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. 

SUN TO STAY

GOLD Coast midfielder Alex Davies has turned his back on interest in Victoria to remain with the Suns.

Collingwood and Geelong had expressed interested in the 22-year-old inside bull, but the Suns' Academy graduate has opted to re-sign with Gold Coast. 

Davies has played 32 games for the Queensland club since joining the AFL list at the end of 2020, producing some of his best performances yet in the closing weeks of 2024 under new coach Damien Hardwick. 

With Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson and Touk Miller in Gold Coast's engine room, Davies has struggled for regular opportunities at AFL level, but has committed to staying and will finalise a two-year extension in the coming days.

The Magpies are in the market for an inside midfielder to complement Craig McRae's midfield and will now turn their attention elsewhere, with Greater Western Sydney's James Peatling and Essendon's Ben Hobbs two other options they are considering.

Out-of-contract mature-age recruits Lachie Sullivan, Ned Long and Jack Bytel are all waiting to see what unfolds over the coming weeks before final contract decisions are made for 2025. – Josh Gabelich

TIGERS INCREASE BID TO KEEP FLAG STAR

RICHMOND has upped its offer for free agent Jack Graham to four years, hopeful the premiership midfielder will commit his future to the club.

Graham has been weighing up a four-year deal from West Coast throughout the season, where he can move as an unrestricted free agent, but had also been considering a smaller offer to potentially stay at the Tigers.

However, Richmond has since moved to retain Graham by tabling a longer-term deal having already received trade requests from fellow premiership stars Liam Baker, Shai Bolton and Daniel Rioli in recent weeks.

Baker and Bolton have interest from both West Coast and Fremantle within their home state of Western Australia, while Rioli appears destined for Gold Coast where he will reunite with former coach Damien Hardwick.

A coaching call at the Eagles could also be key to Baker, Bolton and Graham's final decisions, with Melbourne assistant Andrew McQualter in the frame for the vacant West Coast coaching job.

McQualter had previously spent the best part of a decade as an assistant at Richmond and has good relationships with Baker, Bolton and Graham, playing a significant role in the club's trio of premiership victories under Hardwick.

He also spent the last 13 games of last season acting as a caretaker coach at Richmond following Hardwick's abrupt departure, guiding the Tigers to a 7-6 record in the back half of the season. – Riley Beveridge

SUNS SET STANCE ON LUKOSIUS

GOLD Coast is open to trading forward Jack Lukosius, with football boss Wayne Campbell saying the Suns are aware the South Australian has spoken to other clubs and is happy for it to continue.

Lukosius still has two years remaining on his contract after signing a four-year extension in 2022, but both parties are exploring their options.

Campbell told AFL.com.au it was an important time in the 24-year-old's career where he needed to make some "big decisions".

"We know he's spoken to some other clubs and we're aware of that and happy for that to happen," Campbell said.

"If he wants to progress his career here, we're happy for that. If he wants to have a look at another club, we're OK with that too.

"Ultimately, he might end up here, and if that was the case, we'd be more than happy."

Damien Hardwick swung Lukosius into defence early in 2024 before putting him back forward of the ball.

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Although Lukosius kicked 23 goals for the season, along with 16 goal assists, he didn't consistently play his best football, and Campbell said that fell on both the player and club.

"Systems can change and so can players," he said. We can change our system or Jack changes the way he plays. Those scenarios were put to Jack as well." – Michael Whiting

SAINTS COACH DEPARTS MOORABBIN

ST KILDA'S development and VFL coach Jake Batchelor has parted ways with the club after six years at the Saints.

Batchelor has been at the Saints since the end of 2018, when he joined the club's coaching panel.

In 2021, he took over the reigns as the club's VFL senior coach of the Sandringham Zebras, St Kilda's affiliate, where he has been in the position for four seasons.

Saints football boss David Misson said the 32-year-old would not be at RSEA Park next year.

"Jake Batchelor will not be returning to St Kilda for season 2025," Misson told AFL.com.au.

"Jake has been an integral part of our development program over the past six years, namely as our VFL senior coach.

"His patience, knowledge and generosity has seen many advancements in our young players, and we know his influence on their early years will continue to pay dividends as their careers progress.

"So, as Jake leaves us to seek further opportunities in his coaching career, he does so with our full support and best wishes."

Batchelor played 84 games with Richmond between 2011-17. – Callum Twomey

GIANTS YOUNGSTER CLOSE TO DEAL

GREATER Western Sydney youngster Joe Fonti is set to be rewarded for an eye-catching start to his AFL career, with the athletic West Australian closing on a fresh two-year deal.

The contract extension is set to take Fonti through until 2027, given he already has one season remaining on the initial two-year draftee contract he received when he was recruited to the club with pick No.44 last year.

Fonti, a high-flying 189cm defender, earned a surprise AFL debut against Carlton earlier this season and ultimately broke through for five senior appearances in his maiden campaign at the Giants.

Fonti's imminent re-signing comes as the club waits on decisions from free agent duo Harry Perryman and Isaac Cumming, with both receiving significant offers from rival clubs throughout the year.

Perryman is being hunted by Port Adelaide and Hawthorn, but has a six-year deal to stay at the Giants, while Cumming is weighing interest from Port Adelaide and Adelaide but has been offered a four-year extension to stay.

"We're confident we've put our best foot forward and given it our best shot to keep them," Giants recruiting boss Adrian Caruso told AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable on Wednesday.

"Part of the industry is free agency, so we understand it's their right to explore the market and see what they can get. I think we've made it pretty clear to them that they're valued parts of our football club and they're important players heading into a very important finals series.

"It's this deep in the year, they're still gathering all of their information and they've got big decisions to make. We understand that. But, from our point of view, we obviously want to keep them and hopefully that's the way it ends up." – Riley Beveridge 

SUNS CONFIDENT ON RIOLI DEAL

GOLD Coast is confident of landing Richmond's Daniel Rioli, hinting it is happy to pay a fair price for the running defender.

Rioli has two years left on his current contract but has requested a trade to the Suns, where he would reunite with former coach Damien Hardwick.

Speaking to AFL.com.au about the specifics of a possible trade, football boss Wayne Campbell said "we want him in the door".

"There's always a fair range in price," Campbell said.

"We'll deal with Richmond in good faith, and we hope to get the deal done.

"We said to Daniel we want him here, so it's up to us to uphold our end of the bargain."

Gold Coast is currently armed with picks six, 13 (via the Western Bulldogs) and 20 in the first round.

The Suns have a few balls in the air, with Magpie John Noble also indicating he wants to get to Carrara to be closer to family, and the club needing to be mindful of retaining capital to acquire Academy graduate Leo Lombard. – Michael Whiting

SWANS RUCK TO ASSESS OPTIONS

SYDNEY tall Peter Ladhams will take a "flexible" outlook on his future during this year's Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period, as clubs from across the competition continue to survey a thin ruck market.

Ladhams is contracted for 2025 at the Swans, but has been starved of opportunity and has played only one game this season following the arrival of dual All-Australian ruck Brodie Grundy.

The 26-year-old has spent the last three seasons at Sydney, having initially crossed from Port Adelaide, emerging as one of the VFL's best rucks this year to average 18.5 disposals, 13.8 hitouts and kick 16 goals from 13 reserves games.

Clubs have shown varying levels of interest in Ladhams as a potential trade target, with his manager John Meesen from Kapital Sports telling AFL.com.au's trade and draft program Gettable that it could become an option later this year.

"The move to Sydney, at the time, was a great move for him. (But) he probably didn't have the impact in his first year or two there that he would've liked, then they go and target Brodie Grundy. He's come in and had a great year," Meesen said last week.

"Pete's held up his end of the bargain in the VFL, he's been pretty dominant and kicking goals and winning hitouts. He's regularly getting 18, 19, 20 touches a game.

"He's one of those ones where we've just got to stay flexible and speak to Sydney about where his future lies. I wouldn't say he's definitely looking to get on the move, but he's one that could come up later on." – Riley Beveridge

VETERAN SUN SET TO GO ON

LEVI Casboult is keen to play on for a 16th season in 2025.

Gold Coast formally delisted six players on Wednesday – Darcy Macpherson, James Tsitas, Jack Mahony, Will Rowlands, Sandy Brock and Oskar Faulkhead – after Brandon Ellis retired in August.

The Suns informed Sam Day he wouldn’t receive another deal in recent weeks and need some coverage in attack, following the departure of joint ‘Frosty’ Miller Medallists Chris Burgess and Brodie McLaughlin this time last year.

Casboult played 41 games across his first two seasons at Gold Coast, after being delisted by Carlton at the end of 2021, following 154 appearances in navy blue.

The 34-year-old played the first three games of 2024 under new senior coach Damien Hardwick but didn’t feature again at senior level, playing 10 games in the VFL before a hamstring injury ended his season.

Gold Coast is understood to be in conversations with Casboult about another one-year deal, after considering Day but moving on from the inaugural Sun.

With Daniel Rioli and John Noble requesting moves to Gold Coast, the Suns are likely to wait until concluding its business in the trade period before finalising another contract for Casboult. – Josh Gabelich

CROWS EXPECT TO RETAIN FITNESS GURU

ADELAIDE is expecting to retain high-performance boss Darren Burgess for 2025, amid strong interest in Victoria.

The highly rated fitness guru has attracted enquiries from at least three Victorian clubs, including Carlton and Richmond, but is contracted at West Lakes for next season.

The Crows have been planning for the off-season and pre-season with Burgess and have received no indication that he will depart the club.

Carlton has been on the hunt for a new high-performance boss following the departure of Andrew Russell, but has appointed Rob Inness from Sydney.

Geelong is also in the market, with physical performance manager Scott Murphy departing at the end of the season for a role at Rugby Australia.

Sydney will now be another in the hunt for a fitness boss in the pre-season. 

Burgess is one of the leading high-performance managers in the country, starting at Sydney in the late 90s before stints at Port Adelaide, Football Federation Australia, Liverpool, Arsenal and Melbourne, before returning to South Australia to be closer to his children at the end of 2021. – Josh Gabelich