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.
EXTENSION LOOMS FOR STAR DOG
ADAM Treloar still has a season to run on a five-year deal since joining the Western Bulldogs, but the club will move to reward the in-form star with an extension in the coming months.
Treloar has played 74 games since being traded from Collingwood at the end of 2020, amid a messy exit from the Magpies, and has produced a career-best season to date in 2024, putting him in All-Australian contention and positioned as Marcus Bontempelli's biggest challenger in the Charles Sutton Medal.
The Bulldogs have held an early discussion on a one-year extension for 2026 and will look to finalise that over the off-season ahead of round one.
This time last year, Treloar was regularly linked to a move to a Queensland club to join his partner and daughter in Brisbane, before his manager, Tim Hazell from Vivid Sport, emphatically denied those links on Gettable.
Now his partner, netball star Kim Ravaillion, is moving back to Melbourne after informing the Queensland Firebirds last month that she was retiring. That decision was formally announced on Tuesday, following a decorated career in Super Netball and for the Diamonds.
Treloar was included in the All-Australian squad three times across his five seasons at the Magpies, but never made the final team. This year the 31-year-old has reached new heights.
No one has touched the ball more in 2024 than Treloar, who is averaging 31.9 disposals after round 17 to be ranked equal 16th with Jordan Dawson and Luke Davies-Uniacke in the AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year award on 48 votes and, having been linked to a move with a fourth club, he is now destined to sign a second contract at the Whitten Oval. – Josh Gabelich
DEE DISCUSSIONS UNDERWAY
TALKS have opened on a new deal for Melbourne premiership player Ed Langdon.
The flag-winning wingman has waited until later in the season to get to his contract discussions as he comes to the end of the five-year deal he joined Melbourne on at the end of 2019.
But as the 28-year-old comes to the latter stages of the season, talks have kicked off on an extension for Langdon, who has been a crucial pick-up for the Dees' success under Simon Goodwin.
The former Fremantle midfielder played 24 games, including the full finals series, in the Demons' breakthrough premiership in 2021 and has played 104 of a possible 107 games for the club since being traded back home to Victoria.
One of the games he missed was earlier this year when he attended a family member's wedding overseas. – Callum Twomey
EXCITING SAINT SET FOR DEAL
ST KILDA youngster Lance Collard is closing in on a contract extension at the club.
The exciting young Saint, who joined at last year's draft via pick No.28, started his career with a standard two-year deal through to the end of 2025.
But talks are well underway for a two-year extension which would see him signed through to the end of 2027.
The West Australian made his AFL debut for the Saints in round one as the substitute against Geelong before playing two more senior games in round 10 and 11.
Collard, 19, was eyed by the Saints last year for his speed and spark in the forward line and has booted 15 goals in 10 games in the VFL. – Callum Twomey
LIONS IN LEVI TALKS
NEGOTIATIONS continue on an agreement for father-son prospect Levi Ashcroft, with the AFL's new rules and uplift in total player payments making it potentially a landmark deal for an undrafted player.
As previously done with the likes of Collingwood's Nick Daicos, Essendon's Joe Daniher and Ashcroft's older brother Will at Brisbane, father-son prospects are able to essentially agree to longer contracts than the AFL's standardised first deals when they commit to nominating as a father-son in their draft campaign.
Daicos, in 2021, and Will Ashcroft the following season, both agreed to two extra years with their respective clubs as four-year deals, worth approximately $550,000-$600,000 in the third and fourth years. Daicos has since had his deal extended to be close to $1 million a season through to his free agency at the end of 2029.
The AFL's changed rules last year as part of the new collective bargaining agreement mean that top-20 picks are now locked in on initial three-year deals and that extensions can't officially be lodged and approved until after round six the following year.
However, 'handshake agreements' can be discussed, with the younger Ashcroft situation looming as a test case for the game's era of 'new money'.
If Ashcroft was to commit to two more years on top of his standard first three seasons, then he would be tied to the Lions through to the end of 2029, which will progress past the current CBA through to the next one.
Agents across the board are also looking for clubs to top up players deals for their fourth and fifth seasons for the money the players will not earn due to being capped in their third seasons, with many top draft picks under the previous model often earning between $400,000-$500,000 for their third and fourth seasons.
It means some clubs would expect Ashcroft, tipped to be a likely top-five pick at November's draft, to be valued around the $700,000 mark for those fourth and fifth seasons.
Ashcroft, who has been managing a shoulder injury, will play in Vic Metro's championship decider at Marvel Stadium on Sunday against Vic Country. Will Ashcroft officially nominated for the Lions in early August of his draft season. – Callum Twomey
GIANTS MAKE FIRST-ROUNDER OFFER
GREATER Western Sydney is working on a new two-year deal for former first-round pick Conor Stone.
The 22-year-old was plagued by soft tissue injuries across his first three seasons and has struggled for senior opportunities in 2024, but has proven his durability this year by playing 11 VFL games across two AFL appearances.
Stone has played only 11 senior games since being selected at pick No.15 in the 2020 AFL Draft, predominantly across half-forward.
But with half-back Harry Perryman still weighing up his free agency options, Adam Kingsley has trialled Stone in the spot at VFL level across the past month in preparation for 2025 and beyond.
The Victorian has thrived in a different role, collecting 28 disposals against Carlton last weekend, showing he can perform at either end of the ground, after starting the season by kicking three goals in four consecutive weeks.
Clubs have been monitoring Stone across this season, but the Giants want to retain the Oakleigh Chargers product.
The Giants are stacked with general forwards – Toby Greene, Brent Daniels, Toby Bedford, Darcy Jones, Harvey Thomas, Toby McMullin and last year's first round selection Phoenix Gothard – so the move down back might be just what Stone needs to kickstart his AFL career in western Sydney. – Josh Gabelich
SUNS TO HUNT TIGER PAIR?
GOLD Coast has reiterated it would relish the chance to pursue Richmond superstar Dustin Martin, should the three-time premiership champion look to continue his career in Queensland next season.
Martin is coming towards the end of the lucrative seven-year contract he signed before kickstarting Richmond's triple-premiership dynasty in 2017, with an opportunity to potentially reunite with former coach Damien Hardwick on the cards.
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Hardwick said earlier this month that the Suns would be "crazy" not to investigate Martin's future, should he leave Punt Road, having recently played his 300th game for the Tigers.
Speaking on AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable this week, Gold Coast's recruiting boss Kall Burns backed up the coach's call and said the club would explore the opportunity to chase Martin at year's end.
"I think you heard from Damien in recent weeks around Dustin. Obviously, he's got a decision to make. But I think as Damien said, we'd be crazy not to look at a player of his ilk if he was to want to come to the Gold Coast," Burns said.
Gold Coast is also expected to be in the market for Martin's premiership teammate Daniel Rioli, who could also look to explore his options despite a long-term contract at Punt Road that runs through until 2027.
However, armed with three first-round picks – the club's own, the Western Bulldogs' pick and an end-of-first-round selection tied to North Melbourne – the Suns do have the means to potentially lure the running defender north.
"It's probably similar, to be honest. He [Rioli] is a contracted player. We'd be crazy not to want to improve our list and that's what we're always trying to do," Burns said. – Riley Beveridge
FUTURE TRADING WATCH
CLUBS are expected to try to trade next year's first-round picks into this year's draft as recruiters grow more enamoured with the class of 2024.
Although there is no consensus on pick No.1 in this year's draft pool like Harley Reid last year, the depth of quality in the top 30 picks has clubs considering attempting moves to try to trade into this year's group using their picks in next year's pool.
The ability to trade two years in advance with draft selections, which is expected to be formally added to this year's exchange period in coming weeks, will also give clubs another chip to try and break into the top-end of the 2024 group.
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The largely strong run of games in the Marsh Under-18 Championships and even group of prospects has scouts happy with the best 30 players available and depth compared to some recent seasons.
Josh Smillie and Finn O'Sullivan are still considered the most likely candidates for the No.1 pick, but the likes of Luke Trainor, Sam Lalor, Murphy Reid, Jagga Smith, Sid Draper, Bo Allan and Taj Hotton are also viewed as the top-10 contenders as well as Brisbane father-son Levi Ashcroft and Gold Coast Academy's Leo Lombard.
Tall prospects Jack and Matt Whitlock, Jobe Shanahan, Alixzander Tauru, Noah Mraz and Harry Armstrong are all also seen as potential later first-round selections. – Callum Twomey
SUNS PLAY COY ON ACADEMY STAR
GOLD Coast will let other clubs dictate the draft standing of Academy gun Leo Lombard, who has lifted his stocks significantly following a standout carnival at the recent Marsh AFL National Under-18s Boys Championships.
The Suns welcomed four first-round prospects through their Academy last year, with Lombard also being viewed by rival clubs as a likely top-10 pick after impressing across recent months as a strong-bodied midfield option.
Lombard averaged 26.3 disposals and a goal per game across four Championships matches with the Allies, while he was also part of Gold Coast's VFL premiership side as a 16-year-old last season.
However, speaking to AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable this week, Suns recruiting boss Kall Burns said the club wouldn't be drawn on where they expected a bid for Lombard to fall later this year.
"It's a good question," Burns said.
"To be honest, it's where the other clubs view Leo. That's for them to determine, in terms of where the bid comes. We'll just wait and see where that plays out more towards the draft."
Gold Coast enjoyed overwhelming success with its Academy last season and matched four first-round bids on graduates Jed Walter (No.3), Ethan Read (No.9), Jake Rogers (No.14) and Will Graham (No.26).
Lombard, a 178cm onballer, enjoyed his best game against Western Australia where he racked up 32 disposals and two goals. However, he said Gold Coast was keeping its cards close to its chest on his draft chances.
"I haven't had any meetings with the Suns just yet. I have a meeting with Kall on Friday, but I've had a few clubs in at my house (this week) and I've got a few more during the week," Lombard said. – Riley Beveridge
