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. 

BLUE SET TO BE EXTENDED

ALEX Cincotta will secure a new deal at Carlton for 2025 when he faces Essendon in the King's Birthday Eve blockbuster on Sunday night. 

The 27-year-old needs to play one more game to trigger an extension for a third season at Princes Park after being signed during the pre-season supplemental selection period ahead of last season. 

After playing 19 games last year, including all three finals, Cincotta had an interrupted start to the campaign and wasn't recalled to Michael Voss' side until round eight. 

Cincotta has played all five games since then with the sixth appearance to trigger an extension. 

He made a name for himself as a rebounding defender last year, but has evolved into a decent shutdown player this year, limiting the influence of Bobby Hill, then Kysaiah Pickett and Tom Papley. 

Carlton has used him as a negating midfielder in the past fortnight in roles on Touk Miller and Zak Butters. – Josh Gabelich

EXTENSION COMING FOR TIGER

RICHMOND has committed to re-signing key forward Mykelti Lefau after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament on Saturday night. 

Lefau was added to the Tigers' rookie list at the end of the pre-season supplemental selection period in February, but now faces a long stint on the sidelines with his second knee reconstruction in two years.

The Tigers had been working on a two-year deal before the injury and are expected to lock in an extension in the coming weeks. 

Lefau was one of 10 players signed across the competition during the SSP and has been one of the most successful signings of the summer, kicking 14 goals from 10 appearances, including 3.2 against West Coast and four other games with two goals.

The New Zealander ruptured the ACL in his right knee at GMHBA Stadium – the opposite knee to the one he did in 2022 – and is the fifth Richmond player to suffer the season-ending injury this year. – Josh Gabelich

TOP PICK TARGETED

CLUBS have Brisbane's first pick at the draft – currently No.6 overall – as a trade target given the Lions will again be on the hunt for points this season.

Although details are still to be confirmed on any proposed changes to the Academy and father-son bidding system, the Lions will again need to match bids on father-son talent Levi Ashcroft and Academy midfielder Sam Marshall.

Like his older brother Will, Ashcroft is considered a top-five prospect, with Marshall perhaps later in the first round or second round. 

If the Lions' form line continues in the second half to see them end the season with a pick in the first eight or so selections, it will see clubs come to them with offers to trade into the pick for either multiple selections or via a player acquisition.

Gold Coast's pick No.5 last year was traded to the Western Bulldogs after a hunt from several clubs for the selection, viewed as a golden ticket in the Trade Period because it was going to get eaten up by an early bid on Academy prospect Jed Walter. 

Ashcroft's form as one of the group of premier midfielders in the highest rung of the draft and a top-three pick contender means if the Lions don't make finals then it will also be in the range to be swallowed up by the bid for Ashcroft, another gun ball-getting midfielder. 

The Suns hold three first-round picks this year – currently placed at No.8 (tied to the Bulldogs), 11 and 20 (North Melbourne's end-of-first round assistance package pick) – while Fremantle also has three first-round selections (currently No.10 tied to the Magpies, No.13 and No.15 tied to Port Adelaide). 

Marshall, who is at boarding school at Melbourne Grammar but a member of the Lions' northern Academy, has started his Marsh AFL Under-18 Championships strongly for the Allies midfield, including gathering 29 disposals last week against Western Australia. – Callum Twomey

EAGLE SIGNS ON

YOUNG West Coast ruckman Harry Barnett has secured a two-year contract extension. 

The 20-year-old is now locked in at the Eagles until the end of 2026.

Barnett has played two games for Adam Simpson’s side since arriving via pick No.23 in the 2022 AFL Draft. 

The West Adelaide product was the first ruckman selected that year and is viewed as a long-term option at the Eagles. 

Barnett has played five games in the WAFL this year around an appearance for West Coast as Bailey Williams' back-up against Greater Western Sydney in round two. – Josh Gabelich 

WINES IN SIGHTS

PORT Adelaide midfielder Ollie Wines is "totally focused" on winning a flag at the Power amid interest from North Melbourne in luring the experienced star to the club.

Wines has two years to run on his deal with the Power, which goes through to the end of 2026, but as Gettable reported last week, the Roos have interest in the 29-year-old as they look to add mature recruits this off-season.

The 2021 Brownlow medallist has enjoyed a strong campaign in 2024, averaging nearly 24 disposals and five clearances a game.

His agent Nick Gieschen, from Connors Sports Management, said Wines was concentrating on his season with Port amid the links to the Kangaroos. 

"To be honest, it's not something I've spoken to him at great length about," Gieschen told AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable. 

"I know his name's been mentioned and I think in general North potentially from what I'm hearing would like to add some experienced senior players and he's someone who is recognised as a great individual first and foremost.

"He's a great leader and someone that has played high level footy and probably his age profile as well where if they are looking to bring in someone or a couple of players then that age demographic he'd be a perfect fit.

"At the moment it's been great to see him get some more inside midfield time with a couple of injuries they've had and it's probably not something that's on his radar right at the moment. But you never say never, things can change, but at the moment he's totally focused on Port Adelaide and they're in the top four at the moment and hopefully getting that elusive premiership which they've been chasing." 

Wines has played 239 games for the Power since being a top-10 draft pick in 2012. – Callum Twomey

GIANTS HOPEFUL ON FREE AGENT DUO

GREATER Western Sydney is hopeful that star defender Sam Taylor's mega seven-year contract extension aids negotiations for free agent duo Harry Perryman and Isaac Cumming.

The Giants continue to work away on deals for Perryman and Cumming amid interest from rival clubs, having already tied Taylor to a lengthy deal that will last until 2032.

As previously revealed on AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable, Perryman has already attracted significant rival interest from both South Australian clubs and Essendon as an unrestricted free agent. Hawthorn is also among the clubs with interest. 

Cumming is also an unrestricted free agent at season's end, with negotiations around a possible extension clouded by the fact the running defender is yet to play this year because of quad and hamstring injuries.

But, having secured Taylor's signature 18 months before he was due to become one of the League's hottest free agents, the Giants' executive general manager of football Jason McCartney is hoping to build momentum on his other star signings.

"Sometimes these things help. When someone shows that commitment this far out, there's no doubt it helps. But every negotiation is different. They're not all linked," McCartney told AFL.com.au this week.

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"We'll keep working through the others when we need to, as we have been, while this has been going on in the background.

"There's still a bit of work to do on a couple this year and you'd like to be looking further ahead, like we did with Sam, with a couple of other boys." – Riley Beveridge

BOMBERS ACADEMY TALENT RISING

A CHANGE in Next Generation Academy rules appears the only way Essendon will get any priority access over Academy talent Isaac Kako, who is shaping as one of the best small forwards in the draft pool.

Kako, from the Calder Cannons, is tied to the Bombers' Next Generation Academy and spent time training at the club over summer.

Under current NGA rules, the Bombers could only match a bid after pick 40, with Kako looking a possible top-20 selection.

The AFL is considering changes to the NGA bidding process and whether clubs could be able to match selections earlier but would need to introduce any changes this year for the Bombers to have any hold over Kako.

The 18-year-old has been a regular goalkicker this season, kicking 14.21 from eight games in the Coates Talent League. 

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Kako will also be integral in Vic Metro's chances of recapturing the title at the Marsh Under-18 Championships, with their carnival beginning on Sunday at Ikon Park.

Vic Metro takes on the Allies at 10.05am AEST before Vic Country also plays its first game of the carnival matched up against South Australia in the under-18 double-header. 

Likely top picks Josh Smillie, Luke Trainor, Levi Ashcroft, Jagga Smith, Christian Moraes, Murphy Reid and Tom Gross will spearhead Metro's push, while Sam Lalor, Harvey Langford and twin brothers Jack and Matt Whitlock will feature for Vic Country.

Potential very early pick Finn O'Sullivan will miss the start of Vic Country's carnival with a finger injury. – Callum Twomey