The AFL trade period is a time of great anticipation and speculation, with clubs circling stars and veterans weighing up their futures. As we approach the halfway mark of the 2026 season, the trade machine is already humming, and the market is set to explode in a $20m race. In this article, I will delve into the state of play for each of the 18 AFL clubs, analyzing their key targets and the potential moves that could shape the league.
Adelaide Crows
The Crows have been very active in their pursuit of rival superstars, with their hunt for Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Christian Petracca last season being a notable example. While they were ultimately unsuccessful in acquiring either player, their attention has now turned to Zac Bailey, one of very few restricted free agents on the market this year. Bailey, who is only behind Zak Butters as the biggest name on the trade table, is considered the early frontrunner for the Crows should he depart Springfield at season's end. However, any acquisition will cost the Crows a fortune.
Brisbane Lions
A lot of the noise at Springfield this season revolves around star midfielder-forward Zac Bailey, who is a restricted free agent and has clubs aplenty chasing him. Given how much talent the Lions' list is filled with, it's hard for the club to match some of the reported figures being thrown Bailey's way. All that said, it's still too early to get a major read on what his AFL future may look like.
Carlton
The Blues have a monster number of players out of contract heading into Round 10 of this season, and you can expect that to remain the case for at least a little while longer. With the exception of their new recruits, Sam Walsh and Jagga Smith, no name seems to be off the table in the eyes of some media figures and pundits - think Patrick Cripps, Jacob Weitering and Adam Cerra, among others.
Collingwood
Are the Magpies in the Zak Butters race? Yes, but nowhere near to the level of the Western Bulldogs or Geelong, which won't surprise many. However, there has been a recent update in the club's interest in fellow restricted free agent Ben King, with Seven's Mitch Cleary reporting he is no longer being pursued by Collingwood as he edges towards a short-term extension at Gold Coast.
Essendon
Perhaps unlike previous years, the Bombers have a decent number of players locked away until the end of 2027, but there are still 14 out-of-contract names worth keeping an eye on this season. Before dissecting them though, the elephant in the room remains Zach Merrett, after his trade request to Hawthorn last October fell through.
Fremantle
As is well-documented, Fremantle entered the 2026 trade period with their premiership-contending core firmly locked away for years to come, but still face decisions on more than a dozen out-of-contract players, many of whom are veterans and add notable depth.
Geelong Cats
Who aren’t Geelong in the race for? Very few, it seems. The Cats have been linked to star names including Zak Butters, Ben King and, more recently, GWS captain Toby Greene. The former looks destined to join either the Cats or Western Bulldogs, and while the Dogs will rightly be considered favourites indefinitely, Chris Scott’s side are well and truly in the hunt for the Port Adelaide superstar.
Gold Coast Suns
Understandably, Ben King is the free agent name on the lips of all Suns supporters right now. A report earlier this week from Seven’s Mitch Cleary revealed that Collingwood has essentially withdrawn its interest in the key forward, and only further points towards the belief he will sign a short-term extension - likely two years in length.
GWS Giants
The Giants’ list is one of, if not the most settled in the competition when it comes to players out of contract this season. Captain Toby Greene, as flagged by Fox Footy’s Jay Clark in recent days, will clearly be a talking point during the second half of this year as he weighs up whether he wants to finish his career in his home state of Victoria.
Hawthorn
Have the Hawks moved on from interest in Zak Butters? SEN’s Tom Morris seems to think so, having reported late last month that while the club would formally say it hasn’t dropped out, it is targeting other players this year. Those other players in question are Bailey Humphrey and, to a lesser extent, Ben King.
Melbourne
After a nifty 2025 off-season that saw Steven King’s side welcome several recruits at the expense of Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver, there aren’t a huge number of names linked to the Demons just yet. Untried Kangaroo Brayden George could be one to keep an eye on later in the year, but that’s not a major focus right now in May.
North Melbourne
Sign. George. Wardlaw. If there is just one out-of-contract player the Kangaroos could retain right now, it’s the 21-year-old. AFL Media’s Josh Gabelich reported last week that contract talks between Wardlaw and the club will begin imminently, and while he hasn’t given any indication of wanting to move, Roos fans will hold their breath until he’s locked away.
Port Adelaide
Sorry, Power fans. There aren’t any positive updates in the Zak Butters space to pass on right now, despite the club’s pleasantly surprising start to 2026. As things stand, the pecking order for the superstar’s services next year is: the Western Bulldogs, then Geelong, then daylight, and then Port - and even then, there may be a Victorian club or two ahead of them.
Richmond
The Tigers have been vocal in their desire to stay in the race for Port Adelaide superstar Zak Butters, but right now they still remain a long shot for the midfielder’s services. That being said, they could well be the rival club capable of throwing the most money at him to play in a midfield alongside their emerging young guns.
St Kilda
The contract hysteria at Moorabbin is nowhere near what it has been in recent years, in a sign the Saints’ list is relatively settled. That being said, there will still be a squeeze of sorts with at least a couple of players. As emphasized by foxfooty.com.au earlier this month, young gun Darcy Wilson is a player rival clubs have been blowing up the phone over, with easily more than half the league interested in acquiring his services.
Sydney Swans
Things are very quiet at Sydney right now on the trade front, with arguably the least noise to report across the competition. Internally, the club’s sole focus for the next little while will continue to revolve around unrestricted free agent Joel Amartey.
West Coast Eagles
In a pleasant surprise, Andrew McQualter’s side could attract genuine talent to the club this off-season. As revealed by AFL Media’s Callum Twomey, three-time Richmond premiership defender Nathan Broad is set to return to his home state of Western Australia at season’s end, instantly placing the Eagles in a strong position to acquire his services.
