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.
DOEDEE IN HOLDING PATTERN
ADELAIDE defender Tom Doedee is committed to getting through more of the year before jumping into his free agency call.
Part of the Crows' leadership group, he had been keen to get games under his belt before he opened talks or explored his free agency options, with interest in the restricted free agent among rival clubs.
The Geelong Falcons product last signed a two-year deal in 2021 taking him through to the end of this season, his eighth at the club.
Injuries played a part in Doedee's first block of his career but he has been a reliable member of the line-up in recent years, playing every game this season and 41 of a possible 44 games in 2021-22.
Adelaide recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie told AFL.com.au's trade, free agency and draft show Gettable that the club was comfortable with where things sat with the 26-year-old.
"There's been good dialogue. The dialogue is open and continuing. Tommy is really invested," Ogilvie said.
"I saw him a couple of weeks ago and had a chat with him and he's really happy, so that's progressing pretty well. I'll leave that one to 'Reidy' (list manager Justin Reid) and Tommy when he's ready." – Callum Twomey
UNSIGNED LION IN RIVALS' SIGHTS
CLUBS are tracking Brisbane youngster Kai Lohmann as the forward remains unsigned at the midway point of his second season.
Lohmann is one of only two first-round picks from the 2021 draft – along with No.13 pick Ben Hobbs at Essendon – who has not penned a contract extension past their initial standard two-year deals.
Lohmann was drafted from the Greater Western Victoria Rebels at pick 20 in that year's draft but has played only two games since arriving at the Lions and none this season.
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The crafty hybrid forward is competing with a stack of talent inside the premiership contender's front half, leading rivals to be closely monitoring his situation as a potential trade target.
The Western Bulldogs flagged interest in Lohmann last year during the Josh Dunkley trade talks, while North Melbourne and Hawthorn were also among the clubs who had been eyeing Lohmann at the draft before the Lions swooped on him. – Callum Twomey
YOUNG TIGER SIGNS ON
SIX MONTHS ago, Tylar Young was just a member of Richmond's VFL program, spending time at Punt Road after hours.
Now the 24-year-old has secured a two-year contract that ties him to Richmond until the end of 2025.
The mature-age recruit is understood to have put pen to paper on a new deal this week, following a bright start to life in the AFL.
With veteran key defender Robbie Tarrant and top-10 pick Josh Gibcus yet to play a game in 2023, Damien Hardwick has turned to an unlikely face to plug holes in defence across the first two months of the season.
Young had played less than 30 games of football at any level before round one, but has now managed six games in the AFL across the first two months of his debut season.
After playing soccer for most of his youth, Young was initially spotted by Frankston while playing for North Albury in the Ovens and Murray Football League in 2019, before Richmond signed him to its VFL program last year where he played 14 times. – Josh Gabelich
SUN IN TALKS FOR EXTENSION
GOLD Coast has begun negotiation to extend the stay of dynamic small forward Malcolm Rosas jnr at Carrara.
Rosas jnr is currently in his fourth season at the club after being drafted out of the Suns' Darwin Academy zone and the Suns have a two-year offer in front of the 21-year-old.
After not playing much in his first few seasons at the club, the left-footed livewire racked up 15 games in 2022 and after missing the opening round this year, has played the past seven.
He kicked a career-high four goals against Melbourne on Saturday night.
Rosas jnr told Inside Trading he was keen to stay at the club that drafted him.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm keen," he said. "I do (see something there)." – Michael Whiting
POWER YOUNG GUN IN NO RUSH
EMERGING Port Adelaide defender Miles Bergman isn't rushing into a call on his contract as he pieces together a career-best start to 2023.
Bergman is in his fourth year at the Power and is out of contract at the end of this season with rival interest growing in the 22-year-old.
After an injury and illness-hit 2022 season, Bergman has played every game this season for the Power and excelled as an attacking half-back and through the midfield.
Port Adelaide is desperate to retain Bergman, seeing the 21-year-old as a key part of its future given his versatility and athleticism.
He played 23 games for the Power in 2021, including his side's preliminary final that season, before playing 10 games last season between a shoulder injury that set back his start to the campaign.
Bergman arrived at the Power at the end of 2019 as the club's No.14 pick at that year's draft and has settled into Adelaide after the COVID-interrupted seasons that saw him start his career. – Callum Twomey
DRAFT RULE TWEAK
A CHANGE to category B rookie rules is expected to be introduced this year which would allow other clubs to list overlooked Next Generation Academy and Academy players.
Club football bosses were briefed by the AFL this week on a range of matters, including Tasmania's likely list concessions and future trading rules in coming seasons.
However, one rule has been flagged to be brought in this season which would open up rights on Academy prospects.
Currently, clubs are able to list their own NGA and northern Academy players as category B rookies outside of the senior and rookie list if they are overlooked by every club at the national draft.
However, under the proposed tweak, other clubs would also be able to draft them as category B clubs if their holder club chooses not to.
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For example, if Essendon had not wanted to list Anthony Munkara as a category B rookie under NGA rules last year, other clubs would not have been able to grab him for their own category B list.
But in the change he would essentially enter a free agency type of model for the overlooked players with ties to clubs and be able to join the Western Bulldogs, for example, as a category B rookie.
The small rule alteration would simply give more opportunities for players who have been overlooked at national draft level. – Callum Twomey
VIC QUICK PONDERS FOOTY SWITCH
VICTORIAN cricketer Zak Evans is weighing up a potential return to footy, having been omitted from the state's list of contracted players ahead of next summer's Sheffield Shield season.
Evans, who stands above 190cm, would be eligible to join an AFL side for no cost against the salary cap as a category B rookie having been out of the football system for the minimum period of three years.
Now 23 years of age, Evans was a talented junior footballer and played alongside the likes of Bailey Smith, Laitham Vandermeer, Finbar O'Dwyer and Ben Silvagni with Xavier College, also representing the Oakleigh Chargers in the NAB League.
But, having earned call-ups to Australia's under-17 and under-19 sides, he elected to follow the cricket path where he earned one Sheffield Shield cap with Victoria in 2020 and a handful of Big Bash appearances with the Melbourne Renegades.
Evans missed the Renegades' most recent Big Bash campaign with a pectoral injury, but had emerged as a standout fast bowling prospect after securing career-best figures of 5/33 against the Hobart Hurricanes in January 2021.
Should he go through with the prospect of returning to football, Evans would follow in the footsteps of Western Bulldogs defender Alex Keath. He played seven Sheffield Shield matches for Victoria before switching to footy in 2015. – Riley Beveridge
CATS VETERAN KEEN TO GO ON
GEELONG premiership ruckman Rhys Stanley is keen to extend his career into a 16th season.
Stanley, who will turn 33 later this year, has enjoyed a strong twilight to his career but is coming towards the end of the two-year extension he signed with the Cats after their 2021 campaign.
Having played 20 games last season, including a Grand Final performance that featured 16 disposals and 27 hitouts as Geelong cruised to premiership success, Stanley is now determined to extend his career into 2024.
Speaking on AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable last week, Stanley's manager Winston Rous from Phoenix Management Group said the Cats veteran was confident his body could handle the rigours of another campaign next season.
"I caught up with Rhys recently and outside of the little eye incident he had, his body is feeling really good," Rous said.
"It's feeling better and better year on year, which has been great for someone who has had some restrictions and limitations at different stages.
"With their need for the No.1 ruck that he is, he's definitely someone who is keen to continue on if his form and his body continues to hold up like it has." – Riley Beveridge
TALL DRAFT TALENT RISING
SANDRINGHAM Dragons prospect Ollie Murphy is climbing up draft boards after an eye-catching start to his season.
The 199cm youngster has shown his athleticism and marking capacity behind the ball as a defender and impressed in Vic Metro's recent trial game in the backline.
Sandringham talent manager Mark Wheeler said Murphy's capacity to settle in the back half under coach Rob Harding had seen his stocks grow.
"This time last year he was potentially a wingman but some school games late in the year with Caulfield Grammar allowed us to see him as someone who would really develop," Wheeler said.
"He reads the play so well. He kicks the ball well and is a good decision maker and Rob has said to him, 'We're not going to move you, this is where you'll play' and it's worked really well for him. There's huge growth for him but he has huge potential as well."
Murphy, who turns 18 in September, has pushed into top-20 discussions such is the demand for athletic tall defenders.
"There's a lot of interest in him," Wheeler said. – Callum Twomey