2026 Trade / FA Thread

Harry O · Jan 25, 2026

Current draft picks :
1 x 1st
1 x 2nd
3 x 4th

Number of likely retirements at year end, which will free up cap space

A few youngsters like Ryan , TJ , HDM etc with career defining years for their futures

A potential top 10 type pick in Condon possibly joining later this year

The big elephant in the room is how many free agents are we targeting ? 1, 2 or 3? While retaining our early picks. And ensuring we capitalize on having Nick and make sure he sees the club as the place to be post his current contract

Will be interesting to track the rumours of which free agents we are targeting

Harry O · Jan 25, 2026

A good mid and a tall defender would be handy

Jen2310 · Jan 25, 2026

I was chatting to xander at the hawks training session on thurs, and there is a view there is 1 FA we're into; He doesn't know who though. There is a view, butters will head to the dogs; no shock there.

Jen2310 · Jan 25, 2026

2026 FREE AGENCY LIST

* Player eligible for free agency after being previously delisted
^ Player eligible for free agency after previously changing clubs as a free agent

James Borlase*
Jordon Butts
Mitch Hinge*
Chayce Jones
Rory Laird
Lachie Sholl
Taylor Walker
Tyler Welsh*

Zac Bailey
Darcy Gardiner
Darragh Joyce*
Ryan Lester
Lincoln McCarthy
Lachie Neale
Dayne Zorko

Francis Evans*
Nick Haynes^
Mitch McGovern
Nic Newman
Sam Walsh
Zac Williams^

Jack Crisp
Jeremy Howe
Tim Membrey^*
Scott Pendlebury
Steele Sidebottom

Jade Gresham^
Matt Guelfi
Liam McMahon*
Jaxon Prior*
Will Setterfield*

Bailey Banfield*
Oscar McDonald*
Sam Sturt
Sam Switkowski
Corey Wagner*

Jed Bews
Mark Blicavs
Patrick Dangerfield
Jake Kolodjashnij
Jack Martin*
Mark O'Connor
Rhys Stanley
George Stevens*

Oscar Adams*
Caleb Graham
Nick Holman
Ben Jepson*
Ben King
Max Knobel*
Lachie Weller
Jarrod Witts

Kieren Briggs
Stephen Coniglio
Toby Greene
Jayden Laverde*
Conor Stone*

Jack Gunston
Jarman Impey
Mitch Lewis
Harry Morrison

Tom Campbell^
Kade Chandler
Jai Culley*
Bayley Fritsch
Steven May
Tom McDonald
Jake Melksham
Christian Salem
Tom Sparrow

Aidan Corr^
Luke McDonald
Toby Pink*
Bailey Scott

Zak Butters
Darcy Byrne-Jones
Ollie Wines

Nathan Broad
Tom Lynch
Toby Nankervis
Dion Prestia
Jack Ross
Nick Vlastuin

Ryan Byrnes*
Jack Carroll*
Patrick Said*
Liam Stocker*

Joel Amartey
Harry Cunningham
Joel Hamling*
Jake Lloyd
Justin McInerney
Dane Rampe

Tom Cole
Jamie Cripps
Matthew Flynn^
Harry Schoenberg*
Bailey Williams

Oskar Baker*
Lachie Bramble*
Ryan Gardner*
Buku Khamis
Tom Liberatore

Robroy22 · Jan 25, 2026

He's not a free agent but I reckon Touk Miller would be a good "Titch" like get for a few years.

Gonna be on reduced minutes (or altered role) with the Suns, he'd be handy.

soreplums · Jan 25, 2026

Jen2310 said:
I was chatting to xander at the hawks training session on thurs, and there is a view there is 1 FA we're into; He doesn't know who though. There is a view, butters will head to the dogs; no shock there.

There’s a rumour going around that Butters told Port that he doesn’t care where he plays (VIC or SA) so long as he is the highest paid player in the AFL.

Jen2310 · Jan 25, 2026

soreplums said:
There’s a rumour going around that Butters told Port that he doesn’t care where he plays (VIC or SA) so long as he is the highest paid player in the AFL.

If that was the case he would have re-signed at port already given the monster offer they have in front of him.
There is a vibe he has a great pull to come home. Would have tried to do it last year if Port was open to it. They weren't.

Harry O · Jan 25, 2026

I don’t think Butters fits our criteria as we would have to trade for him.

Been rumoured for a while we are in to Ben King. Not sure if Suns would match a bid and force a trade

soreplums · Jan 25, 2026

Jen2310 said:
If that was the case he would have re-signed at port already given the monster offer they have in front of him.
There is a vibe he has a great pull to come home. Would have tried to do it last year if Port was open to it. They weren't.

Was the offer bigger than Harley Reid’s offer? I can’t remember.

Jen2310 · Jan 25, 2026

soreplums said:
Was the offer bigger than Harley Reid’s offer? I can’t remember.

Not sure. But it was rumoured to be the biggest deal in AFL history.

manicpie · Jan 25, 2026

Jen2310 said:
Not sure. But it was rumoured to be the biggest deal in AFL history.

He's not worth more than NWM

soreplums · Jan 25, 2026

Jen2310 said:
Not sure. But it was rumoured to be the biggest deal in AFL history.

If his offer came before Reid’s, maybe his management put it on hold until he signed so he could go bigger.
Other part to the rumour is that Port feel they can make it happen

Jen2310 · Jan 25, 2026

manicpie said:
He's not worth more than NWM

Thats a bold call.

SchuPie · Jan 25, 2026

Hopefully the FA is a jet mid or KPD

Harry O · Jan 25, 2026

My feel is we will want to use our early picks this year , but the other option is we go the full St Kilda strategy and trade all picks for players plus get a few free agents. Although doubt we have the banked cap space the saints had

sr36 · Jan 25, 2026

Harry O said:
Number of likely retirements at year end, which will free up cap space

The likely retirements are supposedly on very small contracts.

Harry O · Jan 25, 2026

sr36 said:
The likely retirements are supposedly on very small contracts.

Given Pendles financial mire, I guess he might be selling a lot of memorabilia around round 8 this year

Jen2310 · Jan 25, 2026

Harry O said:
Given Pendles financial mire, I guess he might be selling a lot of memorabilia around round 8 this year

Surely he's invested money over the years.

sr36 · Jan 25, 2026

Jen2310 said:
Surely he's invested money over the years.

If you don't notice a couple of million being swindled - I doubt you're doing it that tough.

whiskeytown · Jan 25, 2026

This thread earlier than hot cross buns at the supermarket… but great to have a new one going

Outside of butters and Walsh… not a lot of A grade midfield talent available… which is where I figure the emphasis on getting top-up-talent will be.

3 retirements from Pendles, Sidey and Howe might be enough list spots to give some youngsters a reprieve from delisting…

List age profile looks to be a bit light on in junior talent for mine… with the under 22s very speculative in terms of them being later draft picks. Hopefully pies make the first two picks count at the draft

TradeDraft · Jan 25, 2026

Harry O said:
I don’t think Butters fits our criteria as we would have to trade for him.

Been rumoured for a while we are in to Ben King. Not sure if Suns would match a bid and force a trade

Been Years it Feels like - That we been Linked to Ben King

Eric Shin · Jan 25, 2026

Wouldn’t mind going after King and Butts as FA and going to the draft with all our picks before Tassie comes in.

Dtennent94 · Jan 25, 2026

Butters, Bailey, King. Don’t think Walsh would do a lot for us, but he’s a valuable player who is a FA, too. That’s about it, really unless you take a swing on a Toby Greene for a year or two, but he’s not leaving for any team that isn’t TAS imo.

sr36 · Jan 25, 2026

Dtennent94 said:
Butters, Bailey, King. Don’t think Walsh would do a lot for us, but he’s a valuable player who is a FA, too. That’s about it, really unless you take a swing on a Toby Greene for a year or two, but he’s not leaving for any team that isn’t TAS imo.

I'll have to go into hiding after saying this, but I'd be keen on Fritsch.

Jen2310 · Jan 25, 2026

sr36 said:
I'll have to go into hiding after saying this, but I'd be keen on Fritsch.

The most selfish forward. Not sure he would be fly's type of player tbf.

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