Key posts
Kangaroos hand Parker a three-year deal
By Peter Ryan
North Melbourne have offered Sydney veteran Luke Parker a three-year deal. Parker requested a trade and clearly by the Swans’ statement paying tribute to their former skipper and premiership player a trade will occur, but there still might be some haggling over what pick changes hands with the 31-year-old having a year left on his contract with Sydney.
Hop to it: Former Swan Luke Parker.Credit: Getty Images
Jack Darling is set to be one of the first trades to occur with the Kangaroos’ pick 64 set to satisfy the Eagles. Both players will bring up game 300 with their new club.
Fit for a King: Saints hand star eight-year deal, but was it the right call? Have your say.
By Jon Pierik
St Kilda star Max King says he has tremendous faith in the direction the Saints are taking, having signed a contract extension tying him to the club until the end of 2032.
While he was already contracted through to the end of 2026, King, 24, has negotiated a new eight-year deal.
“I’m pumped to be here for a few more years, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” King said on Sunday night.
Happy days: Saints forward Max King.Credit: Getty Images
“I love playing for this club – I love the coaches, I love the boys, and I have a lot of faith in the direction we’re going. I really appreciate the club showing faith in me, and I’m conscious it’s a long-term deal – all I want to do is repay that faith through action.
“I feel so connected to the club, and I’m really excited for the opportunity we have to make history – it’s something that is front of mind all the time.
“The playing group, particularly as a few of us have gotten older, you look around and think that this is our chance. We don’t want to waste years or a single opportunity to take this club forward.
“I want to do my bit and contribute. We have a lot of good leaders at the club, and I want to be with them driving change.”
King had a rugged 2024 campaign, having had second shoulder reconstruction last summer, while his season was cut short when he tore his posterior cruciate ligament in round 16. The Saints failed to make the finals, and plan on being busy through the trade period and national draft.
The No.4 pick in the 2018 national draft remains a talent on the rise, despite having led the Saints’ goalkicking in 2021 and 2022.
St Kilda’s executive general manager of football David Misson said the Saints had “long seen Max as a key part of this club’s future, but it feels great to have now made it official”.
“Max’s athleticism and skill is undeniable and, despite playing one of the hardest roles on the field, we’ve seen his incremental growth continue in recent years,” Misson said.
“Off the field, Max is clearly invested in what we’re building, and we look forward to watching him continue to grow into an influential and respected leader of this footy club.”
Another twist: Why the Cats should put a line through Oliver
By Peter Ryan
Geelong have entered a high-risk phase in their battle to defy AFL equalisation policies designed to bring them back to the field.
No trade: Age journalist Peter Ryan says the Cats should not go after Clayton Oliver.Credit: Getty Images
And it leaves the Cats in grave danger of being called a destination club while evolving into one that believes it can do no wrong as they entertain the idea of recruiting disaffected Demon Clayton Oliver while planning to also nab Bulldog Bailey Smith and Carlton’s Jack Martin.
Bulldogs to play hardball on Smith trade
By Peter Ryan
The Western Bulldogs will demand more than Geelong’s first-round draft pick before they agree to trade uncontracted midfielder Bailey Smith as they brace for an extended negotiation during trade period.
Geelong’s first-round pick is now pick 17 after band one compensation was awarded to St Kilda for losing free agent Josh Battle to Hawthorn and the Giants for losing Harry Perryman to Collingwood.
It will drift out further to pick 20 or 21 on draft night in November, depending on when bids arrive for opposition players with connections to specific clubs through the AFL’s priority access draft rules.
Here’s how the deals could be done
By Jon Pierik, Marc McGowan and Michael Gleeson
The figurative arm-wrestling between clubs has already begun as the AFL’s trade period prepares gets underway. We go inside the biggest deals – from Dan Houston to Shai Bolton, and Gold Coast’s coveted pick 13 – to see how they will get done.
Man in demand: Dan Houston.Credit: Getty Images
Dan Houston (Port Adelaide to a Victorian club)
This remains one of the pivotal plays of trade week. Carlton, Collingwood and North Melbourne are among the clubs trying to lure the creative half-back, with Gold Coast’s pick No.13 looming as the key to any deal.
All eyes on the Suns’ pick 13
By Michael Gleeson
Collingwood, Port and Gold Coast are not talking in the one room about a three-way deal yet, but that is the net effect of negotiations on the eve of a busy trade period, with the Magpies presently favourites to secure Port’s half-back flanker Dan Houston.
The incentive for Gold Coast to bring in John Noble and ease the path for Port to trade for Jack Lukosius from the Suns moved the Magpies into favoured trader status for the Suns highly prized selection 13, a pick that, were the Magpies to secure it, they would seek to pass on to Port in a deal for Houston.
A long line of clubs are offering deals for pick 13 as one of the few early draft picks available for trade in a strong draft.
Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston is still being courted by a number of Melbourne-based clubs.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Richmond has also already said they want an extraordinary deal for them to be agree to Daniel Rioli’s request to be traded to the Gold Coast and has asked for the Suns’ picks six and 13.
What happens with pick 13 is thus becoming critical to what will unfold in the 10 days of the trade period, which opens on Monday at AFL house.
In preliminary talks the Magpies have offered Noble and their future first round pick to the Suns for picks 13, 20 and 26, a volume of picks that is unlikely to be successful given the competition in bidding for pick 13.
The Magpies would look to pass on 13 and 20 and most likely forward pocket Joe Richards to the Power for Houston.
Carlton – who have also offered a deal to the Suns that involves their future first round pick for 13 – would, like the Magpies, use that pick as the basis of a trade with Port for Houston.
Port is likely to trade their future first round pick to the Suns for Lukosius – a move that would require AFL approval as the Power have already traded previous first round picks to recruit Jason Horne Francis.
The AFL would be likely to approve a deal in this situation.
But Port is keen to bring in a first round pick in this draft for Houston before being prepared to trade their future first for Lukosius.
A number considered unlucky some, this year’s No.13 could prove charmed for whichever team gets their hands on it.
Welcome to day one
Hello, and welcome to day one of the AFL 2024 trade extravaganza.
I am Jon Pierik, and I’ll be steering you through the day, alongside trade and draft gurus Peter Ryan, Marc McGowan, Michael Gleeson and Jake Niall.
There’s plenty to look forward to today, when all clubs all gather from 11am at Marvel Stadium ahead of official negotiations beginning, and through the entire trade period, ending on Wednesday, October 16.
Let’s get things started.
It’s that way to the Cattery: Western Bulldogs star Bailey Smith will be one of the high-profile trades.Credit: Getty Images
