Collingwood finally in contract talks with improving young gun

Updated August 5, 2026 — 4:45pm,first published 3:40pm

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In today’s AFL Briefing, your wrap of footy news:

Collingwood’s willingness to offer Ed Allan a deal follows his significant improvement since he was shifted to the midfield.

The legal cases in the US against Hawthorn pair Dylan Moore and Connor Macdonald have officially come to a close.

Collingwood are in contract discussions with fourth-year midfielder Ed Allan, in what is the first confirmation that the Magpies are keen to retain the out-of-contract onballer.

The Magpies had delayed contract talks with Allan’s management until very recently, with the 22-year-old midfielder having spent almost the duration of the season without a contract in front of him.

Collingwood’s willingness to offer Allan a deal follows his significant improvement since he was shifted to the midfield – he had often been deployed on a wing previously – and given the responsibility of tagging the opposition’s prime movers.

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Allan was successful in curbing Adelaide gun Jordan Dawson in Collingwood’s upset of the Crows two rounds back, when the Magpies surmounted a 27-point deficit to run over the home side. Allan booted two important goals and smothered the Adelaide skipper in the second half.

The West Australian, the son of ex-Hawthorn and Fremantle star Ben Allan, restricted North gun Luke Davies-Uniacke in round 18 in a narrow victory and has been matched to Melbourne superstar Kysaiah Pickett and Richmond’s premier midfielder Tim Taranto since he assumed midfield tagging duties.

Allan, drafted by the Magpies with their first choice in the 2022 national draft (pick No.19), is 194 centimetres – close to the same size as Carlton great Patrick Cripps – and possesses a turn of speed. Until his deployment as a tagger, however, he had struggled for both midfield minutes and consistent impact.

While there has been speculation about interest from WA, Allan had not been a recruiting target for his opponents this weekend, the Eagles. He is a chance to be matched against 2023 No.1 pick Harley Reid this Sunday.

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Allan has played 15 games at senior level this year, for a career tally of 30. He has just been selected in the AFL Players’ Association’s team of the best players aged 22 and under.

Collingwood are facing major list management calls after this season, with super veterans Steele Sidebottom and Scott Pendlebury still to announce their intentions, though Sidebottom is expected to retire, and defender Jeremy Howe, 36, will be offered a contract.

The Magpies are favourites to sign dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale as a free agent, as Neale ponders his likely exit from the Brisbane Lions. They are one of four clubs who have met with Port Adelaide champion Zak Butters, who is expected to leave Port as a free agent and move back to Victoria, but are viewed as outsiders compared with the Bulldogs, Geelong and even Richmond.

- Jake Niall

Mitchell says Hawks pair have grown since US arrest

Scott Spits

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Hawthorn pair Dylan Moore and Connor Macdonald have been praised by coach Sam Mitchell for their efforts on and off the field since they were arrested and spent a night in custody in the US during the off-season.

The legal cases against both players officially came to a close this week when an American court formally dismissed charges against Macdonald, who, like Moore, was arrested and charged with criminal trespass after climbing onto a scissor lift in a Phoenix parking lot in November.

Both players were given diversion deals in a Scottsdale court and fined $US250 ($355), which resulted in their charge being dismissed. Moore’s case was finalised and dismissed last month.

The Hawks stripped Moore of the vice captaincy after the incident, but Mitchell said the club had continued to back the pair who had been transparent about their involvement “right from the start”.

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The two players were caught 2½ metres off the ground on a boom lift in a central Scottsdale car park at 10.47pm on November 8, but arrest was kept quiet until March when Moore confessed he had spent a night in jail and apologised in an interview with Channel Seven.

“Everyone [at Hawthorn] was across it,” Mitchell said on Wednesday.

“They had a level of discomfort clearly, but they felt that everyone was in their corner and had a level of understanding.

“We haven’t had any surprises through the whole period.

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“So, I think it’s probably nice for them to have it off their back, but from our point of view it hasn’t changed how we’ve treated them.

“They’re both having really good seasons, and we’re really pleased with their performances.

“And sometimes having adversity can make you grow, and I think they’ve both done that this year.”

The third-placed Hawthorn are firmly on track for a top-six finish and will benefit from a week’s rest after round 24 in their pursuit of a premiership. Set to avoid the pressure of playing the AFL’s new wildcard round – for teams between seventh and 10th – Mitchell said he “didn’t read too much” into the AFL’s warning to clubs about player management in the final home-and-away round.

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Mitchell declared that such an edict wouldn’t change his club’s decision-making.

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“I didn’t read too much into it. I’m sort of more focused on this week,” Mitchell said ahead of Hawthorn’s clash against Brisbane at the Gabba.

“We’ll certainly pick the team that we think can win the game that we’re playing.”

Asked specifically if he felt under any pressure by what the league’s edict from AFL football boss Greg Swann, Mitchell replied: “No, I didn’t feel any pressure at all.

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More:

AFL 2026

Collingwood Magpies

Hawthorn Hawks

Trading and drafting

Draft

AFL off-field behaviour

Jake Niall is a Walkley award-winning sports journalist and chief AFL writer for The Age.Connect via X or email.

Scott Spits is a sports reporter for The AgeConnect via X or email.

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