Every Thursday AFL.com.au presents Inside Trading, with breaking news and the best analysis of the AFL trade landscape covering contracts, re-signings, free agents, the AFL Draft and industry insights.
ROOS MOVE TO LOCK IN YOUNG GUN
NORTH Melbourne has started talks for an early extension for prized No.4 pick George Wardlaw.
Wardlaw has returned from injury in recent weeks to show some of his potential for North Melbourne's VFL side, with the impressive young Kangaroo impacting in the midfield.
His standard initial two-year deal already ties him to the Roos until the end of 2024, but it is understood North is keen to add an extra two years to his stay similar to the deal it locked in for No.3 pick and Rising Star nominee Harry Sheezel.
Sheezel's extension was announced after his brilliant debut game in round one, with the club's top pick signing on until the end of 2026.
Wardlaw had multiple hamstring injuries last year but is a combative, physical midfielder with genuine burst out of the stoppages, with some of his toughness also already on display in the VFL.
The Oakleigh Chargers product has averaged 17 disposals in three VFL games, including a 24-disposal effort in round two, and shapes as a long-term midfielder for the club. – Callum Twomey
FREO, FYFE START CONTRACT TALKS, DISMISS RIVAL INTEREST
DUAL Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe has refused to entertain interest from rival clubs and will continue talks with Fremantle to extend his career into a 15th season.
Fyfe's management was contacted by multiple clubs in the off-season as the former captain approached unrestricted free agency at the end of 2023, when his existing six-year deal expires.
The three-time All-Australian has also been the source of recent speculation suggesting he could chase a premiership elsewhere in the final years of his decorated career.
Fyfe's manager, Jason Dover of TLA Australia, dismissed those suggestions and told AFL.com.au that his client was only engaged in contract talks with the Dockers.
He said preliminary discussions with Fremantle had been positive on both sides and rival interest had not been followed up.
Fyfe has been sidelined since round one by a plantar fascia injury and Dover said the 31-year-old's full focus was on returning to play as soon as possible.
A strong pre-season learning a new role in attack had left the rest of Fyfe's body in good condition, with a return to play as soon as round six possible if he is able to lift his workload and test his foot next week. – Nathan Schmook
GIANTS TO CONSIDER MID-SEASON OPTION
GREATER Western Sydney will weigh up whether to open a list spot ahead of the AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, with seven teams across the competition now having the option to choose from the country's best overlooked talent next month.
A season-ending ACL injury sustained to last year's first-round pick Darcy Jones will enable the Giants to create another list position, joining Essendon, Fremantle, Geelong, Hawthorn, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs with mid-season vacancies so far.
As revealed in Inside Trading last week, clubs have been told that the AFL is expected to hold its mid-season draft between rounds 11 and 12 with selections to be made on Wednesday, May 31.
Essendon, Fremantle, Geelong and Hawthorn all kept list spots open from last November's draft period, electing to bypass the pre-season Supplemental Selection Period (SSP) despite trialling a series of players over the summer.
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The Western Bulldogs kept two spots free, but used one to acquire former Melbourne wingman Oskar Baker, while Richmond had a list spot become available when triple-premiership forward Jason Castagna surprisingly retired on the eve of the season and barely a fortnight after the SSP deadline fell.
Clubs can still create list vacancies to enter the mid-season draft over the next six weeks, should they move players to inactive lists or should players prematurely retire. A total of 14 clubs took 17 players in last year's mid-season draft. – Riley Beveridge
POWER TARGET DEALS FOR YOUNG DUO
PORT Adelaide is hopeful of locking away 2019 first-round picks Mitch Georgiades and Miles Bergman to new deals in the near future, with the pair of talented youngsters due to come out of contract at season's end.
The Power selected Bergman with pick No.14 in the 2019 AFL draft and claimed Georgiades just four picks later, with both players flashing glimpses of their immense potential throughout the first four years of their careers.
Marking forward Georgiades has parked contract talks as he hopes to work his way back into Port Adelaide's senior team, having been dropped after managing just two goals from his first two games of the season.
Georgiades knocked back interest from rivals last October to stay at Port Adelaide, with the Power's football boss Chris Davies telling AFL.com.au's new trade and draft show Gettable that the club was hopeful of securing the 21-year-old to a new deal.
"Mitch has found himself out of the AFL team at the moment. The club's still got a great deal of faith in him as a person and his football abilities," Davies told Gettable.
"We would certainly want to tie 'George' down to a deal at some point during the year, but first and foremost for him right now will be getting back into the AFL team."
Meanwhile, Bergman has established himself as a senior regular throughout the season's opening month, playing every game and becoming a core piece in coach Ken Hinkley's plans after averaging 17.2 disposals and 5.8 marks per game to start the year.
"Miles is showing some really strong performances at AFL level. He was drafted early and we went into that draft period hoping he would get to our pick No.14 at the time," Davies said.
"To have him playing high-quality AFL football is fantastic. He looks like he's a real player at the level. We'll work with his management over the next period of time to hopefully lock him in.
"Historically we haven't lost too many guys that we want to keep and hopefully both 'George' and Miles can have long careers at Port Adelaide." – Riley Beveridge
TIGERS VETERAN WANTS TO PLAY ON
RICHMOND co-captain Dylan Grimes is keen to extend his career into a 15th season.
The triple-premiership defender, All-Australian and former best and fairest winner is among a host of veteran Tigers set to come out of contract at season's end, but is determined to play on into 2024.
Richmond will have decisions to make on a number of experienced stars, including Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt, Robbie Tarrant and Grimes, when their current deals expire later this year.
But the 31-year-old Grimes wants to play on, with his manager Marty Pask from Kapital Sports Group revealing that discussions with the club are gearing towards another contract being offered later this season.
"I expect him to be able to keep playing on," Pask told AFL.com.au's Gettable.
"He expects to keep playing on and Richmond's got a preparedness for that to happen, too. I would think he'd keep going. Everything with where that sits right now, I'd be very, very confident he'd be playing next year." – Riley Beveridge
MURRAY PROSPECT ROCKETING UP RANKS
CONNOR O'Sullivan's draft stocks are rising, with the Murray Bushrangers talent having an eye-catching start to the Coates Talent League.
The 198cm prospect's capacity to play at both ends of the ground and through the midfield has seen him rise, with O'Sullivan this weekend set to play for the AFL Academy against Port Adelaide's SANFL team.
Bushrangers talent boss Mick Wilson said the flexibility O'Sullivan brings to the table has been his key asset in the first block of the under-18 campaign.
"Versatile is the best word to describe him. In our first game he played as a key forward who rotated through the midfield. In the second game he was similar, and last game he played key back for the full game and was really strong," Wilson said.
"He was super impressive. His athletic profile is outstanding for a player his size."
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O'Sullivan completed the 20-metre sprint in three seconds at the testing day earlier this year and has the potential to play more in the midfield.
The Academy faces the Power's SANFL team on Saturday at Mt Barker following the Brisbane and North Melbourne AFL game. The match will be streamed live on AFL.com.au. – Callum Twomey
CROWS EYE TARGETS TO FINISH REBUILD
ADELAIDE will again look to use trade and free agency to bolster its list at the end of the season after successfully luring star targets Jordan Dawson and Izak Rankine over the past two years.
The Crows have enjoyed a strong recent period of drafting, with Josh Rachele, Jake Soligo and the club's first father-son selection, Max Michalanney, also joining in the past two seasons.
Chief executive Tim Silvers said the Crows would balance their need for more young talent with targeted approaches to South Australian products and free agents at the end of this year.
"We've invested in youth through the draft, and we'd still like to get some top-end talent, however, we are also in a position where we'd like to look at the trade and free agency options over the next two years to help us finish off that build," Silvers told AFL.com.au.
"It's no secret that we track all South Australian talent once they're drafted and when they're kids in our own backyard.
"It's been a focus of ours and we've been able to secure our two big targets over the last two years."
Michalanney has been a revelation in the first month of the season since joining the club via pick No.17 in last year's draft, shutting down dangerous opposition small forwards in each of his four games.
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The 191cm teenager is yet to open talks to extend his initial two-year contract but has his sights firmly set on a long career with the Crows.
"In a perfect world I'd want to be a one-club player and be here my whole life. Fingers crossed," Michalanney told AFL.com.au.
"I'm just focusing on footy at the moment and trying to get a game every week and perform at the level." – Nathan Schmook
DRAFTEE'S FREAKISH SKILLSET
TOP draft hopeful Ashton Moir's kicking on both feet has wowed recruiters and the goalkicker says he doesn't have a preferred kicking foot.
Moir joined this week's episode of Gettable from Adelaide, where the Glenelg talent is viewed as a potential top-10 pick.
The 188cm prospect booted 30 goals from 10 games last season at under-18 level and this year kicked off his campaign with four goals. He explained his capacity to kick on both feet as being something he decides with each kick he has.
"I genuinely don't have a preferred foot, just wherever the opponent is, wherever I am on the field, will [decide] which foot I use," Moir said.
"It definitely helps me. I reckon it helps my teammates as well. They know I don’t have a problem going either way so it helps their leading patterns and gets me out of trouble too."
Moir spent time at Adelaide training over summer and said the experience had opened his eyes to the demands of an AFL career.
"The week at the Crows was unreal. They were really welcoming – the leaders like 'Tex' (Taylor Walker), Rory Sloane, Jordan Dawson, everyone. They didn't take it easy, they went full pelt which made me a better player as well," he said.
Listen to Moir's full interview on Gettable, available on all podcast platforms. – Callum Twomey
