Every Thursday AFL.com.au presents Inside Trading, with breaking news and the best analysis of the player movement landscape covering contracts, trades, free agents, the NAB AFL Draft and industry insights.
THE END of the season is fast approaching, and that means some big contract decisions are looming.
In this week's Inside Trading, AFL.com.au looks at each club's priority re-signing in the back-end of this season and where contract talks sit.
With most of their young talent locked away beyond 2021, the Crows have a host of veterans to make decisions on at the end of the year. Perhaps the man with the biggest question mark over him is restricted free agent Matt Crouch. The 26-year-old has played 125 games for Adelaide but is yet to get on the field in 2021, undergoing groin surgery in May. Ben Keays has stepped into an inside midfield role in Crouch's absence, but the Crows are thin for senior bodies in that part of the ground. – Michael Whiting
Other key players out of contract: Jake Kelly, Daniel Talia, Tom Lynch
Lincoln McCarthy has become better and better in each of his three years with Brisbane and this season is no different. Arguably the Lions' most consistent forward and likely pushing towards the top-five in best and fairest counting, the 27-year-old is the club's No.1 priority following the extension for Jarryd Lyons earlier in the week. McCarthy has kicked 17 goals, dished off 13 assists and provides terrific pressure. Negotiations are in the early stages. – Michael Whiting
Other key players out of contract: Marcus Adams, Rhys Mathieson, Mitch Robinson, Grant Birchall
Sam Petrevski-Seton has had an awkward year, struggling across half-back before spending eight weeks out of the side's best 22. The former No.6 draft pick returned to the team playing in his more natural inside midfield position against Adelaide last Sunday, winning 14 disposals and five tackles in a much more involved role. However, given his uncertain place in the Carlton side this season, Petrevski-Seton is yet to begin contract talks with the club. A number of rival teams are watching his situation closely, with the Blues biding their time before delving into contract discussions. - Riley Beveridge
Other key players out of contract: Lochie O'Brien, Jack Silvagni, Brodie Kemp, Eddie Betts
Scott Pendlebury remains one of the Pies' most important players and is expected to sign a new one-year deal in coming weeks. The 33-year-old has been playing sore in recent times but is still on track to finish in the top handful of the Pies' best and fairest, averaging 24.4 disposals per game. The next question will centre on whether Pendlebury enters the club's next frontier under a new coach as skipper or hands over the reins to a younger teammate such as Taylor Adams. – Mitch Cleary
Other key players out of contract: John Noble, Jay Rantall, Mason Cox, Chris Mayne
Darcy Parish is enjoying a career-best season after finally winning a permanent spot in Essendon's midfield. The 23-year-old had held off talks until the second half of the season and his value has skyrocketed to make him the Bombers' key re-signing priority. Alongside the recently re-signed Zach Merrett, the pair have formed a formidable onball partnership and discussions are under way on a new deal. The top-five draft pick would qualify for free agency at the end of 2023. – Callum Twomey
Other key players out of contract: Jake Stringer, Cale Hooker, David Zaharakis
Adam Cerra finished third in the Dockers' best and fairest in his third season and has the traits to eventually be the best midfielder in Freo's emerging crop of talented youngsters. The 21-year-old, whose ball use forward of centre and decision-making are standout traits, has not made a decision on whether he will sign a new deal with the club that recruited him with pick No.5 in 2017 or seek a new home in Victoria, where there is demand for his services. The Dockers say the classy onballer is as engaged and committed as he has ever been at the club and are happy to give him time to make up his mind. – Nathan Schmook
Other key players out of contract: David Mundy, Nathan Wilson, Darcy Tucker
Cam Guthrie has proven his 2021 explosion was no fluke, again playing a pivotal role in the Cats' midfield brigade that has strengthened its muscle after a slow opening month. The reigning best and fairest qualifies as an unrestricted free agent in a season he turns 29 with talks on a new contract starting to pick up. The Cats have committed to long-term extensions to its guns in recent times with Patrick Dangerfield and Mitch Duncan – both older than Guthrie – signed to 2024. On that merit, Guthrie is worthy of a three-year deal or more. – Mitch Cleary
Other key players out of contract: Gary Rohan, Joel Selwood, Gryan Miers, Quinton Narkle
Now in his second season, Sam Flanders has established himself as a regular in the best 22. The former No.11 pick is a priority to re-sign to follow in the footsteps of draft class teammates Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson. As reported previously in Inside Trading talks between Flanders and the Suns have ramped up in recent weeks. The 19-year-old Victorian is fresh off one of his best games at senior level with 20 disposals and a goal against North Melbourne. – Michael Whiting
Other key players out of contract: Sean Lemmens, Sam Day, Nick Holman
Josh Kelly is in a unique position, given he is now the League's most high-profile restricted free agent but also has the option of triggering a lucrative eight-year extension to stay with Greater Western Sydney. Mystery surrounds exactly what decision Kelly will make, with the important midfielder shelving talks around his future until later this year. His situation has coincided with an uptick in form, averaging 25.6 disposals and a goal per game so far this year. North Melbourne made the big play for Kelly back in 2017. Will they be the club to chase him hardest again later this year? - Riley Beveridge
Other key players out of contract: Jacob Hopper, Jake Riccardi, Matthew Flynn
Jacob Koschitzke has emerged as a long-term key forward option after switching from defence ahead of this season. The 20-year-old was made to wait until the post-season for a one-year deal for 2021 with his initial two-year draft contract due to expire. However, this season he has been one of the success stories for the Hawks, kicking 17 goals from 13 matches. Changkuoth Jiath was due to fall out of contract this season but has hit a trigger clause to activate a deal for 2022. – Mitch Cleary
Other key players out of contract: Dylan Moore, Tim O'Brien, James Cousins, Harry Morrison
Sam Weideman is in an interesting spot. The talented young key forward has played just five games this year, kicking goals in only two of them, having suffered a leg stress fracture in pre-season before being omitted from the side ahead of round 15. It's left him facing a similar predicament to what he went through in 2019, where he booted just 11 goals for the year and struggled in the midst of speculation over his contract situation. Talks between Melbourne and Weideman are ongoing, with the Demons still confident of securing a deal, though rival clubs would undoubtedly be lining up should he decide to pursue a move elsewhere. - Riley Beveridge
Other key players out of contract: Nathan Jones, Marty Hore, Neville Jetta, Kade Chandler
Trent Dumont spent the first months of the season sidelined by a long-term calf injury, clouding the exact nature of his future. An unrestricted free agent this year, Dumont was dropped from the side's leadership group in pre-season before struggling through an injury-interrupted start to the campaign. He attracted interest from a couple of interested teams last year as a 'pre-agent', while rival clubs think the 25-year-old will again explore his options later this year. Essendon has been linked to Dumont in the past, while clubs in his home state of South Australia are also monitoring his situation. - Riley Beveridge
Other key players out of contract: Robbie Tarrant, Jack Ziebell, Shaun Atley, Taylor Garner
Steven Motlop joined the Power on a four-year deal that is set to expire this season and he has shown he can remain a key player in the short term, playing every game in a half-forward role and averaging 16.2 disposals. The 30-year-old was outstanding in round 14 against Gold Coast with 26 disposals and two goals, and he started the season in a flurry against North Melbourne (24 and one) and Essendon (21 and two). Robbie Gray is set to sign a one-year extension for 2022 despite a knee injury that could sideline him until the last round of the season. – Nathan Schmook
Other key players out of contract: Robbie Gray, Hamish Hartlett, Riley Bonner, Tom Rockliff
Shai Bolton's decision to wait until the end of the year to make a call on his future has only boosted his value, with the West Australian one of the most in-form out-of-contract players in the competition. Bolton has lifted to another level in 2021, becoming one of Richmond's genuine matchwinners even despite a late-night bar incident that saw him break his wrist. To stay at Punt Road, Bolton will need to accept less than will be on offer from rivals, with coach Damien Hardwick saying that the Tigers have created a culture where players give up the option of bigger deals to remain at Richmond. – Callum Twomey
Other key players out of contract: Callum Coleman-Jones, Mabior Chol, David Astbury, Daniel Rioli
Jack Billings remains one of the Saints' best midfielders despite a quiet 18 months by his standards. The wingman, who this year qualifies as a restricted free agent, has been playing with injections in recent weeks to alleviate a plantar fascia injury and last week missed the win over Richmond after twisting his knee at training. Coming off a sizeable two-year contract extension he agreed to 2019, the Saints will now need to determine his proper value. There's less scope in the salary cap since his last signature following the additions of Bradley Hill, Dougal Howard, Zak Jones and Brad Crouch plus the new deal for Max King. – Mitch Cleary
Other key players out of contract: Seb Ross, Jack Sinclair, Paddy Ryder, Luke Dunstan
Co-captain Luke Parker remains unsigned and an unrestricted free agent. Talks for a new deal have opened but have not progressed quickly, with the Swans skipper one of a number of key players who the club will be keen to lock in for 2022 and beyond. Parker, who turns 29 later this year, has been fantastic in leading Sydney's midfield this season, averaging 28 disposals and nearly six clearances across every game. – Callum Twomey
Other key players out of contract: Jordan Dawson, Dylan Stephens, George Hewett
Liam Duggan showed early in the season that he has the ability to play midfield and have a big impact. Tough and accountable, the premiership defender brings a different skill set when in the middle and is at a stage in his career where he is expected to take the next step. The 24-year-old has played nine games and averaged a career-high 19.3 disposals, undergoing a knee clean-out mid-season that sidelined him for five matches. With strong leadership traits, he is highly valued by the Eagles but remains out of contract. – Nathan Schmook
Other key players out of contract: Josh Rotham, Jack Redden, Jarrod Brander
The Dogs have been negotiating a new deal for premiership midfielder Tom Liberatore for some time, and a new multi-year extension is considered imminent but has not yet been locked in. The father-son Bulldog has been in brilliant form throughout this season, leading the AFL for total clearances and being central to his side's rising premiership hopes. Expect the Bulldogs to also get moving this year on early extensions for some of their stars who fall out of contract at the end of 2022 – Tim English, Jackson Macrae and Caleb Daniel. – Callum Twomey
Other key players out of contract: Ed Richards, Patrick Lipinski, Cody Weightman, Mitch Wallis
