Eagle set to land, Dee deal done, Bombers plot pick swap to snag gun

Get all the latest news in the trade, free agency and draft landscape 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.

EAGLE SET TO LAND

A DEAL sending Brandon Starcevich to West Coast has been agreed upon by Brisbane and the Eagles, with Fremantle also involved in the three-club trade.

The deal will be ratified by the AFL on Wednesday but has been agreed by the clubs. AFL.com.au revealed what the deal was shaping up to be, with the trade set to see a swathe of picks change hands.

It will see the Eagles land the two-time premiership winner as well as picks 12, 33 and 52, and give up picks 16, 22 and 23.

The Lions are set to receive picks 16, 22, 44 and 50 as part of their haul, in exchange for losing Starcevich, pick 19, 46 and 52.

The Dockers cracked open the trade by using their pick No.12 to include in the trade, seeing them slide back for multiple selections. Fremantle will trade in picks 19, 23 and 46 in exchange for 12, 33, 44 and 50.

Pick 23 is expected to be immediately tabled for Judd McVee in a deal that could go through with Melbourne on Wednesday as well.

With this deal done, the expectation is the paperwork for Oscar Allen's free agency move to Brisbane comes through on Wednesday which is set to seal the Eagles a prized No.2 pick in this year's draft. - Callum Twomey

CROWS ENQUIRE ON DOGS YOUNGSTER

ADELAIDE has asked the question about Western Bulldogs midfielder Ryley Sanders as the Crows look to build out their midfield.

The Crows won't be pursuing Clayton Oliver or Jack Steele, and weren't at the same level of interest for Christian Petracca as Gold Coast, but continue to search to add to their midfield stocks.

AFL.com.au revealed on Wednesday that Sanders, who has one year to run on his deal at the Dogs, had been sounded out as the Crows made enquiries on him as a trade option.

He is contracted for 2026 but is one of only three top-10 picks from the 2023 draft intake to have not re-signed beyond his standard three-year deal, and has been considering interest from Tasmania as the Devils look to lure players to their fledgling club ahead of their proposed start time in 2028.

Sanders, 20, played 21 games this season but was left out of the Dogs' pseudo elimination final against Fremantle in round 24 in a midfield crunch. The Bulldogs are not expected to release Sanders in any trade. – Callum Twomey

FLANDERS MOVE SET

SAM Flanders is expected to be a Saint on Wednesday with a deal agreed between St Kilda and Gold Coast.

The Saints will send pick No.7 to Gold Coast, with a deal set to be lodged.

The straight pick transaction will see the Suns midfielder join St Kilda and be the club's third official signing after free agents Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni last Friday.

It is set to be a straight trade for the top-10 pick, which will see the Suns have a draft hand of picks 6, 7, 14 and 17 within the top-20 as they embark on a range of deals.

St Kilda will then turn its attention to striking trades for Leek Aleer and Liam Ryan, with discussions underway on a trade for Rowan Marshall to the Cats.

The Cats are keen to use their picks in this year's draft, while the Saints are likely to look at next year's future picks. – Callum Twomey

GIANTS CONSIDER EX-SUN, LION

GREATER Western Sydney has registered interest in Tom Berry since he was delisted by Gold Coast.

The 25-year-old has been on the radar of West Coast, but the Giants are another club looking at adding some depth.

GWS has committed to adding Essendon key defender Jayden Laverde and is currently exploring a move for contracted Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver, but are also eyeing some more experience in the front half.

With young gun Darcy Jones recovering from a knee reconstruction and Brent Daniels enduring a challenging year with abdominal injuries, Berry looms as a low-cost option for coverage across half-forward.

Berry is keen to continue his AFL career at a third club after playing 23 games for the Suns after 20 appearances for Brisbane.

The Victorian was limited to just seven VFL appearances this year due to a knee injury wiping out months of his season.

West Coast is exploring some experienced and mature-age options with the extra four rookie spots they were handed as part of a list assistance package from the AFL last week.

Berry is one option, along with Frankston midfielder Tom Blamires, while the Eagles are also looking at delisted Magpie Fin Macrae. – Josh Gabelich

SUNS APPOINT INTERIM FOOTY BOSS

GOLD Coast list manager Craig Cameron will step up as interim head of football after the departure of Wayne Campbell.

The Suns haven't started searching for a replacement just yet and don't have a timeline around an appointment just yet.

Unlike almost every other non-Victorian list boss, Cameron has been living on the Gold Coast and working from the Suns' headquarters in recent years, where he worked closely with Campbell.

Cameron replaced Scott Clayton as Gold Coast list boss at the end of 2017 after being poached from Greater Western Sydney.

Before that Cameron spent five years as Richmond's GM during a time when Damien Hardwick arrived at Punt Road.

Brisbane's GM Danny Daly is expected to be a target for Gold Coast, following advances from Collingwood and West Coast in 2024.

Campbell made a decision recently to return to New South Wales for family reasons and has been appointed Sydney's head of academy.

The Swans have also signed 2012 premiership hero Nick Malceski as VFL coach for 2026 after a long stint at Gold Coast. – Josh Gabelich

BOMBERS TARGET BOLD PICK SWAP

ESSENDON has made contact with West Coast around an ambitious play for the No.1 pick, with the club also reaching out to Richmond as it attempts to climb higher up the draft order.

Free agency compensation for Sam Draper has armed the Bombers with a strong draft hand that currently features the No.4, 5, 20, 26 and 29 selections, but Brad Scott's side is hopeful of surging even higher up the board.

West Coast is expected to land the No.1 and No.2 picks when a free agency deal for Oscar Allen is lodged, while Richmond will then have the No.3 and No.4 selections to leave Essendon with the No.5 and No.6 picks.

But the Bombers are determined to get higher up the draft order, with an eye on potentially securing either Gippsland Power utility Willem Duursma or Calder Cannons tall Cooper Duff-Tytler.

"We've let West Coast and Richmond know that we'd be keen to explore moving up," Essendon list boss Matt Rosa told AFL.com.au's Gettable Trade Radio on Tuesday.

"Those discussions haven't progressed too far. We'll continue working through that and if we feel there can be a win-win and that does result in us moving up, we'll look at that.

"We'll continue working on if we can get up the draft order. There's the option of moving [picks] to next year as well. In ranking the order of priority, the No.1 priority would be to try and get up in this draft if we can. We'll explore all options." – Riley Beveridge

PIES PATIENT ON BULLER TALKS

COLLINGWOOD has cautioned that a few things remain "up in the air" regarding its move for young forward Jack Buller, just 24 hours after Sydney declared it was disappointed in his trade request.

The Swans had offered Buller a two-year deal to remain at the club, but the 24-year-old elected to explore opportunities elsewhere and has since indicated a desire to move to the Magpies during this year's Trade Period.

Buller was a mid-season pick-up for Sydney in 2023 and has played 10 games for the Swans, including a run of nine consecutive matches to end this season in coach Dean Cox's injury-hit attack.

Collingwood has picks No.38, 58, 70 and 76 to play with this year and will reach out to Sydney regarding a potential Buller trade in the coming days, but list boss Justin Leppitsch has revealed a few things remain uncertain in where talks sit.

"We will (reach out to Sydney)," Leppitsch told AFL.com.au's Gettable Trade Radio.

"There's a lot of things still up in the air with that one. We'll keep working with the Swans.

"You always want these things to be done soon, but there are so many other deals that come in and out. Obviously, they've got interest in Jai Serong as well. There's a lot of things they need to work out … we'll keep talking, though."

Sydney list boss Chris Keane said on Monday that the club was disappointed with Buller's decision to request a trade, just two-and-a-half seasons after he relocated from Western Australia to join the club as a mid-season recruit.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed with it," Keane said.

"We've got two years on the table and he knows that. We've put a fair bit of work into Jack, both on and off the field. He's indicated he wants to get to Collingwood. We'll work through that, but it has to be the best for our footy club as well." – Riley Beveridge

WA TALENT KEEN ON EAGLES

WEST Coast Next Generation Academy talent Tylah Williams starred at the Draft Combine and is keen to land at the Eagles.

Williams finished in the 20m sprint at the Telstra AFL Draft Combine with a time of 2.89 seconds and fourth in the agility test (7.878 seconds), whilst also placing in the top-10 for the running vertical jump.

The exciting half-forward is tied to the Eagles' NGA and the club will have first call on whether to match a bid for Williams, who has worked part-time at West Coast's merchandise store this season.

"Obviously I'm connected to the Eagles through the NGA and they've been a massive help. They ended up giving me the opportunity to do a bit of work there throughout the year and going in there a couple of days you get to know the players and staff when they roll through and past players as well," he told AFL.com.au during last week's Combine.

"Getting the opportunity to play League football gives you the chance to know everything that goes on with players and staff and you build that connection with everyone you meet there and it would be good to go there.

"But with AFL football, you dream to play football, it doesn't matter who for, so as long as I get the opportunity." – Callum Twomey

DELISTED DUO RETURN HOME

Former Fremantle-listed players Odin Jones and Jack Delean will return to their state-League homes in 2026 after being delisted by the Dockers last month.

Jones, who endured multiple injuries during his two years with Fremantle, is set to join WAFL club West Perth after being plucked from the Falcons as a rookie at the end of 2023.

Delean, meanwhile, is planning a homecoming to SANFL club South Adelaide after two seasons on the Dockers list, with the 20-year-old small forward previously playing senior football for the Panthers in 2023.

Untried at AFL level, Jones and Delean were the only players delisted by Fremantle last month after six further list spots opened through retirements and the trade requests of Liam Reidy (Carlton) and Will Brodie (Port Adelaide).

Delean was the leading goalkicker for Peel Thunder in 2025 and booted a bag of five in his best game for the alignment club, with the Panthers keen to use him as a half-forward pushing occasionally into the midfield.

Jones, a 199cm ruck/forward, did not play at any level in 2025 after suffering a fractured vertebra that required spinal surgery in November 2024. How much football the 20-year-old plays with the Falcons will depend on his ongoing rehab. – Nathan Schmook

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