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.
SWANS EYE HAWKS DEFENDER
SYDNEY has registered interest in Hawthorn key defender Sam Frost.
The 31-year-old hit a trigger for a one-year extension earlier this season, but West Coast star Tom Barrass and unrestricted free agent Josh Battle have both committed to joining the Hawks in October.
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Hawthorn has assured Frost there is a spot for him in Sam Mitchell’s backline in 2025, but there will be a selection squeeze with James Blanck also set to return from a knee reconstruction.
Frost produced a career-best season in 2024 before a stress fracture was discovered in his foot following the elimination final win over the Western Bulldogs.
After starting his career at Greater Western Sydney, where he played 21 games across three seasons, Frost has played 90 games for Hawthorn, following 70 appearances for Melbourne.
Frost turned 31 late last month but has the athleticism and professionalism to play for another few years in the AFL.
Sydney recruited Joel Hamling last October to provide coverage in defence, but the West Australian has been played as a forward in the VFL, with former top-10 pick Aaron Francis the next man in down back when Tom McCartin or Dane Rampe have been injured.
St Kilda is also understood to be interested in Frost to help cover the loss of Battle.
As Inside Trading reported last week, the Saints have re-signed Dougal Howard for 2025 but are in the market for another key defender.
Three-time All-Australian Jack Macrae has expressed his desire to be traded to Moorabbin during the trade period, with the Saints expected to be one of the most aggressive clubs next month. – Josh Gabelich
GIANT STILL TOSSING UP NEXT HOME
ISAAC Cumming remains undecided on whether he'll join Adelaide or Port Adelaide and will use the next fortnight to mull over his decision, after informing Greater Western Sydney of his intentions to leave the club earlier this week.
The free agent told Giants officials in his exit meeting on Monday that he would be departing to South Australia due to family reasons, but hasn't yet decided whether he'll take up long-term offers from the Crows or the Power.
The Giants had unsuccessfully tabled a four-year deal with a trigger for a fifth season in an effort to retain Cumming, who played 81 games for the club after arriving via its Academy program.
Speaking to AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable this week, Cumming's manager Dave Trotter from Hemisphere Management Group said his client remained a couple of weeks away from a final call on his next destination.
"He doesn't know, so I'm not going to be able to tell you," Trotter said.
"He's had initial chats with both of the clubs. This is a really hard decision for Isaac. He loves being at GWS, he loves the club. He's had some injury troubles this year and a little bit over his career and he and his partner just got engaged in the last few weeks. All of his family is back in Adelaide and her family is back there.
"With the Giants, they've been great. But they've got a pretty talented list and they have to look at players they'll have to pay coming through and what years they put on contracts and things. We had really honest chats right throughout the year with Jason McCartney and, in the end, it just came down to some security and some family stuff for Isaac that he'll now work through.
"Which club that it is, he doesn't know. I think it'll be another week or two. Obviously, with Port Adelaide still in it, they're hoping they'll have another week and a half left. He'll wait over the next week or two, let the dust settle, then catch up with both clubs again and make a call pretty quickly after that."
The Giants are also in a battle to retain fellow free agent Harry Perryman amid interest from Port Adelaide, Collingwood and Hawthorn, while uncontracted midfielder James Peatling is weighing up interest from Collingwood, the Western Bulldogs, St Kilda, Melbourne and West Coast.
Contracted ruck Wade Derksen also informed the club this week that he wishes to explore his options, having attracted interest from the Demons among a host of Victorian clubs. – Riley Beveridge
SAINTS ADD TO COACHING RANKS
FORMER Melbourne and Geelong defender Jared Rivers is set for a return to the AFL ranks, with the Rising Star winner to join St Kilda's coaching panel.
Rivers will join St Kilda as a backline coach working under Ross Lyon and alongside fellow assistants Corey Enright, Brendon Goddard and Robert Harvey.
He comes to the Saints after being senior coach at Collegians Football Club in the Victorian Amateurs competition and steering them to the 2023 A-Grade premiership.
After retiring at the end of 2015 following a 194-game career, Rivers joined Collingwood as a development coach and coached the Magpies' VFL side.
He joined North Melbourne as a defensive coach for 2020 but was stood down early in the season as clubs dealt with the COVID shutdown and had only skeleton staff on deck.
AFL.com.au reported this month that Saints development coach and head coach of Sandringham's VFL side, Jake Batchelor, had left the club. – Callum Twomey
DOCKER SET FOR DEAL
FREMANTLE youngster Nathan O'Driscoll will remain at the Dockers on a new contract.
The midfielder has been without a deal for next year however he is close to signing a new two-year extension with the club through to the end of 2026.
O'Driscoll, who joined the Dockers at the 2021 AFL Draft, played the final two games of the 2024 season, with a promising 20-disposal and one-goal effort against Port Adelaide in the final round.
The 22-year-old has played 24 games for Fremantle, with 12 coming in his debut season, when he won a Rising Star nomination.
The Dockers made a swathe of list cuts last week, with Matt Taberner, Ethan Hughes, Sebit Kuek and Conrad Williams delisted, and Josh Corbett retiring. – Callum Twomey
ANOTHER SAINT SIGNS ON
ST KILDA has added another name to its list of signatures, with Zak Jones penning a new deal for next year.
Jones, who has played 149 games at AFL level, had remained out of contract but has signed on for 2025.
The former Swan, who spent his first six seasons at Sydney after being a first-round pick in 2013, will go into a sixth year at the Saints.
The 29-year-old played 13 games under Ross Lyon this year, including the Saints' final seven games of the season, where he averaged 20 disposals in their midfield.
It leaves a small group of Saints who are still in a contract holding pattern, with Tim Membrey and Olli Hotton among the group unsigned for 2025. – Callum Twomey
DOG WEIGHS FUTURE
THE WESTERN Bulldogs have offered Riley Garcia a two-year extension, but the West Australian is weighing up his future after being starved of opportunities in 2024.
Garcia played a career-high 12 games for Luke Beveridge this season, proving he is over the injury issues that impacted his first few seasons at the Whitten Oval.
The 23-year-old starred for Footscray this year, averaging 29.8 disposals and 7.5 tackles from 11 appearances in the VFL to finish equal seventh in the J.J. Liston Trophy.
Port Adelaide, West Coast, St Kilda and North Melbourne are all understood to have expressed varying levels of interest in the out-of-contract midfielder.
But with Jack Macrae and Bailey Smith both requesting trades this month, Garcia could stay at the Bulldogs and fight for a spot in a deep midfield again in 2025.
Garcia has had his exit interview and will return to Perth later this week before making a decision about his future. – Josh Gabelich
YOUNG SWAN UNSURE ON FUTURE
SYDNEY small forward Jacob Konstanty is still facing an uncertain future at the club, with the former top-20 pick likely to be made to wait until post-season before discussing the potential of a new contract at the Swans.
Konstanty is yet to make his AFL debut after being recruited to the club with the No.20 selection in the 2022 AFL draftr, with the exciting goalkicker still yet to extend his initial two-year draftee contract at the club.
The teenage forward has kicked 14 goals from 12 games in the VFL this year, while averaging 11.4 disposals and four tackles, but hasn't been able to crack coach John Longmire's senior plans.
Speaking to AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable this week, Konstanty's manager Dave Trotter from Hemisphere Management Group said the youngster was still in the dark over his future.
"Obviously, they'll hope they've got a week and a half left," Trotter said of Sydney.
"We'll sit down with the club after the season. He doesn’t know his future at the moment. He might still have a spot at Sydney. Sydney's got a very strong list and they don't have a lot of list spots, in terms of they want to bring a few players in through the draft and they don't have many guys out of contract.
"I think if it wasn't Sydney, he's got a couple of clubs that really liked him in his draft year. There's not many players who are pick No.20, a great kid, super competitive … if you've got those traits, I'd hope that if it wasn't at the Swans – which he hopes it is – then I'd hope he ends up somewhere." – Riley Beveridge
SUN SEEKS OPPORTUNITIES
GOLD Coast's Rory Atkins is open to exploring opportunities at a third AFL club after a run of strong VFL form this year.
The Suns midfielder dominated at VFL level this season, averaging 33 disposals in a consistent campaign.
He has a year to run on his deal at the Suns after joining as a free agent in 2020 after playing 101 games with Adelaide.
Atkins has played 37 games since joining Gold Coast, with clubs aware the 29-year-old would be open to a move for more senior opportunities. He played three games in 2024, having featured 17 times for Gold Coast the previous year. – Callum Twomey
VFL SPEEDSTER ON CLUBS' RADAR
VFL prospect Riley Bice will have a last chance to show his wares to AFL scouts on Sunday in Werribee's Grand Final clash with Southport.
Club recruiters were out in force last Saturday for Werribee's preliminary final clash with Brisbane's VFL team, with many keeping an eye on Bice, a speedy half-back and line-breaker for Werribee.
He had 16 disposals, having collected 26 disposals the previous week in Werribee's first final, with the pacy half-back catching the eye through the season. He has averaged 22 disposals through Werribee's campaign.
Bice, who turns 24 this month, is one of only three VFL players to have been invited to test at the Victorian state Telstra Draft Combine next month, showing clubs have been watching his development.
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Clubs are on the watch for any potential mature-age acquisitions after another VFL success for Geelong with Shaun Mannagh, who starred in the Cats' qualifying final against Port Adelaide after being picked from Werribee's program last year.
The VFL Grand Final will take place on Sunday at IKON Park, with first bounce at 3.10pm AEST. – Callum Twomey