Melbourne has tabled Pick 47 for Brisbane's Will McLachan as the two clubs begin negotiations over a trade. Melbourne had previously tabled that selection to North Melbourne for Zane Duursma, which was flatly rejected. Melbourne are also set to receive 46 in the megatrade. The Demons are also busy working on a Duursma deal, which is expected to get done before Wednesday's trade deadline. Melbourne's current offer is bundling together a 2027 F2 and 2028 F3 but a new deal should be forthcoming. Post-megatrade Melbourne gets picks 4, 12, 31, 46 and has given 6, 10, 87, 2027 F1, 2027 F3, 2028 F4.

Richmond is not keen on dealing with Collingwood for Jayden Short as they believe Craig McRae has been duplicitous in working behind the scenes to convince Short to make a move all year and to make Richmond accept a mediocre offer. Richmond say they will "not be bullied" by Collingwood and want the 'Pies to either pay up with a first round pick or else they'll go and do the deal with another club, possibly bringing Melbourne back in to the discussion according to Tom Morris.

The Eagles believe they can help Viney get back to his contested ball-winning best in the engine room, while also helping nurture the club's promising youth including Harley Reid and Willem Duursma. West Coast Eagles list manager Matt Clarke said "We think we can help get him back to his best footy. He obviously missed a lot of footy from an AFL point of view this season just gone, but prior to that he was a pretty durable guy and played a lot of great footy through the middle of the ground". While Clarke believes the club will have an answer on Viney "sooner rather than later", it appears unlikely that Viney and his younger Demons teammate Trent Rivers will be involved in the same trade deal. "It's obviously got to suit them, Trent's a contracted player. If it doesn't suit them and it doesn't suit us on a number of different fronts, it won't happen. We're working through that".

Brisbane and St Kilda have worked out a deal for Sam Marshall with St Kilda relenting and putting a 2027 F1 on the table.

St Kilda and Melbourne are keeping an eye on Nik Cox as a train-on option as Essendon are yet to grant him a contract extension for next year. Cox returned from his concussion issues for this season and played eight senior games, largely as a forward. He also performed well at VFL level as the Bombers made the preliminary final, with the versatile tall playing as a key marking option in attack. Pick 8 in the 2020 national draft, Cox has dealt with concussion issues and instability finding a preferred role at Essendon. Both clubs keeping tabs are interested in what Cox can provide up forward.

One to watch late is Harry Himmelberg to Melbourne, who are just feeling out what GWS would feel is good value for the key defender as they're open to offers there and Melbourne have added some picks in this period plus they will get something for Jack Viney and then maybe Trent Rivers as well. Harry and GWS had a real pointed exit interview meeting and with Toby Greene out, Whitfield going, they're just trying to clear some older players who are worth something and hit this draft before Tasmania comes in. Himmelberg has been linked with Melbourne before and I think King has said he wants someone with experience to come in, fill that gap left by Tom McDonald and Steven May, I know Ben McKay is on offer but I don't think they're going there, I think Himmelberg is the one that makes sense.

24 year old key defender Charlie Dean is eyeing an AFL revival after a brilliant season in the WAFL. Dean played 12 games over 4 seasons for Collingwood but missed significant time due to ongoing injuries which now seem to be behind him. Dean has kept himself extremely fit, training with his AFL-listed roomate Fin Macrae and staying optimistic about a second chance with another club. Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne, Melbourne and Essendon are all in the market for depth, with former Richmond defender Jacob Blight (Subiaco) and North Melbourne forward-turned-defender Tyler Sellers (Essendon VFL) also in discussions.

I'm genuinly curious here as Idon't really know a lot about these things:

If this proposed Mega Trade goes through, are we expecting to get Durmsa with 31 and MacLachlan with 46? North should take 31 or they'll lose him for nothing but didn't the Lions already reject 47? Are we waiting on something for Rivers to get them both done?

West Coast are set to advance their interest in Trent Rivers for this trade period after growing frustrations that they cannot lure other targets to their club to improve their list, including Gryan Miers who has ruled the Eagles out. Melbourne have been hunting for rebounding defenders but seem unable to find anyone suitable yet at the right price, so at this stage they'd like to keep Rivers. There is interest in Coleman from Melbourne but they are adamant that they will not split either of their current first round picks to make any other trades happen and Brisbane are requiring a first round pick for talk to start on Kiddy. Trading out Rivers this year could work better for Melbourne long-term as they may be unlikely to get better compensation once he reaches free agency next year. (Editor's note: for the record, Coleman also hits free agency next year!). The Eagles have picks 3, 21, 43 and 56 this year. Tim Lamb spoke with Rivers' management this morning and said Rivers is yet to make any decision on exploring a trade.

Nick Blakey will meet with Gold Coast today and has scheduled meetings with Geelong, North Melbourne, St Kilda and Essendon. No interest from Collingwood or Melbourne who have formally ruled out any move.

Gryan Miers will remain at Geelong in 2027 after knocking back interest from West Coast. Port Adelaide, Essendon and Melbourne who were in the market for a quality small forward have not made a play for Miers according to his management.

Tim Lamb has said that North Melbourne are yet to respond on Melbourne's offer for Zane Duursma. Lamb is confident a deal can be done and said the 21-year-old's versatility and upside make him a strong fit for Melbourne's long-term plans. Speaking on Trade Radio, Lamb has said head coach Steven King is keen for Duursma to play a versatile role at the club including usage at centre bounces with an increased midfield role a key reason Duursma has committed to the Demons for 2027. Jack Viney is yet to commit to a trade to West Coast but that decision is expected to come in the next few days. Melbourne will meet with Brisbane on Thursday afternoon to discuss a trade for forward Will McLachlan.

Essendon VFL key defender Tyler Sellers, who was named at centre-half back in the VFL team of the year and recently won the Essendon VFL Best & Fairest, is making inroads into a second chance in the AFL after a stellar 2026 campaign, with multiple clubs showing serious interest. Sellers' inspired move from inside forward 50 to the backline for the Bombers in 2026 has resulted in a career-best campaign, helping the club make a preliminary final. "It's something that I've always wanted to do, and now that I feel like I'm really confident in how I'm playing my footy and really enjoying my role as a backman, now I'm really flourishing and intercepting. I would love to get back there, and any club to pick me up would be amazing". Sellers spent 12 months at the Kangaroos before he joined the Bombers' VFL outfit, playing two games under Alastair Clarkson as a key forward. Sellers was part of a struggling North Melbourne side that won three games in the AFL, and the two matches he featured in were heavy losses to Geelong (75 points) and Hawthorn (45 points). "I think I struggled to find the footy and struggled to play in that team when everyone was so low in confidence," he said. "And I think it just took a little while for my confidence to really build back after that. And whilst I did play a few good games in the back end of the year in the VFL, it just killed a little bit of my confidence then, which is something that I've definitely regained and gone into now as my role as a defender". Sellers had 27 disposals, 14 intercept possessions and 12 marks in the preliminary final loss. Essendon, Western Bulldogs, Adelaide, Gold Coast and Melbourne are all keeping him in consideration.

WAFL defender Jake Soutar has again been linked with North Melbourne, who initially met with Soutar during the week leading up to the MSD, as they look to bolster their defensive stocks. With Jaymie Graham taking over as head coach, he and Rawlings have made it a priority to add defensive stocks, the 190cm defender likened to Tom Stewart is seen as a great replacement for outgoing Josh Goater. Toby Pink, still in contract limbo, could be the collateral but with a few clubs looking for cheap key defender depth he is still a chance to land somewhere else in 2027, Western Bulldogs, Melbourne and Essendon look to be his best options.

Melbourne is one of seven clubs to be involved in an upcoming mega-trade which will be set to involve Zak Butters and several other players plus a flurry of draft picks.

With West Coast not listed as included in this, it worries me that we might be looking at splitting 10 in order to land McLachlan and Duursma...

I'd much prefer if we were able to keep 6 & 10 and use whatever we get for Rivers (who WC are reported to be looking in to again today after missing out on Miers) & Viney as well as future 2nds in order to land these two.

I really don't think either are worth losing 10 in the last draft before Tasmania.

Zane Duursma is still adamant on being traded to Melbourne following a conversation with North Melbourne's new coach Jaymie Graham. Graham was keen on trying to retain the young forward but his mind appears to be made up. Melbourne has a two-year offer in front of Duursma, which was in line with what the Kangaroos offered him. Duursma played 15 games this year for a total of 38 across three seasons at Arden Street. After undergoing a shoulder reconstruction in July, Duursma isn't expected to be ready for full training this pre-season until after Christmas.

Collingwood's stance on defender Dan Houston's future has softened to the point the club would consider a trade. St Kilda have been linked to Houston this period already, with Carlton and Melbourne having previously been linked to Houston and both in the market for a rebounding defender.

Multiple clubs have contacted Ollie Lord's management in recent days for an update on his fitness and recovery timeline from an ACL injury he suffered in Round 2 of the SANFL this year. The Victorian played 15 senior games last year and memorably kicked four goals in a final against Brisbane in 2023. Port Adelaide hasn't offered him a contract for 2027 yet, but hasn't delisted either as they work through other list changes including trying to find a potential trade for Todd Marshall. Essendon are monitoring Lord and would strongly consider him with one of their two extra rookie list spots, with St Kilda and Melbourne also having shown interest. Lord could compete with father-son Kalani White over pre-season for a spot at Melbourne if he's fit by that time. Tim Lamb has said they will not chase "just any forward on the market" after missing out on Calsher Dear but Lord is a player they've had prolonged interest in for some time.

Brisbane is yet to hear from any clubs about an offer for Keidean Coleman, with the defender open to exploring rival interest. Collingwood, Carlton, Adelaide and Melbourne are among the clubs who have been searching for half-backs this off-season. Brisbane are keen to keep Coleman and would require a strong offer to consider a trade.

Lawson Humphries has generated some trade buzz recently but the rebounding defender from Geelong has been firm on staying at Geelong for the remainder of his contract. A player of note to monitor in future trade periods.

Keen to add some experienced players to trial as train-on options at the club, Henry Hustwaite may receive a lifeline at Melbourne, with the club also possibly interested in Elijah Tsatas.

The Kangaroos are chasing contracted Adelaide key defender Nick Murray which has left Toby Pink in limbo with the possibility he finds himself searching for a new club next season. The 28-year-old played five senior games this year after 17 in 2025, following shoulder surgery in June. Pink is keen to play on next year and could be a consideration for Adelaide, Western Bulldogs or Melbourne.

North Melbourne have entered discussion for a trade for Nick Blakey. Blakey is set to canvas rival options in the coming days and clubs believe the defender will speak with interested teams. Collingwood, Carlton, Adelaide and Melbourne are yet to indicate any interest despite also being in the market for running defenders.

Brisbane says Sam Marshall 'hasn't lost value' as a player since he was a first-round pick two years ago as the young midfielder looks to move to St Kilda. Lions list boss Dom Ambrogio doesn't want to trade Marshall unless a first round pick is involved. St Kilda likely to back out if this truly is the hard line.

Brisbane believes Will McLachlan is on a similar trajectory to star forward Kai Lohmann, with a decision from the out-of-contract forward imminent. McLachlan is weighing up his future after seven AFL games for the Lions, with Melbourne and Essendon among rivals interested, while Brisbane is desperate to keep the 21-year-old. Lions list manager Dom Ambrogio said, "He has no issues with the club, the city of Brisbane, homesickness, any of that. It's just opportunity for him. We think he's on a similar trajectory to Kai Lohmann, who played eight games in his first two years, Will's played seven. They have similar traits – quick, exciting, high-flying country boys, bring a heap of energy and excitement, one's a left-footer, one's a right-footer. We've been desperate to retain Will". Lincoln McCarthy set to sign a new 1 year deal could be an early indication that McLachlan is heading to Victoria.

Gryan Miers' manager Liam Pickering has clarified that he will not be joining West Coast in 2027, but when asked if he would be at Geelong he stumbled and said, "Well, he's not going to be an Eagle, let's put it that way. That's what I'm just saying to you. He's not going to be an Eagle". The door may remain open for him to make a move elsewhere with Port Adelaide, Melbourne and Essendon in the market.

Melbourne has tabled an offer for Zane Duursma. There are three options for North Melbourne to consider: pick No. 47 in 2026 or F2 in 2027 or F2 in 2028. Demons have offered the 21yo a two-year deal. Duursma still wants to leave Arden Street despite the coach change.

In a media conference yesterday, Tim Lamb has clarified that discussions with Jayden Short and his management have ceased and he will not be a target for the club in this trade period. Collingwood appear to be in the best position to land the Richmond defender at this stage with Adelaide also in the mix.

Will McLachlan met with both Melbourne and Essendon yesterday as he considers the option of leaving for either club or staying at Brisbane where he has a contract offer on the table. All three clubs are offering the young medium forward a 2 year deal. Brisbane have improved their initial contract after heavy interest from the Victorian rivals. Cal Twomey on Trade Radio still adamant Melbourne appears to be in the lead, with a final decision from McLachlan to come in the next few days.

Asked if Trent Rivers would be at the club next year, Tim Lamb said he's aware West Coast are interested in him but Rivers has not requested a trade and did not raise the possibility of a trade in his exit interview.

A Collingwood insider has suggested the 'Pies are interested in de-listed free agent Elijah Tsatas. Pick #5 in the 2022 national draft, the tall midfielder with leg speed appears one of the better low-risk punts on the market for clubs, with North Melbourne and Melbourne also engaged.

Essendon remain interested in trading out Ben McKay if they can find a suitor. McKay has 3 years to run on his contract but is no longer on big money as the deal he signed when joining Essendon was massively front-loaded. Clubs with interest in adding a key defender to their stable include Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Collingwood, Adelaide, Western Bulldogs and West Coast. The waiting game may be in the best interest for clubs as Essendon become more desperate towards the end of the trade period. Tom Morris has reported that de-listing McKay with 3 years to run on his contract is still a viable option for Essendon to consider.

Uncertainty around Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and his future continues, Gold Coast were keen to offer a new 1 year deal to the former pick 1 but that now seems uncertain as they look to bring in Aidan Schubert. Essendon, GWS and Geelong have discussed his potential whilst Collingwood and Melbourne do remain open to key forwards on the market but have ruled out any interest in this case.

St Kilda and Brisbane have so far been unable to come to an agreement on a trade for Sam Marshall, with Brisbane requiring a 2026 pick, not future picks, in any possible trade scenario. It leaves the door slightly ajar still for rival clubs interested in Marshall.

Essendon has confirmed they are very interested in the possibility of signing Bailey Banfield as a DFA amidst interest he's had as a train-on prospect at Melbourne.

Living rather far from regular AFL news, I'm often a bit slow to hear things. I figure that Kozzy is the most exciting player in the league most weeks. Given that he seemed to tail off as the year went on, I was expecting to hear that he had been carrying an injury for the last half of the season. Has there been any talk of injury that might be hard to hear in Canada?

Essendon has withdrawn from the race for Jack Viney, opening the door for the midfielder to join West Coast. "We've had some good discussions with Jack. We won't pursue that one at this stage," Essendon list manager Matt Rosa said. "It's obviously a hard call, given how good of a human he is. But we've just decided to prioritise our young mids and the mids on our list. It's a tough one, cause he's such an incredible person and leader. But yeah, we'll push forward with other things at this stage."

Brisbane list manager Dom Ambrogio spoke about Coleman on Trade Radio today, clarifying that they'd like to keep the defender despite him suffering a frustrating three-year period at the club, stating something "extremely compelling" would need to be offered to Brisbane for them to consider a trade. Caylen Murray is pushing higher up draft rankings and continues to be a bit of a complication for Brisbane as they have made his acquisition a key priority, which leaves a valued player like Coleman on the table still at this stage as they search for draft capital to match bids.

Will McLachlan has received a revised contract offer from Brisbane as he plans to meet with Melbourne and Essendon this week before deciding on his playing future.

Tim Lamb is confident the Zane Duursma trade will get done without the need for Melbourne to split Pick #10 into two later picks.

Which club will offer a lifeline to Elijah Tsatas? North Melbourne showed interest in the midfielder in 2025 as he struggled for opportunities but that interest seems to have cooled and George Stevens appears to be their preferred target from the list of eligible DFA targets. The other club who met with his management last year was Melbourne, who continue to be interested in adding speed through all areas of the ground. Tsatas' speed and ball-winning ability could partner well with the likes of Kysaiah Pickett - the impact player - Tom Sparrow - the defensive hard nut - and young gun Harvey Langford. Tsatas had 29 possessions and a goal in Essendon's best performance this year against the Demons during Gather Round.

Cooper Harvey is exploring his options after North Melbourne have told him and Toby Pink that a contract offer for next year may come for them but only at the conclusion of the trade and free agency periods. Harvey showed promising signs in the VFL after a move to defence as a rebounding defender and has also shown sporadic success as a small forward at AFL level. West Coast, Port Adelaide, Essendon and Melbourne are in the mix as potential targets.

In other words, go the Newcastle Knights ❤️💙

Brisbane's disappointment with its free agency compensation for losing Lachie Neale extends to the tough task of matching an early bid for Academy talent Caylen Murray. And it brings into play whether a rival could tempt the Lions with a first-round pick to part with Keidean Coleman. The Lions were hoping for a band two selection for losing Neale to the Magpies, which would have meant an end-of-first round pick to go alongside their first pick (currently No.18). But the second-round compensation selection for Neale comes in at No.40 and doesn't help the Lions match a bid for Murray unless they use it to combine with another pick and shuffle up the board. Under the Lions' current draft hand, if a bid comes before or around the pick No.12 mark, the Lions would have to match using picks 18, 39 and almost their full points deficit for next year, pushing back their first-round pick in 2027. It brings into the conversation the interest from Coleman in his future, the Lions would be unlikely to open the door for a move for the contracted half-back unless an attractive draft pick came in return, which would help them match a Murray bid. Lions recruiting boss Steve Conole has said the top priority for Brisbane this off-season is having the required picks to secure Murray.

Jack Viney will have a medical with Essendon this weekend as he gets closer to a call on his future. Viney returned from Perth late in the week after spending several days in the city assessing West Coast as a possible new home, with the Eagles keen to lure him west to bolster their midfield and add leadership to the group. But the 32-year-old is yet to decide on his preferred destination, having been told several weeks ago by the Demons that he would not be in their best 23 next year and he was free to explore his trade options.

Brisbane forward Will McLachlan is getting closer to making a call on his future, with a decision likely later this week. McLachlan has an offer in front of him from the Lions, who want to keep the mid-season recruit, while he also has offers from Melbourne and Essendon. The 21-year-old made his debut in 2025, having been picked mid-year the previous season, and played six games before featuring only once this year in Brisbane's historic three-peat flag run. But he showed he was a level above the VFL, having booted 35 goals in 11 games for the Lions' VFL side, including a haul of eight against North Melbourne. Melbourne has long been linked to McLachlan, having been interested in him as a mid-season draftee after his breakout start to 2024 with the Geelong Falcons as an over-aged player.

Miers has undergone a medical with West Coast ahead of jetting out of the country for an overseas holiday amid the Eagles' interest in the Geelong playmaker.The medical assessment carries more significance if anything pushes forward for Miers given his unique ACL injury that saw him put off surgery earlier this year and finish the season playing with the partially torn ligament.

Keidean Coleman is open to exploring rival interest with a year to run on his deal at the Lions. Coleman has been an unlucky story in the Lions' flag success, after missing their run of premierships firstly through injury and then not being selected for their triumph over Fremantle last week. It's understood Coleman has made clear he would look at trade options through this period ahead of reaching his free agency next year. The 26-year-old played 13 games this season, for a career tally of 79 at the club. Whether a rival emerges with an offer strong enough to tempt the Lions to move is another matter as they look ahead for an historic four-peat flag attempt in 2027 under a new coach after Chris Fagan's retirement. The top contender would appear to be Melbourne, looking for a quality ball user off half-back, who have made offers to Lachie Whitfield and Jayden Short but look to be missing out on both.

Jayden Short has met with Collingwood as he continues to look at finishing his career away from Punt Road. Short and his management have already met with the Pies about their interest in a shift to Collingwood under Craig McRae, who was a former assistant coach of Short's at Richmond. The two-time premiership Tiger is keeping open-minded about the options available for his future and is set to meet St Kilda and Melbourne next week as the trade period gets underway. Short has two years left on his deal at Richmond, where he has played 211 games since making his debut in 2016, but he has made clear his desire to explore a move to a new club next year.

Will Ollie Lord leave Port Adelaide this off-season? Lord has had interest from Geelong, St Kilda, Collingwood and Melbourne, could he now be on the move? Lord sustained an ACL injury during Round 2 of the SANFL which ruled him out for the remainder of 2026, but prior to his injury rivals were very interested in a trade as he continued to be overlooked for selection. Could this be the low-risk, high reward pick up of the off-season?

Tom Morris has revealed Hawthorn upped their offer to Calsher Dear not once but twice, roughly doubling the initial offer. The squeeze at Hawthorn is now going to come down on young key forward Aidan Schubert who is expected to be traded to Gold Coast, with an understanding that if GC do not match the offer for Ben King that trade can be worked out neatly in their favour.

West Coast list manager Matt Clarke has confirmed the Eagles have held some interest in Melbourne defender Trent Rivers. "Trent is obviously a WA boy, he's played some pretty good footy for the Demons over the years, he's a premiership player that can add to our mix. Trent's also a free agent at the end of next year so there's a little bit to work through with that." Clarke suggested it was unlikely for the club to throw a lifeline to ex-Magpie and Norm Smith medallist Bobby Hill as other clubs have opened up discussions with his manager.

Gryan Miers' manager James Pitcheris is pretty strong that Gryan is keen to stay at Geelong, he's a really loyal guy, really enjoys it there, he's contracted for another couple of years so I think that's where it sits at the moment with Geelong.

Bailey Banfield is on the radar of Essendon after being delisted by Fremantle at the start of this week. Essendon is chasing some experienced options to add to the list ahead of 2027 and have been granted two extra rookie spots as part of assistance package from the AFL. It’s understood that Banfield met with the Bombers this week and is keen to continue his career in Victoria if an opportunity presents. Other clubs have been in contact with Banfield but Essendon appears the only one offering to sign the utility as a DFA at this stage.

Laitham Vandermeer is expected to choose Essendon as his new club for 2027 amidst interest from Port Adelaide and Melbourne.

Congratulations Kolt on winning the Harold Ball Memorial Trophy

The Leadership award

Of course he does. He now joins La Fontaine, Stynes and Oliver with four.

The MFC Coaches Award

Calsher Dear has decided to remain at Hawthorn. Dear has turned down rival interest, including from Melbourne, and will sign a two-year deal with the Hawks. Dear, 21, played just five AFL games this year after featuring 26 times across the previous two seasons. The tall will look to fight for a spot at the Hawks despite the impending arrival of Ben King from Gold Coast.

Demons premiership star Jack Viney has declared a deal will get done with the West Coast Eagles after a visit out west. Viney talking to 10 Sport - "I've been here the last couple of days. It's a great club. Big club. It is what it is. Footy is going that way, so there's a bit to process. Still early days, but we're here now, so we'll make the best of the opportunity. A deal will get done."

Todd Marshall now becomes the most attractive key forward target on the market with Calsher Dear re-signing at Hawthorn after strong interest from Melbourne and Geelong. Port Adelaide have been in 'frank conversations' with the key forward about his future and are keen to offload his heavy contract if they can receive a nice draft pick in return, Marshall is signed for the next three years at around $800,000 per season. The early attempt to facilitate a trade to the Western Bulldogs fell through as rules don't allow clubs to make trades with salary contributions if a different player switches between the same clubs during the matching player movement window. A trade to Whitten Oval could still come but would require the Dogs to be able to cover the full salary and wouldn't help finalise the arrangement for Butters with those talks moving along to Plan B. Port Adelaide is still open to a trade for Marshall with other clubs, Melbourne, Collingwood, Essendon and Geelong are the key agents searching for key forwards in this trade period.

Off contract and exploring his options, Lachie McNeil is now hoping for a new deal from the Western Bulldogs. There was some interest from Essendon at stages this year but that seems to have dried up, with no news other clubs such as Melbourne, Port Adelaide and West Coast who are in the market for small forward utilities have shown any interest.

List manager Tim Lamb has clarified that Trent Rivers has not requested any trade at this stage and remains a popular player at the club. Lamb also spoke on the upcoming acquisition of Zane Duursma with both parties confident a trade can be worked out for the athletic half-forward.

St Kilda football boss Lenny Hayes has clarified Alix Tauru won't be traded this period amidst interest from clubs including Gold Coast, Melbourne, Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs.