They may no longer be on an AFL list, but a host of players will be hoping to continue their careers when the first of two delisted windows opens on November 3.
The first period runs from November 3 to 9, followed by a November 10 deadline for players to retire and out-of-contract players to nominate for the draft.
Finally, a second window will run from November 11-15.
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A host of names are in the frame for new AFL homes, with foxfooty.com.au breaking down 16 key contenders and their potential destinations.
Many of those delisted have since opened up about their experience and their hopes of playing on elsewhere in 2023.
LIAM STOCKER
The Carlton defender-midfielder was one of the most surprising delistings of the off-season – and no one was more surprised than Stocker himself.
“I had to go into self-preservation mode a bit (when I was told),” the 22-year-old told SEN’s The Run Home.
“I was pretty shocked, I went in there thinking I probably deserve another year or two here, I felt like I’d been pretty selfless in the roles I’d taken up over the last three or four years, and for the most part, I just feel like I had a lot to offer
“But that’s sort of by the by, footy clubs have got to make the decision, so for me, in terms of that self-preservation, it was just, ‘alright, thanks guys, I’ll say my goodbyes now but clean your locker out and I won’t be back’.
“I think for me what would have been the most dangerous thing is coming back, I really respect the Carlton supporters for the most part, they made my time there really enjoyable, I don’t want to tarnish anything I was given in those four years so for me, it was about taking the emotion out of it a bit and getting to a safe place where I could think it through. That was at home for me with my girlfriend and my family.”
Reports emerged that Carlton had some doubts over his fitness, which may have left to his removal from the club’s list.
But Stocker was quick to quash those qualms.
“The notion that I’m not fit enough to play AFL football is rubbish, I know I can run, I ran a 6.30 two-kilometre in pre-season which is the equivalent of what most other midfielders are running as well,” he said.
“From that point of view, if that’s my main weakness, I’ve got it to a point where it’s not as standout as it used to be.
“I think for the most part my ability to lock down on players and beat them in a contest is what stands out across the ground. I think being in a contest more often is what suits me.
“I’m willing to play that lockdown role if it means I’m doing the job for a team, I don’t really mind, I think I’m an asset all over the ground. But also I think I’m an asset off the field.
“Clubs aren’t going to pick you up just because you’re an asset off the field, that’s a silly notion to think that but I think for the most part I’m quite valuable for culture and quite valuable in terms of the roles I can play.”
Essendon was originally reported to have interest, but after picking up fellow ex-Blue Will Setterfield, it now seems an unlikely landing spot.
You could make a case for virtually every other club to have a need to add some midfield depth.
MITCH WALLIS
Wallis fell out of favour in the Bulldogs side in recent years, playing just 11 games in the last two seasons.
His delisting was another surprising one given what the 29-year-old can offer – he was the side’s leading goalkicker in 2020.
Wallis himself has struggled to explain why exactly coach Luke Beveridge cooled on him in the last couple of years.
Like most, he was slightly shocked by the Dogs’ decision to cut him.
“You could call it a surprise. There wasn’t a contract per se on the table but more of a wait-and-see type approach,” he told SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“I’m an optimistic person so I thought it would happen. The club’s had a fair bit of movement this off-season. I was hoping to stay on because I’ve still got a fair bit of fire in the belly, the last few seasons haven’t really played in my favour with injuries and the like.
“It didn’t fall my way but in saying that, I’m obviously very grateful for the time. 12 years is a long time at one club and the game so I can’t be more grateful for the opportunities I was given there.
“But it ends abruptly… you sever ties quite quickly and probably the only regret is I didn’t get to do it in front of my teammates and some of the staff members who have been so important to my journey and invested a lot of time, energy and emotions into me.
“To sort of be on holidays and have to make the call is something that leaves me a little bit bitter but at the end of the day it’s a ruthless industry and I look forward.”
Wallis still feels like he has plenty left to give as a player, but has made a point of absorbing the end of his time at the Dogs first.
It’s understandable given he played 160 games for the club over 12 years since being drafted as a father-son prospect.
“It’s still pretty raw, I haven’t totally moved on from the Bulldogs yet… we’ll explore (the interest) over the coming weeks and see what’s out there,” he said.
“I’m keen to keep playing but at the end of the day, we’ll let the dust settle and acknowledge a club that’s been so kind to me and take the next step in due course.
“I love footy … I’m open to all offers and all ideas, but it’s only been a few hours and a few days that I’ve come to terms with not playing in the red, white and blue.”
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JARROD LIENERT
Lienert’s time at the club was heavily linked to the fitness of Nick Coffield, so it wasn’t a huge shock to him that, with Coffield set to return from an ACL injury in 2023, his tenure would be cut short.
He joined St Kilda as a pre-season supplemental selection and played 11 senior games this season.
Adding to the sense of inevitability about Lienert’s future was the arrival of fellow key position utility Zaine Cordy during the free agency period.
“I sort of found out that it was sort of looking this way a couple of weeks ago when he (Ratten) was still appointed,” he told SEN SA’s The Run Home.
“I’m not sure how that played out, to be honest, but I’m not sure that impacted the decision much, it’s probably more that Nick Coffield is coming back from his knee injury and he was effectively the guy I replaced.
“By the sounds of it, they want to get some younger guys some game time, being a 28-year-old player like I am I probably fell into the wrong category.”
There appears to be some interest in Lienert, who is looking to continue his AFL career at a third club, having previously played for Port Adelaide.
“My manager called yesterday with some okay news that there’s a bit of a pulse potentially for next year, that keeps me alive a little bit more,” Lienert said.
“I suppose I had to wait until about February last year until the news came through with the Saints.
“When he said four teams were still keen or whatever, I was a bit surprised … that’s all very up in the air, I’m not sure what the go is.
“But I’m looking forward to whatever is next I guess, whether that’s hopefully getting back onto an AFL list and keeping the AFL dream alive or getting onto the next stage of my life.”
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CONNOR BLAKELY
It seemed Blakely was perennially on the fringes at Fremantle in the last couple of seasons.
The midfielder was either out of the senior side completely or made to wait for an opening as the medical substitute.
He played 78 games for Fremantle across seven seasons and still feels he has more AFL-level football in him.
“I definitely still have the opinion that I’m good enough to play AFL, hence why I want to see what else is out there,” Blakely told SEN WA.
“My managers are working hard, both Paul Connors and Robbie D’Orazio, they’re talking to basically every club to see if I can fit on their list somewhere.
“The good thing is that I’m a delisted free agent now so I don’t have to get traded, I can be added on the back end of a list when they see fit.”
Blakely also expressed a willingness to play in the VFL if “Plan A” of an AFL return fails.
CALLUM BROWN
Brown was kept guessing by the Pies for much of the season, to the point where he admitted to AFL Trade Radio he “went into (the exit meeting) completely blind.”
The 70-gamer has at times showed promise at Collingwood, but hasn’t been able to cement his spot in the senior side since playing 22 games in 2019.
He fell out of favour under Craig McRae before eventually being told he would not receive a new contract.
“My manager had spoken to ‘Wrighty’ (Collingwood footy boss Graham Wright) for a while before and they were still sort of umming and ahhing,” he said.
“We hadn’t really got an answer yet. I walked in, and they just straight up got told I wouldn’t be offered another contract.”
Brown is just 24 years of age, so is understandably keen to play on elsewhere next season.
“That is the hope (to join another club), speaking to my manager and working out if we can get that done. Hopefully it all works out, but that’s the aim for sure,” he said.
“We had a little bit (of interest) throughout the year. When I was still playing, in and out of the team, and we’ve had a little bit since.
“Clubs are speaking to my manager so hopefully something pulls through. But still very early, so a lot of clubs are still waiting to see what they do at the trade period and how many list spots they have.
“The plan is to be playing AFL football next season.”
TYLER BROWN
Callum also offered some insight into how his brother Tyler Brown took delisting news of his own from the Pies.
Tyler is two years Callum’s junior and was also somewhat taken aback by the decision.
“Tyler is going alright. It was a shock the first few days — I think the first few days it’s a bit of shock, it almost hasn’t hit you yet and it starts to hit you after,” Callum said on AFL Trade Radio.
“He is going pretty good though. He has had a small bit of interest too, but we are just staying positive at the moment.
“Tyler and I had our exit meetings straight after each and didn‘t know how each other’s went. It was a bit unsettling after talking to each other … it’s been a weird time.”
FRANCIS EVANS
Evans has been delisted by Geelong, but Port Adelaide appears very keen on the medium forward.
He managed just seven AFL games for the Cats and is one of several young players who couldn’t get a regular gig in the senior squad.
Port Adelaide, however, looks poised to swoop.
“Yeah, it’s early days, but my gut feel is that Francis will end up at Port Adelaide which is great,” his manager Nick Gieschen told AFL Trade Radio.
“He’s a delisted free agent, so that’ll get done a bit later in the year.”
DANIEL HOWE
It was a clean-out of sorts at Hawthorn when it came to experienced players, with Howe struggling to get regular senior gametime this season.
He showed as recently as 2021 though that he could play consistently, playing 20 games and being an impressive performer.
There’s plenty of football left in Howe and the desire is still there.
“I’d like to think so (landing at a second team). I think I’ve got a lot of value to add to an organisation. I’m only 26, I’ve got a lot of footy ahead of me,” he told AFL Trade Radio.
“My body feels really good. I‘ve learned so much over the last eight years that if I was to get another crack at it, that I’d be better for it in the long run. So I would love that opportunity if that arose.
“Early days, I think there‘s a little bit of interest, but not sure how serious that is at the moment.
“Hopefully after trade week that interest potentially ramps up and then hopefully an opportunity arises from there.”
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QUINTON NARKLE
Narkle has attracted a fair bit of interest already and it’s easy to see why given how good he looked at times in the senior side.
At 24 years of age, Narkle looks set for a breakout season if given the opportunity at another AFL club.
He seems too good to be playing VFL and his manager Anthony Van Der Wielen has indicated another opportunity will come.
“If you looked at Quinton, there wouldn’t be a club in the country that could justify saying he shouldn’t be on a list and I think he is better than a late draft pick so we just have to wait and see how that settled down and at the appropriate time hope we have got somewhere to go,” he told the Geelong Advertiser.
“He is a really good kid. It is a horrible time being in limbo and without a commitment so we are all hoping he will end up somewhere. It is just a frustrating time.”
TOM PHILLIPS
It seemed like Phillips became a regular VFL player almost overnight.
He played 22 games for the Hawks in 2021 but fell out of the team swiftly once Sam Mitchell took over.
The lack of opportunity in the AFL side this year frustrated Phillips at times, but he appears to have doubled down on his AFL journey as a result.
“Anyone in that position, I was upset and disappointed of course,” he told AFL Trade Radio.
“I think looking past on my seasons previous to that, looking at this season alone, I wasn’t able to get the continuity and runs n the board this year playing consistent footy. I guess that is upsetting to reflect on.
“In saying that, it gave me a bit of an opportunity to have a look at being more mentally resilient and when you are injured and you can’t actually contribute on the field, it just forces you to look at how much more professional and how much more of a better athlete I can become.
“That has put me in a really good frame of mind at the moment to attack the next period and I’m still hungry for an opportunity. I’m very much in that mindset at the moment.”
Essendon had shown an interest in Phillips and is one to watch, making for a handy addition along with Will Setterfield.
JAMES ROWE
The small forward is in a unique position with his father, former Crows player Stephen Rowe, occupying a high-profile media role in South Australia, but the 23-year-old has handled it brilliantly.
Stephen was understandably bullish on Rowe’s prospects at another side, but it was a heartbreaking day for Jimmy as he got told his time at the Crows was up.
“I’m not going to get on air today, and people expect me to, to talk about his exit. He has to do that and I’m not going to say anything before he does,” Stephen told FIVEaa.
“So out of respect for my boy I‘m going to keep my gunpowder dry, he knows how he was treated so that is up to him, not up to a boofhead dad who has a media platform.
“I think he is good enough from a parent point of view, maybe he is not their DNA and excess to needs.”
