Get all the latest news in the trade, free agency and draft landscape every day of the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period 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.
NEW BAKER PLANS IN MOTION
WEST Coast is spending the weekend looking at ways to deliver a trade for Liam Baker as it weighs another Hawthorn offer for Tom Barrass.
The Baker and Barrass deals became complicated on Friday when Hawthorn traded its pick 14 to Carlton for future first- and second-round selections.
The pick had been part of Hawthorn's initial offer to the Eagles for Barrass, with the selection then expected to be sent Richmond's way for Baker.
But despite the shock move changing plans, Baker's management and the Eagles are working on a revised deal between West Coast and Richmond to get the dual premiership Tiger to his club of choice.
It is also likely a separation of deals would be undertaken that doesn't rely on West Coast trading out Barrass before moving onto landing Baker.
Fremantle has offered Richmond its three first-round picks – 10, 11 and 18 – for Baker and teammate Shai Bolton and remains waiting for him if a trade can't be sealed at West Coast.
How the Eagles could turn their No.3 pick into multiple selections – AFL.com.au revealed on Friday Carlton's interest in moving up the draft board – could open the door for extra draft capital to on-trade for Baker.
Hawthorn's latest offer for Barrass – a future first- and second-round selection (the Eagles' choice whether they are tied to Hawthorn or Carlton) for Barrass and a future later pick – has been put to the Eagles. – Callum Twomey
TALKS COMMENCE ON MACRAE
EARLY talks have begun between St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs as premiership midfielder Jack Macrae seeks a move to the Saints.
Macrae has three years to run on his contract with the Dogs but officially requested a trade to the Saints last month.
Discussions have commenced on what a deal would take to see Macrae get through to the Saints, with St Kilda football boss David Misson discussing the club's draft focus earlier this week.
The Bulldogs have indicated they would listen to offers on Macrae, who has played 249 games for the club, but that they were keen to retain him. – Callum Twomey
SAINT MEETS WITH GIANTS
GREATER Western Sydney has met with St Kilda defender Ben Paton as the Giants survey their options for ready-to-go recruits.
With the club losing experience during this year's trade and free agency periods, the Giants have been looking at players as possible delisted rookie selections.
Paton played four games this season, for a total of 71 at the Saints across seven seasons with the club as a small defender.
The 25-year-old remains in limbo for next year, having not yet got a contract for 2025 but also not been a part of St Kilda's delistings so far.
The Giants have generally used the rookie draft as a way to re-pick their delisted players but will be on the search for experience after the trade period. – Callum Twomey, Riley Beveridge
DEES KICKSTART SHARP NEGOTIATIONS
MELBOURNE has opened talks with Brisbane on a deal for contracted winger Harry Sharp, who has already requested a trade to the Demons.
While the exact details of the agreement are yet to be finalised, a move for Sharp is likely to help the Lions bank picks and points to match bids on draft guns Levi Ashcroft and Sam Marshall.
All six picks within Melbourne's current draft hand (No.5, 28, 40, 49, 54 and 65) have points attached, with a swap of later selections that accumulates more points for Brisbane likely to make up the bones of the trade.
Sharp requested a move to Melbourne on Friday after meeting with Demons officials earlier in the Trade Period, with the tireless winger hopeful of earning more senior opportunities in Victoria next season.
The 21-year-old was restricted to just six AFL games this season and was an emergency in the Lions' victorious Grand Final-winning team.
Melbourne has been on the hunt for more running power after losing Alex Neal-Bullen to Adelaide, with Sharp the current record holder for the draft combine's 2km time trial after completing the event in 5.28 minutes to smash the previous record by 20 seconds in his draft year back in 2020.
Sharp is contracted at Brisbane for 2025, but informed the club during the week that he wished to explore his options after being restricted to just 16 games across his four seasons on the Lions' list. – Riley Beveridge
GIANTS FEND OFF O'HALLORAN BID
THE WESTERN Bulldogs have kicked around trade proposals with Greater Western Sydney over Xavier O'Halloran, but the Giants have so far remained staunch in their bid to keep the contracted midfielder.
O'Halloran has an interest in landing at the Dogs before next Wednesday night's trade deadline, where he has the appeal of a longer-term contract, but talks haven't progressed between the two clubs.
The Giants have been determined to retain their contracted talent, including O'Halloran, and have already rejected offers earlier in the week from the Demons for his teammate Wade Derksen who is also locked away until 2025.
GWS has already lost Harry Perryman (Collingwood) and Isaac Cumming (Adelaide) to free agency moves, while the uncontracted James Peatling (Adelaide) has also requested a trade.
But the Giants claimed a win when Conor Stone rejected interest from Essendon to sign through until 2026 earlier this week, while the club is expected to progress on its attempts to land Jake Stringer from the Bombers.
The Western Bulldogs only have picks No.35 and 48 to play with in this year's draft, but the club could land more in trades for Bailey Smith (Geelong), Jack Macrae (St Kilda) and potentially Caleb Daniel (North Melbourne). – Riley Beveridge
KANGAS OPEN TO PICK SLIDE
NORTH Melbourne remains interested in the potential of sliding back from pick No.2, though the Kangaroos are in no rush to make a final call.
The club has been vocal in its willingness to be flexible with its draft hand across the next month and has also put its future first-round selection on the table as part of the ongoing chase for Port Adelaide star Dan Houston.
North Melbourne has also been keen to potentially shift back from its top-two selection in this year's pool, with the Kangaroos likely to canvas potential buyers right up until draft night.
As revealed by AFL.com.au on Friday afternoon, Carlton is among the clubs that have been keen to get higher in the draft order after trading for Hawthorn's No.14 selection earlier this week.
Speaking to AFL.com.au's Gettable on Friday, North Melbourne list boss Brady Rawlings said the potential options presented the club with a win-win no matter which direction it ultimately took.
"It's probably going to be hard to slide up," Rawlings joked.
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"But, certainly sliding down, we'll be interested in a small slide potentially if we are able to get some really good currency for it. But the beauty about that is if nothing comes of it, we're more than happy to pick at No.2 as well.
"We're going to get a terrific player there. We'll weigh up our options if they come and see what the best thing for our footy club is. But we're in a pretty good position either way." – Riley Beveridge
PIES KEEP TABS ON TALL DUO
COLLINGWOOD continues to monitor St Kilda forward Jack Hayes and Melbourne defender Adam Tomlinson, with the club hopeful of finding a cut-price option to bolster its key-position depth this off-season.
The Pies have put Hayes through a medical examination, while Tomlinson remains another target for the club as it keeps tabs on the uncontracted duo through this year's Trade Period.
Both players could be available as delisted free agency options beyond next Wednesday night's trade deadline, with Collingwood list manager Justin Leppitsch confirming to AFL.com.au's Gettable that both were on the side's radar.
Hayes has played just eight games across three years on St Kilda's list due to significant knee, foot and hamstring injuries, while Tomlinson managed only eight senior appearances for Melbourne this season.
"Key position tall depth at both ends of the ground is a focus of ours," Leppitsch said.
"We've spoken to the management of those guys. Jack came in and did a medical, so they are progressing. We'll see where they lie at the end of the Trade Period." – Riley Beveridge
LAMENT OVER RULE WAIT
CLUBS are lamenting not being able to use an extra year of future picks to make deals happen this year after the AFL delayed bringing in trading two years in advance.
The League decided in August it would wait until 2025 to allow clubs to trade two years in advance, despite strong support for the move across the board from clubland.
In holding off on the change, the AFL said it wanted to align the new addition with the updated draft value index, which will also be introduced next season.
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But clubs through this trade period have thrown big pick swap offers to buy into the top end of this year's draft and would have seen extraordinary bids made if clubs had their 2026 selections to include in the deals as well.
It also would have opened up more opportunities for some significant player deals to go ahead if clubs could have packaged three years' worth of first-round picks.
Clubs will expect to have full sight of the Tasmania list build concessions by the time the 2025 trade period arrives given they will be able to trade 2027 draft selections, with that draft pool to be heavily compromised by the Devils' entrance into the competition for 2028. – Callum Twomey
