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.
SAINTS KEEN TO LOCK IN YOUNGSTER
ST KILDA has opened talks on an extension for Mattaes Phillipou to get the young talent through to free agency.
Phillipou last year signed a two-year deal to take him through to the end of 2026, but the Saints are already in ongoing discussions around an extension as they look to lock him in at Moorabbin until the end of 2030.
Saints coach Ross Lyon this week told Channel Seven the club was “very close” on an extension for Phillipou having already signed Mitch Owens on a four-year extension and put forward offers to Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.
Phillipou enjoyed a strong pre-season and looked set for more midfield time in his third year before a setback in January revealed a stress fracture in his right femur. He is due back from the injury in about a month and isn’t expected to finalise any extension before returning and getting back into games.
The exciting left-footed South Australian was selected by the Saints at pick No.10 in the 2022 draft, playing 24 games in his debut season before 13 matches last year. – Callum Twomey
EXTENSION LOOMING FOR LION
BRISBANE young gun Levi Ashcroft has a two-year extension ready to unlock once the AFL’s round six barrier passes after a pre-draft agreement.
Under AFL rules, clubs aren’t able to sign top-20 draft picks to contract extensions before round six of their debut year, with the League not processing any deals until that mark.
However, players such as Ashcroft who commit as father-son nominations before the draft are able to negotiate ‘handshake’ agreements before they are selected by their clubs for extensions.
Ashcroft’s older brother Will had a four-year deal at Brisbane under the old system, which expires at the end of next year, as did Nick Daicos when he committed to joining the Magpies in 2021.
Because the AFL’s first standard contract is now extended to three years, tying 2024 draftees like Ashcroft through to the end of 2027, it means the extra two years will lock Ashcroft in for his fourth and fifth years at the club until the end of 2029.
Inside Trading reported last year about the negotiations on the deal being a test for the ‘new money’ in the game given the fresh three-year standard deal, the cap on cash for draftees in their third year and how clubs are settling on the value for fourth and fifth seasons so far out.
Ashcroft, who was pick No.5 in last year’s Telstra AFL Draft, had 25 disposals on debut in round one against Sydney and has played all three games so far. – Callum Twomey
Levi Ashcroft celebrates a goal during Brisbane’s clash against Geelong in round three, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
BOMBERS TO SUPPORT MATURE-AGE RECRUIT
TOM Edwards will miss the rest of 2025 after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament at training on Tuesday, but Essendon will look at rewarding the mature-age recruit after a bright start to his AFL career.
The Bombers hadn’t discussed an extension beyond this season with Edwards’ manager before the devastating injury ahead of the bye.
But after being an emergency in round one before breaking into Brad Scott’s side in round two, where he kicked three goals on debut against Adelaide, Essendon has been impressed by his progress after trialling with the club during the pre-season supplemental selection period.
Edwards earned a rookie contract during a two-week trial at the Hangar in late January/early February, where he starred in an intraclub before kicking four goals in a half against the Western Bulldogs in a match simulation.
Tom Edwards celebrates a goal during Essendon’s clash against Adelaide in round two, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
The Bombers will sit down to discuss a likely deal for 2026 once the 24-year-old undergoes the knee reconstruction and the dust settles.
The injury is understood to be a regulation ACL tear without any other ligament damage. – Josh Gabelich
CROW TO WAIT
ADELAIDE’S free agent Wayne Milera is keen to get more games under his belt before picking up contract discussions after returning to the Crows’ line-up.
Milera will be an unrestricted free agent once the AFL releases its restricted and unrestricted bandings within the next week.
He is entering the final season of his five-year contract he signed with the Crows in 2020 but he has had a horror injury run in that time, playing only 42 games since then due to knee and foot issues.
The attacking half-back, who was a first-round pick for the Crows in the 2015 draft, played his 100th game in round one for the club and is concentrating on stacking games together before getting to his contract call.
Wayne Milera in action during Adelaide’s clash against Essendon in round two, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
The expectation would be Milera would remain at Adelaide, however, he isn’t yet at that stage as he gets back into putting games together.
The 27-year-old’s best campaign came in 2023, when he played every game for the Crows and averaged 20 disposals a game as well as nearly four rebounds. – Callum Twomey
GEELONG BOOSTS RECRUITING TEAM
GEELONG has bolstered its recruiting division with the addition of scout Ross Hill to its team.
The Cats lost Shane O’Bree to Collingwood on the eve of the season as the Pies named the former midfielder as their new national recruiting manager.
It left the Cats with a smaller recruiting team heading into the season, with Hill, who has previously been with Brisbane as a part of its Academy program, joining as recruiting officer.
Geelong has football manager Andrew Mackie remaining as its list boss as part of its structure, with veteran recruiting manager Stephen Wells steering the draft focus.
Simon Murphy, who was poached from the AFL in 2018, covers both recruiting and list management in his role of head of football projects and total player payments within the Cats’ team as well. – Callum Twomey
CLUBS ALERT ON FUTURE PICK WATCH
ESSENDON looms as the beneficiaries of Melbourne’s disastrous 0-3 start to the season, with the Bombers currently in possession of two top-five picks to supercharge their ongoing list build.
Essendon moved its first-round pick last year into 2025 to avoid the prospect of it being swallowed by an early bid on Academy gun Isaac Kako, finding a willing buyer in Melbourne.
Isaac Kako in action during Essendon’s clash against Hawthorn in round one, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
But the Demons – who added Xavier Lindsay with the Bombers’ pick last year, pairing him with No.6 pick Harvey Langford – have spiralled through the campaign’s first month, losing their opening three fixtures to sit second last on the ladder.
Hawthorn is another club set to profit from a host of pick swaps last October, with the high-flying Hawks holding Carlton’s current No.3 selection as a result of the Blues moving up the draft order to claim Jagga Smith.
West Coast had the choice of Carlton and Hawthorn’s future picks in a deal sending Tom Barrass to Victoria, but opted for the Hawks’ pick, which currently looks like being a later first-round selection due to the scintillating form of Sam Mitchell’s side.
Richmond could also hold multiple top-10 picks, having received North Melbourne’s future first-round selection so the Kangaroos could slip back into the draft to claim Matt Whitlock last November.
Matt Whitlock kicks the ball at North Melbourne training on December 9, 2024. Picture: Getty Images
Meanwhile, Gold Coast is another club in a prime position with three first-round picks at its disposal having added to its 2025 trade hand in a mega deal involving both Collingwood and Port Adelaide.
The Suns gave up picks No.13, 29 and 50, as well as Jack Lukosius and Rory Atkins, to claim both the Magpies and the Power’s 2025 first-round picks, also receiving John Noble as part of the three-club trade.
Brisbane is stocked with four third-round picks (courtesy of Essendon, Gold Coast, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs), which could prove crucial due to the reduced numbers of points attached to later picks following the recent DVI changes. – Riley Beveridge
INDICATIVE FIRST ROUND
1. West Coast
2. Essendon (tied to Melbourne)
3. Hawthorn (tied to Carlton)
4. Richmond
5. Essendon
6. Fremantle
7. Gold Coast (tied to Port Adelaide)
8. Sydney
9. Richmond (tied to North Melbourne)
10. Geelong
11. Western Bulldogs
12. St Kilda
13. Gold Coast (tied to Collingwood)
14. Greater Western Sydney
15. Gold Coast
16. Brisbane
17. Adelaide
18. West Coast (tied to Hawthorn)
BOMBER IN TALKS ON DEAL
ESSENDON is in negotiations on a new deal for Harrison Jones.
The Bombers big man comes out of contract this year, having hit a trigger to extend his deal to the end of 2025, with talks underway for an extension. Jones is two years away from hitting free agency.
Harrison Jones marks the ball during Essendon’s clash against Adelaide in round two, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
Jones has been remodelled into a wingman over the past 12 months by the Bombers, who have encouraged the 195cm big man to use his running and height as a point of difference.
The 24-year-old has played 55 games for the Bombers after being selected in the 2019 national draft, having endured an injury-hit run to his first few seasons at the club. – Callum Twomey
EX-PLAYERS GATHER FOR HEALTH SCREENINGS
FORMER players will get the chance for complimentary health checks next week during Gather Round as the AFLPA kickstarts its Health Fair Days.
All South Australian-based AFLPA members – meaning former AFL and AFLW players – have been invited to book in for the free health checks as an expanded role of the Association’s injury and hardship fund.
The ex-players will be able to get health checks regarding blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol analysis and body mass index, as well as skin checks and optional flu vaccinations.
The individual appointments can be booked for Tuesday ahead of a busy week in Adelaide for Gather Round, with the health day events to also run in other states in coming months.
“Past players are a significant part of the AFLPA and, through expanding our services as part of the last CBA, we’re excited to provide alumni members with the ability to proactively monitor their health and wellbeing,” AFLPA general manager of member engagement and programming Ben Smith said.
“These Health Fair Days will be held around the country and provide past players with a complimentary health check with medical professionals via the AFLPA and funded by the current players.”
The results of the tests and screenings will go back to the past players and reviewed by a general practitioner. – Callum Twomey
EX-BLUES COACH TAKES NEW ROLE
Former Carlton senior coach David Teague is the latest in a growing list of AFL coaches to bolster a school program in the APS.
The 43-year-old has been appointed the new head of football at Melbourne Grammar, after departing Richmond at the end of July.
Richmond assistant coach David Teague in March, 2022. Picture: AFL Photos
Teague coached the Blues from 2019 to 2021 after returning to the club he played for as an assistant, following coaching stints at Adelaide, St Kilda and West Coast.
Collingwood great Gavin Brown has taken up a similar post at Carey Grammar. The 1990 premiership hero most recently coached at North Melbourne, before departing at the end of 2023 after a decade in different coaching roles at the Kangaroos.
Former North Melbourne defender Robbie Tarrant has been appointed coach of Xavier College, where he boarded in Year 11 and 12 before being drafted by the Kangaroos in 2007. Tarrant finished his AFL career at Richmond and replaced Essendon great Jobe Watson.
Brownlow medallist Jimmy Bartel is the new head of football at Caulfield Grammar, after the Geelong champion stepped down from his board role at Greater Western Sydney last year.
Former Geelong and Carlton midfielder Darcy Lang is also set to fill the head of football role at Geelong Grammar, following a stint playing and coaching Colac in the Geelong Football League. – Josh Gabelich
