Ranking each AFL club’s deals; Hawthorn Hawks; Essendon Bombers; Carlton Blues; GWS Giants; Gold Coast Suns; Melbourne Demons; Geelong Cats; Collingwood Magpies; Richmond Tigers; Sydney Swans; West Coast Eagles; Fremantle Dockers

3. Melbourne

In: Max Heath (St Kilda/trade); Changkuoth Jiath (Hawthorn/trade); Brody Mihocek (Collingwood/trade); Jack Steele (St Kilda/trade); Picks 7, 8, 37, 71; 2026 first-round pick (Gold Coast) and third-round pick (GWS); 2027 third-round pick (Gold Coast)
Out: Clayton Oliver (GWS/trade); Christian Petracca (Gold Coast/trade); Charlie Spargo (North Melbourne/free agency); Judd McVee (Fremantle/trade); Picks 28, 61; 2026 second-round, third-round and fourth-round picks; 2027 third-round and fourth-round picks
Draft picks: 7, 8, 37, 66, 71, 84, 102
Trade grade: B+

Melbourne were one of the busiest clubs under new coach Steven King. The Suns absorbed all of Petracca’s hefty contract and were willing to hand over three first-round selections in that deal. However, the Demons stumped up about half of the money left on the five years remaining on Oliver’s deal to get the Giants interested. They made a late decision to recruit ex-Saints skipper Steele, who they hope will replace some grunt and experience on a three-year deal. Melbourne also put Steven May up for trade in a cultural overhaul, but there were no takers. He has a year remaining on his deal. McVee was one player they did not want to lose, but he accepted a four-year deal at the Dockers, which saw the Demons trade in Hawthorn’s dashing defender Jiath. Spargo was a minor loss, but Mihocek will be a handy veteran addition for their much-maligned attack, and Heath could be Max Gawn’s successor.

4. Carlton

In: Ben Ainsworth (Gold Coast/trade); Campbell Chesser (West Coast/trade); Oliver Florent (Sydney/trade); Will Hayward (Sydney/trade); Liam Reidy (Fremantle/trade); Picks 9, 11, 43, 54, 67, 72; 2026 and 2027 first-round picks (Sydney)
Out: Charlie Curnow (Sydney/trade), Corey Durdin (Port Adelaide/trade); Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni (St Kilda/free agency); Picks 10, 22, 41, 50, 68, 2026 second-round and third-round picks, 2027 second-round pick
Draft picks: 9, 11, 43, 54, 67, 72, 87, 105
Trade grade: B+

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The Blues will miss Curnow in attack, but they scored a monster return from Sydney of three first-round selections across the next three drafts, plus Hayward, who they wanted when he was a free agent last year. Geelong had a tilt first, but Carlton rejected their offer of three first-round picks, all of which were modest. The Blues recast their list with several low-profile acquisitions, including Chesser, Ainsworth, Reidy and Florent, but were unable to appease the Bulldogs for contracted utility Buku Khamis. The free agency losses of De Koning and Silvagni were not ideal, but it would have been unwise to match St Kilda’s outrageous contracts for them.

5. St Kilda

In: Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni (Carlton/free agency); Sam Flanders (Gold Coast/trade); Liam Ryan; 2027 third-round pick (West Coast), 2027 third-round and fourth-round picks (Melbourne)
Out: Max Heath (Melbourne/trade); Jack Steele (Melbourne/trade); Pick 7; 2026 second-round pick
Draft picks: 50, 65, 86, 104
Trade grade: B+

The Saints were patting each other on the back when they secured Carlton free agents Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni, Gold Coast midfielder Sam Flanders and West Coast forward Liam Ryan soon after trade period started. But they tarnished their reputation when they walked away from Giants defender Leek Aleer mid-trade period without a logical reason for doing so. Clearly, St Kilda didn’t want to pay for him, but they used the excuse of not having enough picks when everyone knew they had the option of walking him through the pre-season draft. The Saints put skipper Jack Steele up for trade, and he ended up at Melbourne on deadline day, while they extended future captain Callum Wilkie’s tenure and gave him a pay rise. They held firm on Rowan Marshall, who will form a ruck tandem with De Koning, despite multiple Geelong attempts to lure him.

6. West Coast

In: Brandon Starcevich (Brisbane Lions/trade); Tylar Young (Richmond/trade); Picks 2, 13, 34, 41, 53; 2026 second-round pick
Out: Oscar Allen (Brisbane Lions/free agency); Campbell Chesser (Carlton/trade); Liam Ryan (St Kilda/trade); Picks 17, 23, 24 and 38; 2027 third-round pick
Draft picks: 1, 2, 13, 34, 41, 53, 58, 80, 98
Trade grade: B

Starcevich and Oscar Allen’s compensation pick (No.2) were the Eagles’ two big prizes in the past fortnight. They successfully brokered a trade with the Lions, with Fremantle’s help, for Starcevich, to avoid diluting Allen’s free agency compensation. That means they own the first two picks in this year’s draft as they try to accelerate their rebuild. Young had a good finish to the season for Richmond, but they paid more for the tall defender than they received for 2021 first-round draftee Chesser.

7. Sydney

In: Charlie Curnow (Carlton/trade); Malcolm Rosas jnr (Gold Coast/trade); Jai Serong (Hawthorn/trade); Picks 31, 42, 63; 2026 third-round pick (Carlton); 2026 third-round pick (Collingwood); 2026 fourth-round pick (Hawthorn); 2027 second-round pick (Carlton)
Out: Jack Buller (Collingwood/trade); Oliver Florent (Carlton/trade); Will Hayward (Carlton/trade); Picks 11, 52 and 70; 2026 first-round, third-round and fourth-round picks; 2027 first-round pick
Draft picks: 31, 32, 42, 63, 88, 106
Trade grade: B

The Swans targeted and secured Carlton’s dual Coleman medallist Curnow as their newest rockstar forward, behind Tony Lockett, Barry Hall and Lance Franklin. But at what cost? They not only coughed up a mammoth haul of three first-round picks, plus Hayward, but may have taken a culture hit. James Rowbottom’s name had swirled in trade rumours for a while, but it became clear during the trade period that it was not his doing. Sydney also effectively forced close friends Hayward and Florent out in their desperation to recruit Curnow, which angered some players. The Swans did this to win a flag, and if they do so, it will all be worth it. But Curnow comes with injury risk and if he performs below par, or even his past lofty standards, this trade could seriously backfire. Rosas jnr and Serong are undervalued additions, while Buller was surplus to plans up forward.

8. Geelong

In: James Worpel (Hawthorn/free agency); Pick 99
Out: Patrick Retschko (Richmond/trade)
Draft picks: 19, 40, 60, 78, 96, 99, 114
Trade grade: B

Geelong offered Carlton pick 19 and their first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 for Charlie Curnow, but they were not prepared to make established players Connor O’Sullivan, Max Holmes or Ollie Dempsey part of any deal. Carlton quickly rejected the collection of picks on offer. The Cats’ other main target was St Kilda ruckman Marshall. They offered pick 19 on the first day of trade period but were battling to interest the Saints in trading the contracted Marshall, who is likely to play second fiddle behind free-agent acquisition De Koning. The Cats had another go on deadline day, but still couldn’t get it done. They landed free agent Worpel to give them a big-bodied midfielder to complement their outside runners and help Tom Atkins in a savvy move.

9. Fremantle

In: Judd McVee (Melbourne/trade); Picks 20, 47, 69, 103
Out: Will Brodie (Port Adelaide/trade); Liam Reidy (Carlton/trade); Picks 13, 34, 45, 54, 72
Draft picks: 20, 47, 69, 90, 103, 108
Trade grade: B

Fremantle targeted Melbourne defender McVee from a long way out, and they got their man with plenty of time to spare in the trade period. Raised in Geraldton, McVee played both colts and reserves for East Fremantle, and a trade to the Dockers is a dream come true. He will add speed and classy ball use, but it was still a relatively quiet trade period for a team that needs to get moving in its hunt for a flag. Back-up ruckman Reidy was allowed to leave for an understandable lack of opportunity behind Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy.

10. Western Bulldogs

In: Connor Budarick (Gold Coast/trade); Picks 14, 70, 74
Out: Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Gold Coast/trade); Pick 12
Draft picks: 14, 33, 70, 74, 89, 107
Trade grade: B

The Ugle-Hagan and Bulldogs relationship soured and both sides needed to move on. The win here was shedding about $800,000 per year from their books.
A huge offer to St Kilda star Callum Wilkie was not enough for him to break contract and head to the Dogs, but it did force the Saints to revise his deal and add two more years to his contract. The Bulldogs traded in Suns utility Budarick for pick 37, after moving back a couple of spots in the first round to secure that selection in a pick swap with the Giants. They refused to part with contracted defender Khamis despite him wanting to play for the Blues. But the Doggies did not land a key defender, deciding they wanted only to recruit an A-grader rather than just adding one to their list for the sake of it. James O’Donnell, Rory Lobb and Jedd Busslinger should be adequate for now. It was a quieter trade period from a club that has grabbed a fair share of headlines at this time in previous years.

11. Brisbane Lions

In: Oscar Allen (West Coast/free agency), Sam Draper (Essendon/free agency); Picks 17, 23, 44, 51, 59; 2026 third-round pick (Melbourne)
Out: Brandon Starcevich (trade); picks 19, 45, 46, 52 and 56
Draft picks: 17, 23, 44, 51, 59, 68, 79, 97, 115
Trade grade: B-

The Lions opted to lose Callum Ah Chee for nothing rather than accept what they considered an unsuitable offer from Adelaide for their two-time premiership forward. Ah Chee, who is out of contract, is headed to the pre-season draft. Most of Brisbane’s work was done early. They worked with the Eagles and Fremantle to trade picks that allowed them to secure a trade for departing free agent Starcevich. The Lions had already nabbed free agents Allen and Draper after their premiership win. Deven Robertson will depart as a delisted free agent, so the Eagles can add him to their expanded rookie list. The club wanted to accumulate picks to secure academy graduate Daniel Annable.

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12. Hawthorn

In: Picks 10, 22; 2026 fourth-round pick (Melbourne), 2026 third-round pick (Sydney)
Out: James Worpel (Geelong/free agency); Changkuoth Jiath (Melbourne/trade); Jai Serong (Sydney/trade); Picks 9, 31, 2026 fourth-round pick
Draft picks: 10, 22, 62, 76, 94, 112
Trade grade: B-

The Hawks made an aggressive play for Essendon captain Zach Merrett that ultimately fell short. Merrett was desperate to cross to Waverley Park, and the clubs were still going back and forth in the final half an hour, but Hawthorn were unwilling to meet the Bombers’ demand of four first-rounders and a second-rounder. Worpel had fallen down the midfield pecking order, but is still a free agency loss, while Jiath and Serong were clearly not in Sam Mitchell’s long-term plans. The Hawks scored Carlton’s Silvagni compensation pick (22) for sliding back one spot in the top 10 of this year’s draft.

13. Adelaide

In: Finnbar Maley (North Melbourne/trade); Pick 64
Out: Pick 57; 2026 fourth-round pick
Draft picks: 16, 48, 55, 64, 73, 75, 93, 111
Trade grade: B-

The Crows failed to broker a trade with Brisbane for dual premiership-winning forward Ah Chee, but he is out of contract – and his agent, Ben Williams, said there was “zero chance” he would return to the Lions. Instead, Ah Chee will join Adelaide in the pre-season draft, assuming another club doesn’t jump in first. The Crows did add North Melbourne ruck-forward Finnbar Maley, who played seven matches with the Kangaroos, and exchanged late picks that interrupted their face-off with Brisbane over Ah Chee. The Lions wanted a first-round pick, but the Crows would not budge on their offer of a future second-round selection, given his age and role.

14. Essendon

In: Brayden Fiorini (Gold Coast/trade); Pick 21
Out: Sam Draper (Brisbane Lions/free agency); 2026 third-round pick
Draft picks: 5, 6, 21, 27, 30, 83, 101
Trade grade: C+

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The Bombers’ trade period will be remembered for what they didn’t trade – disgruntled but contracted captain Merrett. Essendon continued to maintain in the lead-up to deadline day that they would not trade him under any circumstances, but they softened slightly to at least let Hawthorn know what it would take. The demand was enormous: four first-round picks and a cherry-on-top second-round selection in return for the six-time club champion. The Hawks never seriously contemplated doing that, but made significant offers based around picks and Henry Hustwaite. Losing ruckman Draper was not ideal, but they did secure Fiorini for a future third-rounder to fill a wing spot.

15. Collingwood

In: Jack Buller (Sydney/trade); Picks 45, 56, 61; 2026 fourth-round pick (Sydney)
Out: Brody Mihocek (Collingwood/trade); Picks 59, 71
Draft picks: 39, 45, 56, 61, 77, 95, 113
Trade grade: C+

This was a trade period of whiffs for the Magpies. Collingwood made an offer to Carlton free agent Silvagni; coach Craig McRae spoke to Sydney’s James Rowbottom; and list manager Justin Leppitsch made a half-hearted effort to get Oliver. They then pivoted to North Melbourne’s Jy Simpkin, but their offer of a 2027 first-round pick and another selection in the 40s did not come close to tempting the Roos. The Pies had a win in retaining Jamie Elliott, who was close to joining Gold Coast, but lost veteran Mihocek to Melbourne, albeit it was a move most Collingwood fans applauded. Ex-Swan Buller is effectively Mihocek’s replacement. Collingwood were open to clubs approaching Jordan De Goey, and hoped the Saints might bite with a top-10 pick, but they were also happy to retain the matchwinner.

16. Port Adelaide

In: Will Brodie (Fremantle/trade); Corey Durdin (Carlton/trade); Jacob Wehr (GWS/free agency); 2026 second-round pick (Carlton)
Out: Picks 29, 67, 103
Draft picks: 49, 85
Trade grade: C

For a club that’s just finished 13th and changed coaches, it’s been an equally uninspiring trade period for Port. They brought in three players who have upside, but are unlikely to significantly move the needle in Wehr, Durdin and Brodie. Durdin, a South Australian local, is 23 and has shown flashes of brilliance during his time at Carlton, while Brodie, who started his career at Gold Coast, has demonstrated he can be a more-than-competent midfielder during periods at the Dockers, including his best season in 2022 when his new coach Josh Carr was Fremantle’s midfield coach.

17. Richmond

In: Patrick Retschko (Geelong/trade); Pick 38
Out: Tylar Young (West Coast/trade); Pick 99
Draft picks: 3, 4, 38, 81
Trade grade: C

The Tigers were active early and late, but were otherwise silent for the vast majority of the trade period. Defender Young headed to West Coast in exchange for pick 38, and Richmond pulled off a mini-shock on deadline day, snaring relatively unknown rookie Cat Retschko for pick 99. Taken in the rookie draft in 2024, Retschko hasn’t played at AFL level yet, but is known for his endurance and agility, and was a solid VFL performer. The Tigers had a huge draft last year after losing some experienced stars, and they are willing to let the kids grow organically under coach Adem Yze.

18. North Melbourne

In: Charlie Spargo (Melbourne/free agency); Pick 57; 2026 fourth-round pick (Adelaide)
Out: Finnbar Maley; Pick 64
Draft picks: 25, 26, 46, 57, 82, 100
Trade grade: D+

They made a strong play for St Kilda’s Marcus Windhager and Gold Coast’s Budarick, but could not entice them to join. Windhager stayed at the Saints, while Budarick chose the Bulldogs. They added Spargo as an unrestricted free agent, and never came close to considering Collingwood’s bid to lure contracted skipper Simpkin, who was unhappy with his midfield time. Simpkin appears likely to lose the captaincy after trying to force his way out. North were comfortable trading uncontracted forward-ruck Maley. Without a first-round pick in this year’s draft, it has been an uninspiring trade period from the perennial cellar-dwellers.

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