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. 

CROWS TO GO LONG-TERM ON GUN FORWARD

ADELAIDE has offered Riley Thilthorpe a new contract that will lock the young key forward in at the Crows until he becomes a free agent in 2028. 

The Crows are currently working on a three-year extension with the 2020 No.2 pick and are hoping to finalise the deal in the coming weeks. 

Thilthorpe signed a three-year deal halfway through his first season in 2021 that doesn't expire until the end of next season. 

But after making a successful return from pre-season knee surgery across the past fortnight, Thilthorpe is set to join Sydney young gun Logan McDonald – who was another key forward selected in 2020 – in signing through to free agency. 

The 22-year-old kicked two goals in last Friday night's come-from-behind win over Essendon at Marvel Stadium, following two in the final quarter of his return against St Kilda after starting as the sub. 

Adelaide is yet to make a decision on the future of veteran key forward Taylor Walker. 

The 34-year-old wants to play on with the Crows in 2025 but has been limited by a back injury in recent months, kicking 21 goals from 14 appearances after booting a career-best 76 last season. – Josh Gabelich

LION VETERAN KEEN TO PLAY ON

BRISBANE veteran Dayne Zorko wants to play on for a 14th season in 2025, but is yet to receive an offer from the Lions for next year.

The Queenslander is the fourth-oldest player in the AFL this year and turns 36 in February, but hasn't missed a game in 2024, thriving in a new role across half-back. 

Zorko didn't sign an extension for this season until after last October's trade period, following the Grand Final loss to Collingwood.

Brisbane is understood to be waiting for the AFL to finalise its draft and player movement rules around the Next Generation Academy, draft value index and rookie list before making an offer to Zorko's management. 

Zorko is a five-time Merrett-Murray medallist, on track to feature in the top five of the best and fairest again and is now up to 268 games after being recruited at the age of 23 from the Broadbeach Cats in the QAFL. – Josh Gabelich

PREMIERSHIP PIE SIGNS ON

COLLINGWOOD has locked away premiership defender Oleg Markov to a one-year deal, having renegotiated his contract in recent weeks.

Markov, a pre-season rookie pick-up ahead of last year, became an instant fan favourite at the Pies and played 23 games in his maiden campaign at the club to become an integral part of the side's Grand Final team.

He signed a one-year deal with a trigger for a second season in August last year, but Collingwood has recently restructured Markov's existing deal to ensure he remains at the club in 2025.

Markov famously nearly joined Carlton on the eve of last season, but elected to take up a contract offer at Collingwood after spending the summer training with the club in the hopes of earning a spot on the rookie list.

He has since played 35 games for the Pies, surpassing his tally of 28 prior appearances at Gold Coast and 23 with Richmond.

Meanwhile, Collingwood is planning for its off-field structure for 2025, with an upgraded list management position being mooted for former Brisbane coach Justin Leppitsch.

Leppitsch has taken on more list management responsibilities this season after football boss Graham Wright's venture overseas for the year. 

The expanded role has seen the three-time Lions premiership star maintain his matchday coaching position and strategy role while also delving more into the Pies' list management.

Splitting Wright's duties has meant fellow assistant Brendon Bolton has taken more football manager responsibilities. 

Doubt over Wright's return to Collingwood, and if so in what position, has been abound throughout the year as he embarked on his leave period of six months. – Riley Beveridge, Callum Twomey 

OFFER FOR SUNS MIDFIELDER

GOLD Coast has offered midfielder Alex Davies a new deal as the youngster assesses his options.

Davies, who has another two games to run on his three-match suspension for his high bump on Port Adelaide's Lachie Jones, is out of contract at the end of this year.

The tall and bigger-bodied midfielder has a two-year offer in front of him from the Suns but has also been on other clubs' radars after being on the fringe of Gold Coast's strong midfield.

The 22-year-old has played four games this season for a total of 29 across his career since being a Suns Academy graduate in the 2020 draft.

Aside from the bump on Jones, Davies' game against Port was the best of his season and one of the best of his career, with 20 disposals and a career-high 12 tackles. – Callum Twomey

CROW WEIGHS CALL

ELLIOTT Himmelberg was keen to join Greater Western Sydney last year and the Giants wanted to trade for him, but a move there is considered unlikely this time around.  

While the Giants will maintain interest in the Adelaide unrestricted free agent, their different forward structure this season is expected to see other clubs also be in the market for Himmelberg.

The tall forward has an offer from Adelaide to remain at the Crows but he is likely to make a call at the end of the club's season on his future.

Rivals see the 26-year-old, who will this week play his 50th game at AFL level, as being open to exploring free agency options.

The younger brother of Giants star Harry, Himmelberg has played eight games this season and kicked eight goals. 

Last year while under contract Himmelberg was keen to join his brother at GWS but was held to his deal by the Crows. – Callum Twomey

SWANS SET SIGHTS ON CHAD DEAL

SYDNEY superstar Chad Warner has parked conversations around his future for the remainder of the year, as the Swans prepare for the talented midfielder to hit a defining free agency campaign in 2025.

The club has done a stellar job in locking away its 'fab five' of uncontracted stars this season, fending off significant rival interest to tie down Errol Gulden, Logan McDonald, James Rowbottom, Will Hayward and Ollie Florent to new deals.

But the Swans quickly turned their attentions towards Warner, with the West Australian already being courted by Fremantle and West Coast in his home state ahead of his contract call next year.

However, speaking on AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable this week, Sydney's long-time national recruiting manager Kinnear Beatson said he was confident the talented group wanted to stick together amid rival interest.

"I'm not responsible for those discussions now," Beatson said of Warner's deal.

"But what I'm led to believe is the conversations are ongoing. It's been parked at the moment for this year. We'll get through this year and then we'll continue the conversations with Chad and his manager, Luke Morabito, and go from there.

"But what we have found from this year, being able to re-sign Logan, Rowbottom, Errol et cetera, is that they're a very tight group. They're prepared to leave a little bit on the table to keep that group together to try to enjoy some success together."

DRAFT HUB Click here for the latest draft news

Sydney's success in tabling new contracts to Gulden (2028), McDonald (2028), Rowbottom (2028), Hayward (2029) and Florent (2029) means the Swans are unlikely to be key players in this year's trade and free agency window.

"It just means there are less spots available on our list," Beatson said.

"But also, you don't have to be Einstein to work out that from a TPP sense we're not going to be in the market for a high-profile player. Unless there are other changes that occur, but at the moment they're not on the horizon." – Riley Beveridge

SCOTT WORKING THROUGH DECISION

NORTH Melbourne midfielder Bailey Scott is working through his contract call as he continues to weigh the Roos' offer of a new deal.

Scott, who will play his 100th game for the Roos later this season, has had a deal in front of him for some time to remain at the club. He is two years away from reaching free agency. 

His past two contract extensions have been signed in Septembers of 2020 and 2022, showing his willingness to wait until deeper into seasons before making a call. 

The 24-year-old has finished in the top three of North's best and fairest the past two seasons. 

He joined the Kangaroos as a father-son selection, where his dad Robert is a flag winner in the club's 1996 triumph. He could also have selected Geelong as a father-son or Gold Coast as an Academy player. – Callum Twomey

GIANT WEIGHS UP FUTURE, YOUNG GUN EXTENDS

THE FUTURE of Greater Western Sydney veteran Callan Ward remains up in the air, as the club's former captain tosses up whether he will prolong his career into an 18th season next year.

However, one of the club's brightest young talents in first-year forward Harvey Thomas has extended his career at the Giants by tacking on a further year to his initial draft contract.

The Giants are keen for Ward to stick around in 2025, while Victorian clubs had also considered him as a potential veteran option, though the 34-year-old is yet to decide on whether he will go around again.

Ward's form has been rejuvenated by a recent move to the wing, where he booted multiple goals in four consecutive games earlier this month and helped to spark the Giants on an unbeaten three-match winning run.

An honest Ward spoke to AFL.com.au last week about falling out of love with footy towards the end of former coach Leon Cameron's time at the club, but said the arrival of Adam Kingsley had revitalised his football future.

However, with the courageous onballer looking to break an unwanted record of five losing preliminary finals without having played in a Grand Final later this year, Ward is yet to decide on whether he will play on next season. 

"I'm not really too sure, to be honest," Ward told AFL.com.au last week.

"I've kind of been saying for the last couple of years that this is my last year, so who knows with this year? I'm not too sure. There are a few things that we need to work out.

TRADE HUB All the latest player movement news

"But, at the moment, I'm really enjoying my footy. If you asked me two years ago whether I'd still be playing in two years' time and really enjoying my footy, I probably would've said no. I'm just happy I'm enjoying my footy and we're playing pretty well at the moment. Hopefully, I can keep my spot and we can go deep in finals."

The Giants have extended the contract of Thomas, though, with the impressive teenage forward penning an extension to ensure his future at the club until at least 2026 in recent days.

Thomas signed a standard two-year draft contract when he joined the club via its Northern Academy program at pick No.59 last season, kicking nine goals from 18 games in a promising maiden campaign. – Riley Beveridge

BLUES ROOKIE ADDS ANOTHER

CARLTON has signed rookie recruit Cooper Lord to a new contract for next season, making the young midfielder the first mid-season pick-up to earn an extension following May's draft.

Lord was among 10 players to be recruited in the mid-season draft on a six-month deal, but the Blues tacked an additional season onto the 19-year-old's contract almost immediately after he joined the club.

The tough teenage midfielder has impressed Carlton officials since joining the club, once again pressing his case for a senior AFL debut over the weekend with 23 disposals, two goals and seven tackles in a VFL win over Collingwood.

Lord has now become the 10th of 19 players recruited in the mid-season draft to have secured their future for next year, with nine players nominating on terms for an 18-month contract.

They included Geordie Payne and Brynn Teakle (North Melbourne), Jack Hutchinson (West Coast), Max Hall (St Kilda), Jasper Scaife (Hawthorn), Will McLaughlin (Brisbane), Toby Murray (Adelaide), Iliro Smit (Collingwood) and Logan Evans (Port Adelaide). – Riley Beveridge