FREE AGENCY BANDINGS RELEASED SOON

MELBOURNE’S Bayley Fritsch and Hawthorn’s Jarman Impey are expected to be part of a group of as few as five restricted free agents once bandings are released soon.

The League is currently working through its official free agency list for 2026, which is always confirmed in the first few weeks of the season, and that will include the bandings of restricted and unrestricted agents.

The off-season saw a number of free agents re-sign to take themselves off the list, including Sam Walsh, Justin McInerney and Rory Laird, but more names were added to the list after joining as pre-season supplemental selection period pick-ups after being qualifying for free agency having been previously delisted – Carlton’s Elijah Hollands and Wade Derksen and Hawthorn’s Flynn Perez.

Zak Butters, Ben King and Zac Bailey are set to be restricted free agents – meaning their clubs could match free agency bids for them if they move and force a trade and they are either eight- or nine-year players at their clubs who sit in the top 25 per cent paid players at the club this year – but Melbourne forward Fritsch and Hawks defender Impey shape as other restricted free agents in the group.

Any players outside the top 25 per cent of earners or those who have been at their current club will be eligible as unrestricted free agents, while they will also qualify as unrestricted if they have previously been delisted or moved clubs as a free agent and are now coming out of contract.

Joel Amartey will be an unrestricted free agent, while the likes of Tom Sparrow, Buku Khamis, Jordon Butts, Lachie Weller and Kade Chandler are also set to be in the same group.

Mitch Lewis, as a 10-year free agent, automatically qualifies as an unrestricted free agent and Lachie Neale, Brisbane’s champion midfielder, is also tipped to be an unrestricted free agent despite only being in his eighth year at the Lions. – Callum Twomey

2026 FREE AGENCY LIST

*Denotes player is eligible for free agency after being previously delisted in their career.
^Denotes player is eligible for free agency after previously changing clubs as a free agent. 

ADELAIDE

James Borlase*
Jordon Butts
Mitch Hinge*
Chayce Jones
Lachie Sholl
Taylor Walker
Tyler Welsh*

BRISBANE

Zac Bailey
Darragh Joyce*
Ryan Lester
Lincoln McCarthy
Lachie Neale
Dayne Zorko

CARLTON

Wade Derkson*
Francis Evans*
Nick Haynes^
Elijah Hollands*
Mitch McGovern
Nic Newman
Zac Williams^

COLLINGWOOD

Jack Crisp
Jeremy Howe
Tim Membrey^*
Scott Pendlebury
Steele Sidebottom

ESSENDON 

Jade Gresham^
Matt Guelfi
Liam McMahon*
Jaxon Prior*
Will Setterfield*

FREMANTLE

Bailey Banfield*
Oscar McDonald*
Sam Sturt
Sam Switkowski
Corey Wagner*

GEELONG

Jed Bews
Mark Blicavs
Patrick Dangerfield
Jake Kolodjashnij
Jack Martin*
Mark O’Connor
Rhys Stanley
George Stevens*

GOLD COAST

Oscar Adams*
Caleb Graham
Nick Holman
Ben Jepson*
Ben King
Lachie Weller
Jarrod Witts

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

Kieren Briggs
Stephen Coniglio
Toby Greene
Jayden Laverde*
Conor Stone* 

HAWTHORN 

Jack Gunston
Jarman Impey
Mitch Lewis
Harry Morrison
Flynn Perez*

MELBOURNE

Tom Campbell^
Kade Chandler
Jai Culley*
Bayley Fritsch
Tom McDonald
Jake Melksham
Christian Salem
Tom Sparrow

NORTH MELBOURNE

Aidan Corr^
Luke McDonald
Toby Pink*
Bailey Scott

PORT ADELAIDE

Zak Butters
Darcy Byrne-Jones
Ollie Wines

RICHMOND 

Nathan Broad
Tom Lynch
Toby Nankervis
Dion Prestia
Nick Vlastuin

ST KILDA 

Ryan Byrnes*
Jack Carroll*
Patrick Said*
Liam Stocker*

SYDNEY

Joel Amartey
Harry Cunningham
Joel Hamling*
Jake Lloyd
Dane Rampe

WEST COAST 

Tom Cole
Jamie Cripps
Matthew Flynn^
Bailey Williams

WESTERN BULLDOGS 

Oskar Baker*
Lachie Bramble*
Ryan Gardner*
Buku Khamis
Tom Liberatore

DOG DISCUSSIONS BEGIN

DISCUSSIONS have started on a new deal for Ryley Sanders at the Western Bulldogs.

Sanders is one of three top-10 picks from the 2023 draft, alongside Gold Coast’s Jed Walter and North Melbourne’s Zane Duursma, to remain out of contract as he starts his third AFL season.

Talks have opened on a possible multi-year deal at the kennel for the young midfielder, who has been linked with a return to Tasmania ahead of the Devils’ start date in the competition in the 2028 season.

Tasmania has access to out of contract players as free agents over two years – the end of 2027 and the end of 2028 – when they can get commitments from a maximum of one player per club over that window without having to make a trade.

The clubs that lose players would receive compensation in the form of draft picks for a player who departs.

Sanders, who was pick No.6 in that stellar 2023 draft class, played 21 games last season and featured in the Dogs’ win over Greater Western Sydney last Saturday after missing Opening Round through concussion. – Callum Twomey

PORT BIG MAN LOCKED IN

ALIIR Aliir is locked in for another year at Port Adelaide after signing a one-year extension.

Aliir signed a two-year extension in 2024 that was set to expire this year, but it’s understood the Port Adelaide key defender is now contracted for 2027.

The 31-year-old has become star in South Australia since moving from Sydney at the end of 2020.

Aliir was named in the All-Australian team in his first season at Alberton when he finished on the podium in the John Cahill Medal for the first time, before finishing third again in 2024.

Last year, Aliir finished fifth in the best and fairest and has now played 115 of a possible 121 games since moving from the Swans on the initial four-year deal.

Port Adelaide’s key contract focus in 2026 is clearly in-demand free agent Zak Butters, but the Power also have 2021 Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines uncontracted beyond October. – Josh Gabelich

SAINT DEFENDER’S QUIET EXTENSION

ST KILDA has quietly extended Anthony Caminiti‘s contract beyond 2026.

The 22-year-old was set to be out of contract this year after signing a three-year deal just months after being added to the rookie list at the start of 2023 via the pre-season supplemental selection period.

But it’s understood the Saints reworked the deal some time ago after Caminiti played 18 games in his first season at the club.

Caminiti is now contracted for a fifth season at the Saints, through to the end of 2027.

After arriving at Moorabbin as a key forward, Caminiti has been used at both ends of the ground, but has started this year in defence after playing predominantly down back in 2025.

Caminiti has now played 58 games to emerge as a success story out of the SSP. – Josh Gabelich

TASSIE TIGER STARTS TALKS

RICHMOND has started talks around an extension for Rhyan Mansell, with the prospect of Tasmania’s impending entry into the competition likely to hang over the discussions.

Mansell, who is from Launceston, is uncontracted beyond this season having emerged as a key part of the Tigers’ rebuild in recent years.

Richmond is hoping to retain Mansell on a multi-year deal, having entered into negotiations across recent weeks, with the length of tenure likely to be a central factor in the ongoing talks.

A two-year deal would take Mansell to free agency in 2028 and would also squeeze him out of Tasmania’s calculations as the Devils look to piece together their maiden side across the next 18 months.

Tasmania will enter into the competition in 2028 and is set to place a focus on luring local prospects home throughout next season.

Mansell has become a key figure in coach Adem Yze’s plans across recent years, having moved into the midfield at stages last season and after securing a top-10 placing in the club’s best and fairest count in 2024.

However, he’s likely to miss much of the next month after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured wrist earlier this week. – Riley Beveridge

MID-SEASON PICK SWAPS ON BACKBURNER

THE AFL has aborted plans for clubs to trade picks at this year’s mid-season draft.

In late 2024, the League locked in introducing the change to this year under its rolling suite of adjustments to the draft landscape, which would have allowed clubs to trade end-of-year and future picks to be able to shift positions at the mid-season draft.

For instance, a club could have offered West Coast a 2025 national draft second-round pick plus pick No.5 at the mid-season draft in exchange for the No.1 mid-season pick to grab Tom McCarthy.

However, AFL.com.au understand that change has been put on the backburner again and won’t happen this year, with the AFL aware there is already significant changes ahead in coming months with the new bidding system to stretch clubs more than ever before.

The mid-season draft will fall between rounds 11 and 12 in late May, before clubs start their bye weeks in round 12. – Callum Twomey

LONGER DEAL FOR PORT MATURE-AGER

PORT Adelaide debutant Jack Watkins will be at Alberton Oval until at least the end of 2027 after penning an extension after arriving at the club.

Watkins joined the Power at last year’s rookie draft in November, having played in the club’s SANFL team last season.

Under AFL rules, rookie picks are only mandated minimum one-year deals, but given Watkins’ form last season at state league level and his age – he joined as a 25-year-old – he was given a two-year deal by the club.

The former North Melbourne VFL player had 10 disposals and four inside-50s on Sunday against the Roos in his first AFL game. He averaged 27 disposals and four clearances for Port Adelaide Magpies last year and was named the club’s best SANFL player for the season. – Callum Twomey

HAWKS’ INDIGENOUS MANAGER JOINS AFL 

HAWTHORN’S Indigenous player development manager Jamie Bennell will depart the club to join the AFL’s inclusion team.

The former Melbourne and West Coast player joined the Hawks early in 2023 to work with the club’s Indigenous players and programs, having previously been at the AFL Players Association.

He will join the League as the First Nations engagement and projects lead.

Bennell played 57 games for Melbourne and 30 for West Coast before finishing his AFL career in 2016.

The Hawks have also added to their recruiting team, with the club adding Carlton scout Jake Fuller as its South Australia and Western Australia recruiting manager.

That role had been advertised over the past two months after the exit of Mitch Cashion to Tasmania, with Fuller to take over the position at the Hawks.

Hawthorn had its acquisition manager and club great Jarryd Roughead poached last week by Adelaide to be the Crows’ new list manager. – Callum Twomey