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.
DOGS TO BE DEADLINE DARLINGS
THE WESTERN Bulldogs will again be the deadline-day darlings of the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period, with the club involved in at least three leftover trades.
Little progress has been made on any of the deals of Bailey Smith's move to Geelong, Jack Macrae's request to get to St Kilda and Caleb Daniel's interest in heading to North Melbourne.
The Cats and Dogs have maintained communication around Smith but a gap persists in the trade value placed on the midfielder, with Geelong putting forward its No.17 pick. The Bulldogs have remained keen for more to add to the deal or an earlier pick.
The Saints split their pick 27 into two picks on Tuesday – for picks 32 and 45 – giving them more of a hand to potentially put a selection to the Dogs for Macrae, however no pick has been tabled as yet.
The Roos have offered the Dogs pick 25 for Daniel and 48 as part of their attempts to add the defensive ball-user, but that was knocked back.
The Dogs have remained hopeful that they could secure GWS midfielder Xavier O'Halloran on a three-year deal and thrown up offers with the Giants, however GWS has remained keen to retain him. A deal for Daniel could open up a late push for O'Halloran.
The Bulldogs' deal for Josh Dunkley went down to the final moments in the 2022 trade period, while two years earlier their non-deal with the Bombers also kept everyone on their toes until the last minutes. In 2020 the Dogs secured Adam Treloar in the final minute of that trade period.
In 2022, Rory Lobb became a Bulldog and premiership midfielder Lachie Hunter joined Melbourne in deals that were also completed on the final day. – Callum Twomey
HAWK TRADE DISCUSSIONS
TOM BARRASS' proposed move to Waverley Park is heading for the final hours after another day of discussion between Hawthorn and West Coast.
The Hawks offered a future first- and second-round selection for the 29-year-old in recent days, but want the Eagles' 2025 third-round selection to be included in a deal.
That offer didn't change in negotiations between Hawthorn list manager Mark McKenzie and West Coast list manager Matt Clarke on Tuesday.
West Coast has always wanted two first-round picks for the 2022 John Worsfold medallist and rejected the Hawks' offer of pick No. 14 last week before it was traded to Carlton on Friday.
Hawthorn collected a 2025 first-round and second-round selection off the Blues and are reluctant to offer much for a player who has averaged 15 games per season across his first decade in the AFL.
Extra early picks in next year's Telstra AFL Draft will help arm the Eagles for a Chad Warner pursuit if the Sydney star chooses to return to Western Australia.
Barrass officially requested a move to Hawthorn on August 27, days before Josh Battle committed to joining the Hawks as an unrestricted free agent. Battle joined the club on the opening morning of free agency, while Barrass' move is set for the closing stages of the 2024 trade period. – Josh Gabelich
PARKER DEAL HANGS IN THE BALANCE
TALKS over Luke Parker remain at a standstill going into the trade period's final day, with North Melbourne yet to raise its offer for the Sydney veteran.
The Kangas' opening bid of pick No.62 for Parker was knocked back by the Swans in the opening days of the trade period, with the club demanding something far more significant for the contracted midfielder.
The two clubs have been yet to find a middle ground for Parker, with North Melbourne's attentions divided by the club's chase for Port Adelaide star Dan Houston and Western Bulldogs utility Caleb Daniel.
Sydney list manager Chris Keane warned on the first day of the trade period that discussions over Parker's value wouldn't be "straightforward", with North Melbourne's Brady Rawlings later saying the Kangas would have to be prepared to "move on" if talks didn't progress.
North Melbourne's pick No.25 is set to be involved in negotiations to unlock a Daniel deal, leaving the club with the No.44 selection to potentially solve the Parker standstill. The two sides have also raised the possibility of dealing in future picks to ensure an agreement is eventually reached.
Parker, who is contracted at the Swans for 2025, has requested a trade to Arden Street where he's set to take up a multi-year deal under coach Alastair Clarkson. – Riley Beveridge
DEES KEEP OPEN MIND ON TOP PICKS
MELBOURNE remains "open to everything" when it comes to its pair of top-10 draft selections, with the Demons continuing to canvas the market for potential opportunities.
The club traded for Essendon's pick No.9 earlier this week, adding to the No.5 selection it already held, having parted with a future first-round selection and a series of later picks to secure dual top-10 choices.
It continued an ongoing tactic from Melbourne's list management team, dubbed by AFL.com.au's Gettable as 'Drafterpay', where the Demons have looked to trade future picks into the current year.
But the club could continue to get creative with picks No.5 and 9, with Melbourne list manager Tim Lamb telling Gettable on Tuesday that the club would pick up the phone if yet another opportunity presented itself.
"We're open to everything," Lamb said.
"There's obviously a fair bit going on at the moment with other deals that haven't landed and with other clubs. There's a lot of calls going on in the background and a lot of scenarios getting raised.
"We're happy to be involved in anything that we think helps us." – Riley Beveridge
CROW OFFERS FOR GIANT
ADELAIDE has put forward two offers to land Greater Western Sydney midfielder James Peatling.
The Crows are looking to land their third recruit of the free agency and trade period, with an offer to the Giants using two future third-round selections for Peatling.
Another option has seen the Crows put forward future second-round and future third-round selections in return for Peatling and a future second-round pick.
The Giants, as reported by AFL.com.au, have been seeking a future second-round pick in isolation for the midfielder.
A deal for Peatling is still expected to go ahead on Wednesday, as is a trade seeing Jake Stringer join the Giants. It has been slow going on the picks changing hands for the Stringer deal, with the Giants putting forward pick 56 and the Bombers looking for a better return for the contracted forward. – Callum Twomey
BOMBER FUTURE LOOKS CLEAR
ESSENDON veteran Dylan Shiel is expected to remain at the Bombers in 2025, despite attracting some rival interest in recent months.
St Kilda has previously explored the move, while Greater Western Sydney has also monitored the 31-year-old's situation.
Shiel played the last eight games in the senior side under Brad Scott, but managed only one other AFL appearance in 2024, around nine games in the VFL across the first four months of the season.
Bombers list manager Matt Rosa said he hasn't discussed Shiel with GWS GM Jason McCartney and expects him to remain at Tullamarine and see out the final year of his contract.
"No discussions with the Giants around Dylan," Rosa told Continental Tyres AFL Trade Radio on Tuesday.
"He finished the year really strongly for us. We expect him to be at the Dons.
"He is an important part of our group in terms of being a professional and being a good influence on our young group, so we expect him to be at the club next year."
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Shiel was an inaugural Giant and played 135 games for Greater Western Sydney before moving to Essendon in a blockbuster trade in 2018.
Contracted defender Jayden Laverde is also expected to remain at Essendon after exploring his options.
Essendon is still negotiating a deal with the Giants for Jake Stringer, with a trade on track before Wednesday night's deadline. – Josh Gabelich
MONTY TO STAY
GREATER Western Sydney assistant coach Brett Montgomery is locked in to remain at the Giants next year.
The experienced assistant had been weighing his options for 2025 but will return to the Giants for a third season.
Montgomery, a former premiership teammate of Giants coach Adam Kingsley, has overseen the backline over the past two years but had been linked with a potential return to South Australia.
The former Western Bulldogs and Port Adelaide player has been a long-time assistant, having worked previously with Carlton, the Dogs and Power.
There have been several assistant moves this off-season, including Blake Caracella leaving Essendon to rejoin Richmond, Matthew Boyd from Fremantle to Collingwood and Murray Davis from Brisbane to Adelaide.
AFL.com.au revealed on Tuesday that Fremantle had signed Jade Rawlings as Boyd's replacement at the Dockers. – Callum Twomey