Why Jamie Elliott and Brody Mihocek are yet to re-sign with Collingwood Magpies; Harley Reid stays with West Coast Eagles for two more seasons

Collingwood have presented him with a two-year offer, which could take him through to the end of his career, but he is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end and knows this looms as his last multi-year deal.

Elliott, who has kicked 339 goals in 217 matches, would attract significant interest from other clubs if he can’t reach an agreement with Collingwood.

Mihocek wants the same two-year security as Elliott, and there is a risk he will finish his career elsewhere if a rival club decides he is worth it.

Rookie Roan Steele was the sub on Friday night against Melbourne and has been impressive since joining the club as a mid-season rookie, while Lachie Sullivan was a regular member of the team before he was injured against Richmond. Both players are likely to earn another deal.

Harley stays an Eagle

West Coast have locked in No.1 draft pick Harley Reid until 2028 in a massive coup for the club at the start of a massive rebuild.

The announcement comes just days after skipper Oscar Allen told the Eagles he was leaving the club as a restricted free agent to join the Brisbane Lions.

Reid was already contracted until 2026 on a standard three-year deal after being taken with the first pick of the 2023 national draft, so the new deal is an extension of two seasons.

Reid polled seven Brownlow votes in his brilliant opening season but made a slow start in 2025 as he battled injury through the pre-season and took time to find form. The young Eagle has had multiple clubs waiting to see whether he would settle in Western Australia, with Hawthorn extremely keen on the 20-year-old.

Reid’s decision is an endorsement of new coach Andrew McQualter and the club’s direction.

“Since the day I arrived in Perth, the West Coast Eagles members and fans have been so supportive of me and our team, and the future with our young squad is super exciting,” Reid said.

“Playing at Optus Stadium in front of our fans is an unbelievable experience and I love representing the club.

“The support from our coaches and my teammates has been amazing over the last two years, and I’m looking forward to continuing to develop my game and helping the team climb back up the ladder.

“I can’t wait for the 2026 season and beyond to see what we can achieve together.”

Reid’s decision could make the Eagles more open to trading the contracted Liam Ryan, who requested a trade on Tuesday. The Eagles said in a statement the 28-year-old premiership player remained a required player, but agreed to continue discussions with Ryan and his management about a possible trade. St Kilda are leading the race for his services as they look for an experienced small forward to join their line-up.

West Coast are also in the hunt for Brisbane Lions free agent Brandon Starcevich, however they would need to be prepared to trade to secure him so they do not dilute their compensation for losing Allen, which is expected to be pick No.2.

First-round draft selection Campbell Chesser has also received a two-year offer to remain at the Eagles after playing in the final four games following ankle surgery on the eve of the season. The 22-year-old has, however, attracted interest from a Victorian club looking to build their midfield depth.

From Albury, Chesser has played 36 matches since being selected with pick No.14 in the 2021 national draft.

Clubs warned: Pure draft at the top end on the horizon

Football managers were told last week to be prepared for changes to be made to the draft rules in 2026 as the AFL investigates the prospect of clubs being denied priority access to potential father-son and next-generation academy selections in the first round of the draft.

The AFL was unable to provide any details of the meeting led by football performance boss Greg Swann, but clubs left the meeting forewarned that they should keep the prospect of changes in mind as they draft future selections and position themselves to gain talent over which they have priority access.

Club officials have already been suggesting the system would be best served by leaving it alone for a period of time to give the changes introduced this season – via a new draft value index, less discounts for priority access players, and the ability to trade future picks two years in advance – a chance to have an impact, however there is sympathy for the notion that clubs should pay a fair price for father-son selections.

The Brisbane Lions added father-son duo Will and Levi Ashcroft, as well as Jaspa Fletcher, in the 2022 and 2024 national drafts while being in premiership contention. The Ashcroft brothers were rated as top-five selections in both drafts, but the Lions were able to secure the pair using a collection of second- and third-round picks.

However, clubs such as Carlton, who have highly rated father-sons Harry Dean (son of Peter) and Cody Walker (son of Andrew) coming through the pipeline in the next two years, and Essendon, who could secure Koby Bewick (son of Darren) in the 2026 national draft, will be hoping if changes are made to the father-son rules they are introduced gradually.

Delistings at Kangaroos and Saints as Demons sign veterans

North Melbourne delisted Eddie Ford, Kallan Dawson, Miller Bergman and Brynn Teakle on Tuesday and St Kilda announced that Harry Boyd and Angus McLennan would not be offered contracts next season.

Ford played 40 matches, Dawson 19, Bergman 16 and Teakle 15 for the Kangaroos. Boyd played one match for the Saints after being a pre-season supplemental selection, while McLennan played three matches.

Melbourne, meanwhile, re-signed veterans Jake Melksham and Tom McDonald for 2026 after solid seasons from the pair.

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