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.
VETERAN LION TO GO AROUND AGAIN
BRISBANE veteran Dayne Zorko has secured a new deal to play on for a 14th season in 2025.
The 35-year-old put pen to paper on a contract for next season earlier this week, following a brilliant campaign from the fourth-oldest player in the AFL.
Zorko recently made clear his desire to play on and has now been rewarded with a contract that will make it possible for him to reach 300 games next year.
The five-time Merrett-Murray Medallist could become a two-time All-Australian next Thursday night and is expected to feature prominently in the club's best and fairest once again.
Zorko has averaged a career-high 25.9 disposals and 4.1 rebound 50s across 22 games in 2024, thriving in a new role at half-back after Kiddy Coleman ruptured his ACL in Opening Round.
The Queenslander didn't secure a new deal for this season until after last October's trade period, following the Grand Final loss to Collingwood.
Despite winning four consecutive best and fairest awards for Broadbeach in the QAFL, Zorko was overlooked in four National Drafts before being on-traded by Gold Coast to Brisbane in 2011.
Since then, the Gold Coast native has become one of the best players from the Sunshine State, captaining Brisbane between 2018 and 2022.
Zorko is now up to 272 games and could join Simon Black (322) as a 300-game Lion in 2025. - Josh Gabelich
VETERAN HAWK TO GO ON
TRIPLE premiership great Jack Gunston will play on at Hawthorn again in 2025.
The 32-year-old returned to Waverley Park on a one-year deal with no guarantees of anything else, after requesting a trade back from Brisbane last October following 12 months in Queensland.
Hawthorn has now offered Gunston a new deal for a 16th season in the AFL, which should be finalised this week.
Gunston wasn't a permanent fixture in Sam Mitchell's side earlier in the season, but has proven his value on-field – as well as off-field – in the pursuit of finals, kicking 12 goals in the past three weeks.
The All-Australian forward booted a season-high five goals against Richmond last Sunday and has played an integral role in the development of first-year spearhead Calsher Dear and the Hawks' other young forwards.
Gunston has no issue in spending more time at Box Hill next season if players go past him, but has proven across the past month that he still has plenty to offer at AFL level, especially with Mitch Lewis recovering from a knee reconstruction. – Josh Gabelich
PORT YOUNG GUN TO INK DEAL
PORT Adelaide is set to reward Academy graduate Lachie Jones for an impressive season, with the tough youngster on the cusp of a new two-year deal.
Jones had been uncontracted beyond this year at the Power, but has recently agreed to an extension that will ensure his future at his boyhood club until at least 2026.
It comes following a campaign where Jones has played 17 senior games for a high-flying Port Adelaide side, including his 50th appearance for the club a fortnight ago, settling into a number of important roles under coach Ken Hinkley.
The 22-year-old was a graduate of the club's Next Generation Academy program back in 2020, with Port Adelaide matching a bid at pick No.16 from Collingwood to secure his services.
Port Adelaide is expected to be among the busiest clubs ahead of this year's Trade Period and has interest in Greater Western Sydney's free agent pairing of Harry Perryman and Isaac Cumming, but contracted All-Australian Dan Houston is exploring the possibility of a move back to Victoria. – Riley Beveridge
BOMBERS YOUNGSTER REWARDED
ESSENDON has rewarded youngster Archie Roberts for his impressive start to his career by extending his deal at the club.
Roberts, who made his debut in round 21 against Fremantle, was signed on a two-year deal like every other non top-20 pick in last year’s national draft after being selected at No.54.
But Roberts has added an extra year and activated a third season at the club, with the deal seeing him now tied to the Bombers until the end of 2026.
Roberts gathered 18 disposals in an exciting debut against the Dockers and has continued to show his wares since, including a 25-disposals game against Sydney last week.
The 18-year-old’s smarts and poise with the ball, as well as his left-foot kicking, have been used across half-back and the wing in his first season at the Bombers after being drafted from the Sandringham Dragons.
He looms as a chance for the final Rising Star nomination of the season this week but, given he won’t meet the 10-game eligibility cut-off, Roberts will also be eligible again in 2025. - Callum Twomey
SAINT HITS TRIGGER FOR 2025
LIAM Stocker will remain at St Kilda in 2025 after hitting a trigger for next year.
The 24-year-old has made the most of his second chance at the Saints, after being delisted by Carlton at the end of 2022 before being signed during the pre-season supplemental selection period in 2023.
Stocker played 23 games last year in Ross Lyon’s first season back and has added 15 appearances across 2024.
While St Kilda still has more than a handful of list management decisions to make in the coming two months, Stocker is no longer one of them after securing another deal.
The former first-round pick was at the crossroads after being delisted by the Blues following 28 games over four seasons at Princes Park, but has shown he still has plenty to offer at AFL level. – Josh Gabelich
KANGAS TO LOCK IN YOUNG PAIR
NORTH Melbourne is set to lock away two more key parts of its defensive future, with the Kangaroos closing on deals for first-round selections Wil Dawson and Riley Hardeman.
The pair were taken at picks No.22 and 23 respectively last year, meaning they each earned the standard two-year draftee contracts, though North Melbourne is close to securing agreements to extend each by an extra season.
It will take Dawson and Hardeman through until 2026, which is when the club's remaining three first-round picks from last year in Colby McKercher, Zane Duursma and Taylor Goad are due to fall out of contract for the first time.
McKercher, Duursma and Goad all earned initial three-year deals due to being top-20 picks.
Dawson, a 201cm key defender, has played three senior games this season but has shown glimpses of his immense athletic potential in the VFL throughout his maiden year at Arden Street.
Hardeman, a rebounding 184cm half-back, has also broken through for three AFL appearances but is another the club holds in high regard as it looks ahead to its bright future.
Their impending extensions will ensure North Melbourne keeps it talented young core together and will follow the recent re-signings of George Wardlaw (2026), Bailey Scott (2026), Charlie Comben (2027), Paul Curtis (2028), Nick Larkey (2029), Tristan Xerri (2029), Cam Zurhaar (2029) and Harry Sheezel (2030). – Riley Beveridge
TIGERS SET TO SIGN YOUNG DUO
RICHMOND is in talks to extend young pair James Trezise and Steely Green, after both enjoyed breakthrough years at Punt Road.
The Tigers have opened dialogue with both players to ensure their futures for at least next year, having each earned a series of senior opportunities this season.
Trezise, a mid-season pickup last year, has played seven games across half-back for Richmond this season after being picked for his debut just months after arriving at the club late in 2023.
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Meanwhile small forward Green, the side's No.55 pick from a couple of years ago, has shown glimpses of his potential after featuring six times this season and kicked three goals against the Giants last month.
They will follow in the footsteps of a host of recent Richmond re-signings that includes Jack Ross (2026), Maurice Rioli jnr (2026), Mykelti Lefau (2026), Josh Gibcus (2026) and Kane McAuliffe (2027).
Trezise and Green's manager, Tim Hazell, told AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable this week that the pair were closing on new deals.
"Both boys are in dialogue with the footy club at the moment," Hazell said.
"They've obviously got a little bit going on, but both boys will be there certainly in 2025 and potentially 2026 (as well), depending on how the negotiations go." – Riley Beveridge
DOCKERS HAND DEAL TO SSP RECRUIT
FREMANTLE has rewarded Pat Voss with a two-year contract, six months after providing the key forward with an AFL lifeline.
The 21-year-old has reignited his career at the Dockers since being signed during the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP) in February.
Voss will now remain at Fremantle until at least the end of 2026 after putting pen to paper on an extension.
The 195cm spearhead was delisted by Essendon at the end of last year after not playing a game across two years in Tullamarine, despite winning the VFL best and fairest in 2023.
Voss trained with Justin Longmuir's squad over the summer along with Daniel McKenzie, Sam van Rooyen and Max Beattie, before winning a rookie contract near the SSP deadline.
After making his debut against the Western Bulldogs in round seven, Voss has played six senior games for the Dockers, including the past fortnight with Josh Treacy sidelined, kicking two goals against Greater Western Sydney last Saturday. – Josh Gabelich
KANGAS COULD KEEP 'PUP' ON
NORTH Melbourne is still working through whether Liam Shiels will remain at the club next season in a recruiting capacity, having announced he would retire after his 288th and final game this weekend.
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Shiels has spent the last two seasons combining his playing role with work in the Kangaroos recruiting team, scouting junior football on weekends and sitting in on the club's list management meetings.
But the Kangas are yet to hold conversations around what a future role could look like for Shiels, who has been keen to work in recruiting and list management beyond his playing days.
Shiels, a three-time premiership player at Hawthorn before crossing to North Melbourne in 2022, will play a farewell game against his former club this weekend after announcing his retirement on Tuesday.
The 33-year-old featured 255 for the Hawks and will ultimately add 33 more games while at the Kangaroos, before hanging up the boots at year's end. – Riley Beveridge
