FREE AGENCY FRENZY BEGINS

CARLTON pair Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni are expected to become Saints on Friday as the free agency period officially opens.

The free agency window will begin at 9am AEST on Friday, with paperwork for De Koning and Silvagni set to be formalised.

It will see Silvagni automatically join the Saints as an unrestricted free agent, while Carlton will have a three-day window to match the offer for De Koning given he is a restricted free agent.

However, the Blues will not match St Kilda’s lucrative eight-year deal and will instead receive a first-round compensation pick. An end-of-first round pick is expected to be the Blues’ compensation for losing Silvagni to the five-year deal.

The end-of-first round free agency compensation picks given to clubs will be inserted into the draft order before the West Coast assistance package selection, which is currently at No.19 but will be bumped back by the compensation picks.

Charlie Spargo‘s move from Melbourne to North Melbourne as an unrestricted free agent is also set to go through on Friday, with the Demons likely to receive a band three (second round) or band four (end of second round) pick for losing him.

James Worpel, as well, is set to be lodged on Friday as he accepts the four-year offer from Geelong as a restricted free agent. The Hawks would have three days to assess the offer if they are keen to match it, having also offered him deals through the year.

Jacob Wehr‘s shift from Greater Western Sydney to Port Adelaide will also be made official on Friday as the half-back makes the move as an unrestricted free agent.

Brisbane has two key free agency to lodge for Sam Draper and Oscar Allen.

The deal for Draper looks likely to be lodged before the one for Allen, with a close watch on Draper’s compensation pick, with it being on the edge of band one territory.

Allen’s deal is expected to trigger the Eagles gaining pick No.2 but is not expected on Friday.

The other remaining free agents will make their calls official in coming days. Unrestricted free agent Brayden Fiorini will take several more days to get to his decision as he weighs offers from Essendon, Port Adelaide and Gold Coast, while Brody Mihocek has Collingwood’s best and fairest on Friday and will then make a call as Melbourne grows in likelihood.

If Mihocek chooses the Demons, and Spargo triggers a solid draft choice, then a trade deal for Mihocek looks likely so the Spargo pick is not diluted under free agency rules.

Brandon Starcevich has been heading towards a move to West Coast, with the Eagles doing their due diligence after his head knock in Brisbane’s Grand Final win. – Callum Twomey

PIES UNLIKELY FOR DEE

COLLINGWOOD is not expected to pursue Melbourne key defender Steven May during the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period.

The Magpies have considered a move for the two-time All-Australian since the Demons told May to explore his options.

May is contracted for 2026 and Melbourne is open to him returning to the club if he doesn’t find a new home during the Trade Period.

The Western Bulldogs are searching for a key defender but are also not expected to make a move for the veteran backman.

May played 16 games in 2025 around suspension and injuries, dealing with a plantar fascia issue that impacted his movement.

After playing 123 games for Gold Coast, May has added 128 appearances for Melbourne where he helped end a 57-year premiership drought in 2021. – Josh Gabelich

BLUES BUSY IN TRADE TALKS

CARLTON has been struck from the Sam Flanders chase, with the club making early progress in trade talks for several other targets.

The Blues were one of four clubs to have met with Flanders recently – including St Kilda, Melbourne and Essendon – but had always been seen as a long-shot to secure the midfielder and have now been ruled out of the running.

Flanders is expected to nominate a preferred home in the coming days, with Gold Coast open to trading the contracted 24-year-old if it can land a first-round pick in return.

Carlton has elsewhere kickstarted preliminary trade talks with West Coast (Campbell Chesser), Fremantle (Liam Reidy) and the Western Bulldogs (Buku Khamis) as it seeks to lock away its trio of targets.

All three players have already requested trades to the Blues, with Khamis the only one still contracted at their current club.

Carlton is set for a significant Trade Period, with dual Coleman Medal winner Charlie Curnow having expressed his desire to leave amid interest from Sydney, Gold Coast and Geelong despite four years remaining on his lucrative deal at the club.

The Blues have also put the expected pick from their impending Tom De Koning compensation package – likely pick No.10 – on the trade table, as they look to shuffle selections both this year and next to match bids on father-son duo Harry Dean and Cody Walker across the next two seasons. – Riley Beveridge

TALKS BEGIN FOR FREO MID

PORT Adelaide has started negotiations with Fremantle to add Will Brodie during the Trade Period.

Brodie is contracted for 2026 but requested a move from the Dockers last month after being starved of opportunities again this year.

The 27-year-old hasn’t played at AFL level since round seven, 2023, despite sustained form for Peel Thunder in the WAFL.

Port Adelaide is understood to have offered Brodie a two-year contract to move to Alberton.

The Power currently have picks 24, 42 and 60 with the third pick expected to be enough to complete the deal with the Dockers.

Brodie played 24 games in a career-best year in 2022 when new Port Adelaide coach Josh Carr was the midfield coach at Fremantle. – Josh Gabelich

COMBINE KICKS OFF

CLUBS will gather at the Telstra AFL Draft Combine on Friday for the start of two days of interviews with draftees.

The schedule of the Combine will see more than 65 draft prospects come together on Friday, with interviews to run over the course of Friday and Saturday.

Players will do their 2km time trial at the AIA Centre on Friday afternoon, with the rest of the testing to take place on Sunday, seeing the draft talents go through standing and running vertical jumps, sprints and agility tests.

Some clubs will have up to 30 interviews with draftees, often seeing senior coaches meet with the prospective pick-ups for the first time.

But the Combine will also be crucial for the next steps for club list bosses to meet on trade talks, with the three-day event a common time for rival clubs to discuss deals and moves ahead of the official start of the Trade Period on Monday. – Callum Twomey