No rush for Neale, Swans start signings, Bombers' big trade call

Check out all the latest trade news from around the League

L-R: Lachie Neale, Jesse Dattoli and Adam Sweid. Picture: AFL Photos

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.

NEALE IN NO RUSH

DUAL Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale will wait until later in the year to pick up contract talks before reaching free agency status in 2026.

The brilliant Brisbane premiership midfielder is signed until the end next season, but has history of early re-signings, having penned a three-year extension in 2022 before he was due to come out of contract in 2023.

That came after speculation he was eyeing a move back to Fremantle.

Lachie Neale in action during round seven, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

But with his 300th game in sight, the soon-to-be 32-year-old will wait until deeper into this year before getting to a decision on extending past 2026 at Brisbane.

The former Docker has become a champion of the competition at Brisbane, where he is a two-time Brownlow Medallist, four-time best and fairest winner and four-time All-Australian.

Next year he would be a free agent for the first time as he enters his eighth season at the Lions, having departed the Dockers in 2018 when he was a pre-agent. He has played 279 games across his career and was one of Brisbane's best in their Grand Final win over Sydney last year. – Callum Twomey

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SWANS START ON NEXT DEALS

SYDNEY is close to tying up draftees Jesse Dattoli and Ned Bowman on third-year extensions, as the club turns its focus to its next batch of contract calls after locking away superstar midfielder Chad Warner last week.

The Swans are moving to secure Dattoli and Bowman until 2027, while they have also opened talks with uncontracted pair Sam Wicks and Caiden Cleary for new deals beyond this season.

Dattoli and Bowman were both recruited outside the top 20 selections in last year's national draft, and subsequently signed standard two-year deals, although the club is close to agreeing extensions for a third season for both youngsters.

Sydney recruits (back row) Ben Paton, Riak Andrew, Riley Bice and Blake Laidler, and (front row) Ned Bowman and Jesse Dattoli. Picture: Sydney Swans

Meanwhile, both Wicks and Cleary have also been engaged in contract talks beyond this season as both continue to establish themselves as senior regulars through the first part of the campaign.

Wicks has been converted into a lockdown small defender under new Sydney coach Dean Cox, while Academy graduate Cleary has now played four successive games after missing the start of the year through suspension.

Warner had been the Swans' priority re-signing heading into the season, with the club finally agreeing a two-year deal for the star midfielder last week that will take him through to free agency in 2027. – Callum Twomey, Riley Beveridge

BOMBERS FACING TRADE CALL

ESSENDON faces a decision between supercharging its rebuild with potentially four first-round picks this year or using multiple early selections to target a big fish at the trade table.

The Bombers hold their own first-round pick this year (currently No.7) and Melbourne's first pick (currently No.4) but with Next Generation Academy pair Adam Sweid and Hussein El Achkar rising into first-round contention, the club could leave the draft with four first-round selections for the first time in Essendon's history.

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They secured the Dees pick as part of the trade last year that saw the Bombers opt out of the first round to collect more points to match for Isaac Kako and take the Demons' selection for this season.

There has been a draft focus at play at the club that saw the Bombers last year take five picks as national draftees and also retain all of their first-round picks between 2020-24. That has netted Essendon Nik Cox, Archie Perkins, Zach Reid, Ben Hobbs, Elijah Tsatas, Nate Caddy and Kako.

Bringing in another four players as first-round selections, taking into account the first round this year could blow out to a record 30 plus selections due to bidding, would take the Bombers' haul to six first-round picks over three years.

Sweid's midfield form has pushed him into top-20 equations while El Achkar has shown he can hit the scoreboard across the year as an exciting forward. Both have spent time with the Bombers recently as part of their NGA program.

Adam Sweid in action for Vic Metro against the Young Gun on April 26, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

But the Bombers are also looking at the right trade targets to dangle their first-round picks for, with the club among a host of rivals chasing West Coast's Harley Reid. Essendon also met with Matt Rowell last off-season and although Victorian clubs are of the sense Rowell is more likely to remain at the Suns, his contract talks have not yet progressed.

Essendon is also in the market for Port Adelaide's Zak Butters, who has Geelong and the Western Bulldogs chasing him, but the Power are not expected to let their superstar midfielder depart before he hits free agency in 2026. All three of those players would take multiple first-round selections to sway in any deal.

Gettable revealed this week the Bombers are among the clubs with interest in Brisbane free agent Brandon Starcevich and will monitor the premiership defender as he returns in coming weeks from his concussion setback earlier this year. – Callum Twomey

YOUNG PIE’S STAY EXTENDED

COLLINGWOOD extended Bobby Hill until 2030 this week, but also locked away young defender Wil Parker quietly last year.

The 22-year-old signed a two-year deal when he walked away from cricket to join the Magpies as a Category B rookie last February.

Parker hit a trigger for an extra season for 2026 when he featured in five games in his first season at Collingwood.

With Dan Houston and Harry Perryman joining Collingwood, plus Josh Daicos spending time at half-back in 2025, opportunities have dried up for the former Hobart Hurricanes bowler, but Parker doesn’t have to worry about his contract status this year.

Bobby Hill celebrates a goal during round seven, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Hill first contract didn’t expire until 2026, but the Norm Smith Medallist put pen to paper on a four-year extension this week after playing 54 of 56 games since joining the club at the end of 2022.

Collingwood list manager Justin Leppitsch faces some big contract calls later in the year with eight veterans currently without deals for 2026, including Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, Jamie Elliott, Brody Mihocek and Jeremy Howe.

Brayden Maynard is facing a massive free agency decision, while Mason Cox is set for more opportunities over the next couple of months to help the American’s bid to play on again next year.

Tom Mitchell hasn’t played since Anzac Day last year due to repeat issues with his foot but the Brownlow Medallist is aiming to resume his career in the second half of 2025 and continue to playing in 2026. – Josh Gabelich

Nick Daicos is smooched by Brayden Maynard during round seven, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

YOUNG ROO EYES NEW DEAL

NORTH Melbourne youngster Robbie Hansen jnr is in discussions on a contract extension with the Roos.

The 21-year-old, who was a mid-season recruit in 2023, was due to come out of contract this season but talks are on to extend into 2026.

Hansen has played four games this season for a total of 12 at AFL level for the club.

Robert Hansen jnr (left) speaks with Alastair Clarkson during a North Melbourne training session on August 6, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

He was selected by the Roos with pick No.2 at the 2023 mid-season intake, having arrived by Subiaco in the WAFL.

North is giving opportunities to Hansen as it searches to add to its small forward brigade inside-50. – Callum Twomey

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ANOTHER DARCY AT DOGS?

THE WESTERN Bulldogs have already got one Darcy on their list. How about a second?

Will Darcy, the younger brother of emerging superstar Sam, has caught the eye of clubs as a possible draftee this year.

The father-son candidate played for Scotch College on the weekend at school level and impressed as a key defender.

Sam Darcy during the Western Bulldogs' match against St Kilda in R6, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

The draft-eligible player isn't a part of the Oakleigh Chargers program, having opted to focus on his school sport, but recruiters who saw him play on the weekend were impressed by his movement and game sense.

Although Sam Darcy developed significantly in his draft year and rose to attract the highest ever father-son bid at the 2021 national draft (No.2 overall), Will is not at the same level but is viewed as a possible later draft option.

Sam Darcy, Tom Liberatore, Rhylee West and Jordan Croft are already on the Dogs' list as father-sons, with Darcy a third-generation Bulldog following father Luke and grandfather David. – Callum Twomey

DISCOUNT DECISION COMING

THE POINTS discount applied to clubs matching Academy and father-son bids has been reduced to 10 per cent this year, but the AFL is still reviewing whether to completely remove it as part of the new Draft Value Index.

The League announced last year that it would be reducing the discount from 20 to 10 per cent, but left the door ajar for it to be wiped out as part of its range of measures to tighten up the bidding and points system.

Swans Academy products Braeden Campbell, Sam Wicks, Isaac Heeney, Callum Mills, Nick Blakey and Errol Gulden. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The AFL said at that time that it would continue to review the 10 per cent points discount for clubs and whether it should apply to all or some of the father-son, Next Generation Academy and Northern Academy bidding categories.

While some clubs believe a discount should remain for clubs who have put in the work for their tied players, others are of the view that the benefit of having priority access to the players is enough without the layer of any discount.

The compromised nature of this year's draft, with the expectation of more than 10 bids in the first round, means clubs with access to multiple players will be sweating on the discount decision. – Callum Twomey

EX-CAT BACK ON AFL RADAR

GEELONG premiership midfielder Brandan Parfitt is back on the AFL radar as a potential mid-season rookie recruit, with a host of clubs now eyeing the ex-Cat after his impressive start to the season in Western Australia.

Parfitt, who has been playing for WAFL side Perth this season, has got his body right after an injury-plagued end to his Geelong career and has subsequently returned to the sights of AFL clubs keen on midfield depth.

Brandan Parfitt in action during Geelong's VFL semi-final match on September 7, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

The 27-year-old is averaging 31 disposals per game and continued his stellar start to the year with another 34 touches in a best-on-ground performance as Perth easily accounted for East Perth last Saturday night.

Parfitt has been producing his solid block of form right under the noses of West Coast, who currently holds the No.1 pick in next month's mid-season draft and has a list vacancy having not filled its final spot across the summer.

A member of Geelong's 2022 premiership winning side, Parfitt played 130 games across eight seasons for the Cats but was delisted last year. He signed for Perth after a successful recent stint with Nightcliff in the NTFL. – Riley Beveridge

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