Bombers eye premiership Tiger, Roos circle Cat, Lion weighs rival offers

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.

PRESTIA IN BOMBERS' SIGHTS

THREE-TIME Richmond premiership great Dion Prestia is set to meet with Essendon about a role in 2027, with a spot on the list being explored.

The 33-year-old has made it clear since his time at the Tigers came to an end in August that he wants to continue his 254-game playing career in 2027.

Prestia is currently overseas but is set to meet with new Bombers coach Mark McVeigh when he returns to Melbourne.

Essendon has a handful of coaching positions to fill after the departures of Cam Roberts, Ben Jacobs and David Rath, plus uncertainty around Dean Solomon and has interest in Prestia, predominantly as a coach.

Greater Western Sydney coach Adam Kingsley has made an approach to add Prestia as a development coach.

The Giants, like the Bombers, are understood to have not ruled out a playing contract to start for 2027.

Prestia's durability has been a concern in the past, but the Jack Dyer medallist played 17 games in 2026 and is keen to play on for a 17th season.

The former Gold Coast vice-captain is well regarded for his leadership and football IQ. Those who have worked with him, like Kingsley, view him as a long-term coach in the AFL. – Josh Gabelich

NORTH'S TRADE MOVES PRESS ON

NORTH Melbourne's decision to sack coach Alastair Clarkson comes as the Roos hit the market with a number of trade targets, including Geelong's Jack Bowes.

North might be one of footy's most attractive jobs after a sustained six-year rebuild, cash to splash and young guns committed long-term.

It is looking to top up its list this off-season, with key defenders Jordan Ridley and Nick Murray in its sights.

North wants to land both of the contracted defenders and, as revealed on Gettable last month, would be willing to table its future first-round selection and a five-year deal to land Murray, who has two years left on his deal at the Crows and has been stuck behind other key defenders in Adelaide's SANFL team.

Ridley has been leaning towards wanting to join North for a change of scenery after several injury-riddled seasons with the Bombers, with his decision now narrowed to staying at Essendon or pursuing a move to the Kangaroos after his hopes of a shift to a Queensland club didn't eventuate. He has three years remaining on his contract after attempting to move to Brisbane last year.

Clarkson had been central to the Roos' pitches to the defensive pair.

The Roos also hold interest in Bowes, who is out of contract at Geelong and also has Essendon circling for him. The versatile Cat could join a third AFL club as he mulls his next move.

North Melbourne's move on Clarkson, which the club's bosses told players on Wednesday had come in part due to feedback from the playing group, comes as Zane Duursma has been expected to seek a trade to Melbourne.

Duursma's relationship with Clarkson was not considered strong and the former top-five pick has been eyeing a move to the Demons for a fresh start, with the Clarkson exit not expected to shift his position.

The club's pursuit of Ridley and Murray does leave a question mark on Griffin Logue's future at the club, despite his remaining two years on his deal. – Callum Twomey

DEALS TABLED FOR LION

MELBOURNE and St Kilda have ramped up their pursuit of out-of-contract Brisbane midfielder Sam Marshall.

Both the Demons and Saints are understood to be offering three-year deals to land the 2025 premiership player.

Essendon has also expressed interest across 2026 and is expected to accelerate trade discussions now it has signed Mark McVeigh, while the Western Bulldogs have monitored the situation.

Marshall became a premiership player in just his 11th game at the end of his first season, but has struggled for chances since he was subbed out of the Grand Final for Lachie Neale.

The 20-year-old has managed only two senior appearances this year, while starring in the VFL, where he averaged 25 disposals and 4.3 clearances per game.

Rival clubs are trying to pick off opportunity-starved Lions with Will McLachlan also on the radar of multiple clubs, while Shadeau Brain is also generating interest, but he is contracted for 2027.

Marshall was a member of Brisbane’s Academy but went to boarding school at Melbourne Grammar on a scholarship from Year 10 and played for the Sandringham Dragons in the Talent League. – Josh Gabelich

DONS' ASSISTANCE D-DAY

ESSENDON'S hopes of an assistance package will be decided on Brownlow Medal day as the AFL Commission meets to make a call on the Bombers' request.

The club has applied for an end-of-first-round selection, extra soft cap relief and more rookie positions, but there is less confidence than earlier in the year that they would land an end-of-first-round selection as part of any package.

AFL.com.au revealed earlier last month the Bombers had asked for soft cap relief but there is little hope of that being granted from the League.

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Rookie positions that are used to add experienced players to their group, like West Coast was granted last year as well as an end-of-first-round pick, looms as a possibility in the assistance request.

Ultimately the call will rest with the AFL Commission, which meets on Brownlow Medal day with the result to be known ahead of the free agency and trade window starting the week following the Grand Final.

The Bombers, like all teams with top-five picks, will receive a bonus pick immediately following their natural selection at the start of the second round should their pick be shunted down at least one spot in the order by a matched father-son or Academy bid. – Callum Twomey

SUNS CLOSE ON ROGERS BREAKTHROUGH

GOLD Coast is set to retain Academy graduate Jake Rogers on a fresh three-year deal, after upping its offer recently amid late rival interest.

The Suns had spent time working towards a two-year extension for Rogers, but are now likely to secure the forward through until 2029 after making a revised offer.

Rogers had garnered interest from a host of sides throughout the year, including Collingwood and Hawthorn, and had spent recent months weighing up his options.

But he's now close to an agreement on a three-year extension, having regained his place in Damien Hardwick's senior plans and playing the final four games of the season.

Rogers graduated through Gold Coast's Academy program, with the Suns matching a bid at pick No.14 to secure him in the 2024 draft, and has played 27 games for the club across his first three years in the system. – Riley Beveridge

WATCH ON PIES ASSISTANT

THERE is change afoot at Collingwood and that could extend to the Pies' coaching panel.

The Magpies have already farewelled nine players from their list after six delistings on Tuesday, which followed the departure of Bobby Hill, retirement of Steele Sidebottom and exit of Scott Pendlebury to Gold Coast.

From a coaching perspective, the Pies have already spoken to Corey Enright, who is weighing up his options while out of contract at Geelong and is in no rush to make a decision.

And there is a watch on long-term senior assistant Hayden Skipworth, who has a year to run on his contract at Collingwood but has rival interest. Skipworth has been at Collingwood since 2020 and has been a senior assistant to Craig McRae in recent years and during the Pies' 2023 flag win.

The Magpies are also looking to fill the head of development role that they did not replace when Josh Fraser left Collingwood to join Carlton at the end of last year. – Callum Twomey

DOG SIGNS ON

JEDD Busslinger has signed a two-year contract extension to remain at the Western Bulldogs.

The 2022 first-round pick is now contracted through until the end of 2028.

Busslinger has served a long apprenticeship in the VFL, but this year has played a career-high eight games after seven appearances in 2025.

The West Australian last played in round 21 and has averaged 16.1 disposals, 8.5 spoils and 4.6 marks per game this year.

With Jhye Clark and Matt Jefferson recently signing new deals, Elijah Tsatas, Ollie Hollands and Ed Allan are the only first-round picks from the 2022 Telstra AFL Draft yet to sign deals for 2027. – Josh Gabelich

WAIT ON INDIGENOUS ROOKIE SPOT

THERE remains toing and froing between the AFL and AFL Players Association on the introduction of the extra Category B rookie spot for Indigenous players being introduced this year.

The AFL told clubs in July it had decided to introduce the move for 2026 in a bid to boost numbers of Indigenous players on lists after they had reached an all-time low.

But as it is a change to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the move needs sign-off by the Players Association, which has preferred the introduction of the extra Category B rookie was delayed until 2028 when the next CBA kicks in.

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The AFLPA have pushed for more frameworks and support to be established by the League alongside the extra rookie spot before giving its all clear, with the AFL Commission meeting in Grand Final week looming as a deadline for a decision.

Players such as Zac Williams, Jade Gresham and Robert Hansen jnr are all being looked at by rivals as potential Category B rookies under the new rule for Indigenous players, while a number of draft hopefuls at the back end of this year's pool also shape as potential additions to clubs' lists via the mechanism if it is approved.

Clubs also considering recruiting an international rookie, such as the American athletes who recently toured clubs in Australia, are also waiting on calls about the Indigenous Category B rookie spot given the flow-on effects of being able to add a third rookie under those rules if clubs already have an Indigenous player listed as that type of rookie.– Callum Twomey

DEVILS DARKHORSE

A DARKHORSE has emerged as a contender for one of Tasmania's final spots in its batch of under-17 signings.

Tall forward Nathaniel Jenkins, from the Calder Cannons, will go through the Devils' scouting process in coming weeks as the club decides on its final list of six or seven under-17 players to be signed officially at the end of this month.

Axel Walsh and Jake Miller are considered certainties for the Devils' bracket of players, with Vic Metro pair Angus Brown and Riley Stratford also expected to be part of the initial group.

The others in contention are Griffin Barker, James Artemis, Baxter Sruk and Max Thompson, with Jenkins also in the mix. Jenkins is a 196cm goalkicker who can also shift into defence, and he was added to the Devils' watchlist mid-year after their initial group was released in February.

The Devils will unveil their first ever players in the days after the Grand Final with a showcase event in Hobart. – Callum Twomey

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