OUT-OF-CONTRACT Fremantle midfielder Neil Erasmus is on the radar of the Western Bulldogs as he weighs up his future. 

The 2021 pick No.10 has struggled to cement a spot in the Dockers’ stacked midfield across his first four seasons at the club.

Fremantle is understood to be keen to retain the Subiaco product and is working on a fresh extension.

But the Bulldogs have one eye on what the midfield at the Mission Whitten Oval looks like when Tom Liberatore and Adam Treloar eventually retire and have registered interest.

Erasmus has played 33 games for Fremantle since being selected in the first round four years ago.

West Coast is also in the market for more midfield depth and considering a range of opportunity-starved midfielders across the competition. – Josh Gabelich

SAINTS’ WINDHAGER OFFER

ST KILDA has a two-year offer on the table for Marcus Windhager.

The Saints midfielder remains out of contract at the end of this season, with discussions running on an extension.

The deal put forward would take him through to the end of 2027.

Windhager has played 18 games this season and 70 across his first four years at the club, this season taking on some of the game’s biggest names in tagging roles, including Collingwood’s Nick Daicos.

The Saints are, of course, looking to lock down Windhager’s teammate – and housemate – Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera on a new deal as well as the superstar mulls his future at the club against a return back to South Australia. – Callum Twomey

ASSISTANCE REQUEST ON EAGLES’ RADAR

WEST Coast is seriously considering a request for priority picks and list help at the end of the season, with the prospect of a formal application remaining firmly on the club’s radar.

The Eagles have maintained they would weigh up a request for assistance at the end of this season, with the club facing the prosect of a one-win campaign and second wooden spoon in three years.

Sources this week suggested an application for assistance would still be considered, despite comments from the AFL’s new football boss Greg Swann that suggested the club’s prospects of draft support were unlikely.

The Eagles have won 11 games across the past four seasons and collected a wooden spoon in 2023, with the club now stuck three-and-a-half games behind 17th-placed North Melbourne.

Assistance packages from the AFL can also come with concessions beyond priority picks, like extra list spots or an ability to pre-sign Next Generation Academy or father-son players without having to match bids.

Academy prospects for the Eagles this year include classy goalkicker Wes Walley, small forward Tylah Williams and midfielder/forward Koby Evans, while tall midfielder Charlie Banfield is the son of club great and dual premiership player Drew Banfield.

The Kangaroos were the last club to receive an assistance package when the AFL allocated it three end-of-first-round selections across the 2023 and 2024 drafts and extra rookie list spots.

The club had completed four consecutive seasons in the bottom two when it received that assistance, winning 12 games across that period, including a worst season of 2-20 in 2022.

They were also granted assistance at the end of 2022, receiving a second-round pick and third-round pick for 2023 that needed to be traded for at least one player.

Swann, who is the AFL’s new executive general manager of football performance, did not explicitly rule out assistance for the Eagles when speaking to the media on Monday.

He suggested, however, that the club should follow the example set by other clubs that had rebuilt successfully.

League CEO Andrew Dillon also pointed to Adelaide as an example of a club that had finished 18th in 2020 but since returned to top-four contention without AFL assistance. – Nathan Schmook

FREMANTLE is progressing in talks to lock away promising young defender Karl Worner, who is one of the few remaining Docker mainstays yet to have secured his future for 2026 and beyond.

Worner is uncontracted beyond this season, despite playing in 17 of Fremantle’s 18 games so far this year, but the club is in advanced discussions with his management around extending his deal.

The former rookie pick has finally established his place in Justin Longmuir’s defensive plans this season, having played just eight games in his first three years on the club’s list.

Worner, winger Jeremy Sharp and former top-10 pick Neil Erasmus remain Fremantle’s remaining contract priorities, while a decision will also need to be made on the future of former skipper Nat Fyfe ahead of his 34th birthday in September.

Fremantle has been proactive in tying its best players to long-term deals in recent years with Sean Darcy (2030), Josh Treacy (2030), Brennan Cox (2030), Andrew Brayshaw (2031) and Hayden Young (2033) all already part of the ‘2030 Club’. – Riley Beveridge

POTENTIAL NO.1 TO PLAY FOR BOMBERS

ESSENDON will get another close look at potential draftee Cooper Duff-Tytler, with the Calder Cannons ruck set to play some VFL games with the Bombers in coming weeks.

Duff-Tytler will finish his season with Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School in the AGSV competition and also play with the Cannons at the end of their Coates Talent League season, but is set to link back up with the Bombers for VFL experience.

The ruck and forward trained with Essendon over summer as part of the Marsh AFL Academy program and impressed at the club with his skill level, ruck work and athleticism.

He shapes as being a key contender for the Bombers’ pair of top-10 picks this year if he is available at their selections, with the VFL experience to give another insight into his capabilities.

Bombers NGA pair Adam Sweid and Hussein El Achkar have already made their VFL debuts this year in the red and black. – Callum Twomey

FAMOUS NAME ON DRAFT WATCH

A RELATIVE of St Kilda great Lenny Hayes has emerged as a draft candidate this year during an impressive VFL season.

Tai Hayes, 20, has played 13 games for Southport this season and averaged 18 disposals playing on the wing for the Sharks, taking the eye of recruiters with his running patterns and damaging left foot.

It’s a form run for the 193cm prospect that has him in the sights of clubs as they scour the country for some more mature-age options in this year’s pool.

Hayes made his debut in round two and has had three two-goal games for Southport as well.

His famous relative played 297 games for the Saints, captaining the club as well as winning the Norm Smith Medal in the drawn 2010 Grand Final. – Callum Twomey

CLUBS EYE LETHAL LEFT FOOTER

POTENTIAL top-five pick Josh Lindsay has credited his stint with the AFL Academy side as providing the catalyst for his impressive season, as clubs continue to circle the classy defender ahead of this year’s national draft.

Lindsay won the best on ground medal as the AFL Academy team beat VFL outfit Coburg by 23 points in April, with the lethal left-foot kicker finishing with 25 disposals and seven rebound-50s across half-back.

The performance inspired a campaign where Lindsay has averaged 22.3 disposals for Vic Country in the Marsh U18 Boys National Championships, as well as 26 disposals per game with Geelong Falcons in the Coates Talent League.

Speaking to AFL.com.au‘s trade and draft show Gettable this week, Lindsay – who has drawn comparisons to both Errol Gulden and Hayden Young thanks to his elite left-foot kicking – said the AFL Academy program helped set up his year.

“That was really good,” Lindsay said.

“It was my first time playing against senior boys and I really enjoyed it. It was similar to Vic Country. We were a super tight group and we all came together. Playing with the best boys around Australia is something you always dream of. I loved it so much.

“Looking at how all the other boys prepare, and all the coaching stuff around the program, was really good. To finish off the game winning the best on ground medal was pretty special as well. I couldn’t be more thankful for that.” – Riley Beveridge

AGENCY TEST CASE AHEAD OF DEVIL DECISIONS

DRAFTEES signing with player agents earlier due to Tasmania’s impending entrance into the AFL is set to be considered as prospects look to make decisions earlier given the Devils’ 17-year-old access.

Agents from across the country gathered in Melbourne on Wednesday for an agents conference, where they were reminded that player managers must abide by the rules on approaching players under the AFLPA guidelines.

An agent is permitted to make an approach to a player from October 1 in the year the player turns 16, but under the rules an agent cannot sign that player until the player is both 17 years old and eligible for the next upcoming AFL or AFLW Draft.

But Cody Walker‘s recent case of nominating Carlton as his father-son club, which was revealed by AFL.com.au last week, could open the door for changes once Tasmania enters the competition and 17-year-olds need to navigate decisions whether to nominate to join the Devils as pre-listed players, as mini-draft options or to wait until their draft year.

Walker had the option of nominating the Blues as a father-son, where his dad Andrew played 202 games, or Richmond as a Next Generation Academy player given he is in their current Bendigo Pioneers zone. He is eligible for the 2026 draft and is a potential top-five pick.

The AFLPA had a special request for Walker to assign management from TGI Sport, where Andrew was also managed, to assist in his father-son nomination decision ahead of when he would have otherwise been able to sign as a draftee.

The allowance will see Walker officially have to sign another document down the track with his accredited agency when hitting the regular agency timeline, and is seen as making sense for further prospects in a similar bind as decisions come earlier on nominating for Tasmania or waiting to enter open drafts.

Tasmania’s list rules will be decided at next month’s AFL Commission meeting, with the main rules expected to stay largely as were revealed by AFL.com.au earlier this year. They are expected to be able to pre-list at least nine 17-year-olds ahead of their draft year under similar rules as Gold Coast and GWS used in their respective inceptions.

Agents again pushed at Wednesday’s conference to get access to the full list of players who are a part of the League’s $35 million marketing fund. – Callum Twomey