 2012, has worked alongside Geelong recruiting great Stephen Wells and more recently with football boss Andrew Mackie throughout his time at the club.

Fremantle's recruiting department is headed up by list boss David Walls and fellow recruiters Ed McMullin and David McMullin.

It's set to be a pivotal year on the recruiting front for the Dockers, who currently hold three first-round picks at this season's draft, having also collected Port Adelaide's and Collingwood's opening picks in addition to their own.

There were a number of changes among the recruiting ranks over the summer, led by West Coast appointing former Richmond recruiting boss Matt Clarke as its new list manager. The Tigers and the Swans also bolstered their recruiting departments, hiring Chris Toce and John Giramondo respectively. – Riley Beveridge

CATS OPEN TALKS ON FREE AGENT DEFENDER

GEELONG has opened discussions on a fresh deal for premiership player Jack Henry, who is one of the few established key defenders on the free agency market this season.

The Cats will try to lock away two key pieces of their backline in the coming months in Henry and fellow free agent Jake Kolodjashnij, having already tied speedster Max Holmes to a four-year extension on Tuesday.

The club has been keen to tie Henry to a new deal following another impressive start to his year, with the 124-game player and 2022 premiership defender bound to attract significant rival interest as the campaign progresses.

However, speaking on AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable this week, Henry's manager Tom McConville from Mac's Sports revealed that talks over a new deal for the 25-year-old were heading in the right direction.

"Talks are ongoing there and it looks pretty positive," McConville said.

"Jack obviously loves Geelong and Geelong rates Jack pretty highly as well in their system. Talks are ongoing, but it's moving in the right direction.

"Yeah, I'd say so (he's likely to stay) at this point. We're just finalising a few finishing pieces, but it should be good." – Riley Beveridge

SAINT IN TALKS

ST KILDA wingman Bradley Hill is in talks on a new deal to remain at Moorabbin.

The former Hawthorn and Fremantle midfielder is coming to the end of his six-year deal with the Saints after crossing from the Dockers at the end of 2018. 

But contract discussions are underway and progressing well for an extension, which would take the 30-year-old Hill into 2025 and beyond. 

Hill has played 90 games for the Saints, following a 54-game stint at the Dockers and 95 at the Hawks, where he is a triple-premiership player who featured in the 2013-15 flags at the club.

There was rival interest in Hill at the end of 2022, when his former Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson joined the Roos, but Hill remained at the Saints and was reunited with Ross Lyon, who coached him at the Dockers between 2017-19. – Callum Twomey 

RISING SUN TO WAIT ON TALKS

GOLD Coast ruck Ned Moyle continues to attract rival interest, but is set to leave a decision on his future until after the midway point of the season as he continues to vie for a spot in the Suns' senior team.

Moyle has established himself as one of the VFL's elite rucks, but has struggled to crack Gold Coast's best side due to the consistency of co-captain Jarrod Witts and the emergence of top-10 pick and Academy graduate Ethan Read.

He has played just three AFL games in four seasons on the club's list, but has dominated at reserves level and continued to impress last weekend with 23 disposals, 34 hitouts and nine clearances in a draw with Sydney.

Moyle's work against AFL-listed opponents – last week's performance came against Peter Ladhams, while the week before he had 19 touches, 43 hitouts and a goal against Hawthorn's Ned Reeves – has caught the attention of rival scouts.

The 204cm Moyle was monitored closely by opposition teams last year as well, but opted to see out his contract at the Suns, although that deal expires this season and is bound to make the 22-year-old a more attractive prospect.

Moyle was a mid-season recruit at Gold Coast, arriving halfway through the 2021 campaign. – Riley Beveridge

SSP HOPEFULS TURN TO MID-SEASON DRAFT

SAM Sofronidis' Mid-Season Rookie Draft prospects have taken a big blow with the mobile defender ruled out for the next few months after sustaining a stress fracture in his foot. 

The 24-year-old trialled with Collingwood across most of the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP), before Essendon took a look at him late when the Magpies signed Josh Eyre just before the deadline. 

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Sofronidis joined Collingwood's VFL program after being overlooked by the Bombers and made a strong start to the season, but is now expected to be sidelined until July, impacting his chances of being selected on May 27. 

Former St Kilda wingman Dan McKenzie made a successful return in the VFL on Sunday, boosting his chances of earning an AFL lifeline next month.  

The 27-year-old collected 17 touches on managed minutes in his first game for Port Melbourne, after recovering from the latest soft tissue injury that ruined his chance of landing a rookie contract during the SSP. 

McKenzie strained his hamstring while trialling with Fremantle in January, preventing him from training with Gold Coast in February. 

Both clubs have kept tabs on the Victorian, while Essendon and Collingwood showed interest in him across the pre-season. All four have rookie spots open ahead of the Mid-Season Rookie Draft.

Ex-Hawk Ned Long has continued training with Craig McRae's program in-season after making a strong start to the VFL season with the Magpies' reserves, around a decent showing in the state game in South Australia.  

The Magpies signed three players during the SSP but can still add another player in May, following the retirement of Nathan Murphy last week. 

Max Beattie gave Fremantle plenty to think about during the SSP but after undergoing ankle surgery in March, the Woodville-West Torrens small forward won't play until the second half of the season.

Essendon is getting a close look at former St Kilda small forward Jack Peris after he joined the VFL program, following a trial with Gold Coast before Christmas. The Bombers have also tracked Campbell Hustwaite, who joined Casey after failing to secure a rookie deal with Collingwood. 

Former Port Adelaide ruckman Brynn Teakle has made a strong start to the WAFL season since returning to East Fremantle after missing out on a spot with the Magpies, averaging 38 hitouts, 15 disposals and four tackles a game to keep his name in contention for a second chance. 

Mitch Schofield returned to East Perth after trialling with Richmond all pre-season but the mobile forward has made a slow start to 2024, while Sam van Rooyen has started the WAFL campaign in the reserves after doing the pre-season with Fremantle. – Josh Gabelich

ACADEMY TEAM BOLSTERED

THE MARSH AFL Academy line-up will be bolstered by the return of several highly touted prospects for its clash with Footscray's VFL team on Saturday.

The injury-hit Academy had to bring in reinforcements for its first clash against VFL opposition two weeks ago opposed to Coburg, but will have much closer to full availability for Saturday's game.

Potential No.1 pick Finn O'Sullivan is back in action after his thumb fracture at the start of the Coates Talent League, while possible top-10 choice Sam Lalor came back from groin issues in the pre-season to star at school level last week for Geelong Grammar.

Xavier Lindsay and West Australian pair Malakai Champion and Bo Allan will also play against Footscray, with the clash set for 11am AEST at Whitten Oval. 

Sid Draper (shin) and Jonty Faull (back) will continue to be sidelined, while the players brought into the squad for last game, including Taj Hotton and Tobie Travaglia, will not play in this clash.

However, in a late change, tall prospect Noah Mraz will miss with a leg injury, with Matt Whitlock brought into the Academy squad after an exciting run of form. Whitlock's twin brother Jack played for the Academy as a late addition against Coburg, with the pair firming to be early picks this year after strong early form. – Callum Twomey

GIANTS FILL RECRUITING VACANCY

GREATER Western Sydney has added experienced recruiter Wayne McCraw to its recruiting team this week. 

McCraw received life membership at the Western Bulldogs in 2019 following a long stint in the recruitment department in Footscray. 

Giants GM Jason McCartney worked with McCraw at the Whitten Oval where they helped construct the 2016 premiership team, landing Marcus Bontempelli, Jake Stringer and Jack Macrae with top-10 picks and Caleb Daniel and Easton Wood deeper in the draft.

McCraw will join national recruiting manager Adrian Caruso and recruiting officers Tom Nixon and Emma Quayle in Melbourne, while new opposition analyst Jack Harvey will also do some pro scouting for the Giants. 

The Giants have been searching for someone to join their recruiting team since the departure of John Giramondo to Sydney last month.

McCraw will initially work with Greater Western Sydney on a part-time basis for the remainder of 2024. – Josh Gabelich

LEAGUE MULLS MID-SEASON CALL

THE AFL will work through all of the possible permutations of a mid-season trade period before deciding whether it will be introduced in 2025, with League chief executive Andrew Dillon keen to avoid any "unintended consequences".

The League and AFL Players' Association agreed in last year's Collective Bargaining Agreement deal that they could pursue a mid-season trade window, but put off bringing it in this year as they work through the mechanics of how it would work.

Clubs have believed if a mid-season trade period comes in there will be limits on which players can move clubs and who it applies for in the mid-season trades. 

Non-Victorian clubs have raised concerns about a mid-season trade period favouring the Victorian teams as it would still require players to consent to being traded and it would be easier to get a player to switch Victorian clubs rather than move interstate. However, some believe players would take any opportunity if they are outside a senior squad at the midway point of a year.

Dillon said the League was focused on making sure in coming months if mid-season trading is brought into the game then it doesn't have disadvantageous effects on teams. 

"Whether it's we are bringing it in or we're not bringing it in, what I want to see is that there's a want from the clubs and we feel it adds to competitive balance and doesn't take away from competitive balance and if it provides opportunities for players and clubs," Dillon told AFL.com.au. 

"But we also want to make sure all of the permutations and combinations so that there's not any unintended consequences that come from it. I think the theory of it is really good but we really want to make sure that it does what we want it to be, which is continue to provide opportunities for players and for clubs to get better." – Callum Twomey