2026 Trade / FA Thread

[NoRebuilds]

BRISBANE is preparing for all outcomes in its plan to keep in-demand free agent Zac Bailey – including matching an offer – as the two-time premiership player mulls his call.

Adelaide is seen as the frontrunner for Bailey if he chooses to leave the Lions, with AFL.com.au revealing in March the Crows had presented an offer of seven years worth around $10 million for Bailey.

Brisbane has a six-year deal on the table for Bailey worth around the $6-6.5 million mark, with the Lions conceding they are close to their final offer for the 26-year-old.

In other words, they can't afford to match a really big offer.

 

[yeah man]

Would prefer to somehow snag Bailey Humphrey over Zac Bailey

33

Zac Bailey

Age

26

Ht

181cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.9

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

CL

0.9

3star

D

12.9

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

5.6

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.4

3star

CL

0.7

3star

D

13.4

4star

K

6.6

3star

HB

6.8

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

2.8

5star

CL

0.6

3star

.

 

[Jen2310]

He's UFA at least, pretty sure

 

[Pragmatic Shill]

He's UFA at least, pretty sure

It just gets to a point you know.

 

[yeah man]

Picking up Mitch Lewis would be like giving McStay an extension. God help us

 

[NoRebuilds]

Would prefer to somehow snag Bailey Humphrey over Zac Bailey.

He'd be a ripper, but you'd have to throw multiple picks at GC, Bailey is a free hit if you beat Brisbane's offer.

 

[NoRebuilds]

Picking up Mitch Lewis would be like giving McStay an extension. God help us

He'd be a risk given his injury history, but he's in a bit of form at the moment.

 

[Pragmatic Shill]

He'd be a risk given his injury history, but he's in a bit of form at the moment.

Key phrase.

 

[Apex36]

If you want to second best player in the comp you’d need to pay more than two mid-late first rounders and a solid role player.

Butters ain’t the second best player in the comp

 

[unplugged]

FOUR top 10 picks AND a best 23 player! Why not make it five? No list manager would stump up that haul unless they were drunk.

If that's what it takes, I'll buy Leppa 50 slabs.

 

[NoRebuilds]

Key phrase.

If he keeps it up, he may drag hawks over the line ala one hit wonder Tom Boyd.

It's a bit like McStay, you probably don't win the flag in 23 without his 2 finals.

 

[Apex36]

I think Beau is important to us. Not a million, but I do think we will have to offer him something better than previously, especially if he can play more consistent good footy.

I’m not worried about him leaving. He could set himself up for life after footy playing for Collingwood. Tassie? Not so much.

Easy decision for mine…

A $7m deal would set him up for life regardless of what happens after footy.

 

[unplugged]

"If the Pies miss out on King, watch them turn to a player like Lewis"... Like Lewis? What, like another forward? Huge prediction! Team who wants a forward, hypothetically misses a forward, looks at other forwards instead!

I think the worst part about people like Cal being in the media is not only does he make a general comment - like one you'd expect to hear from a colleague in the lunch room - but then the platform they say it on has social media replays of the same comment, and eventually it becomes a headline.

Then people start talking about it like it's fact, like we are now...

 

[NoRebuilds]

"If the Pies miss out on King, watch them turn to a player like Lewis"... Like Lewis? What, like another forward? Huge prediction! Team who wants a forward, hypothetically misses a forward, looks at other forwards instead!

I think the worst part about people like Cal being in the media is not only does he make a general comment - like one you'd expect to hear from a colleague in the lunch room - but then the platform they say it on has social media replays of the same comment, and eventually it becomes a headline.

Then people start talking about it like it's fact, like we are now...

Could be Amartey too, but he's RFA, Lewis is a little easier being UFA.

 

[soreplums]

Never been a better time to get massive overs for your average players when Tassie comes in. If we lose blokes we’ll get well compensated

Do they want Lippa too?

 

[sr36]

If this is true I’ll

It's always made sense to me. Everything suggested we were pretty keen. Morris's specs aren't good and his highlights wouldn't have been either - which is all the none recruiters would get. You'd have to have watched a lot to realise that he just consistently reads it better than anyone else. It will have been the recruiters that were keen and not the others involved in the decision.

It's the kind of thing that happens when faith has been lost in the expert in the field.

 

[Jen2310]

Apparantely Beau has moved management companies He’s now with Robbie D’Orazio from connors sports

 

[Harry O]

A win win situation for us. He stays on a 750 ish deal or we get good compo after 2 more years of service

 

[sr36]

A win win situation for us. He stays on a 750 ish deal or we get good compo after 2 more years of service

I don't see how good compo is likely if he leaves for Tassie. They want to be competitive. They're not just chasing one Beau McCreery. They're after a heap of blokes with big contracts to lure them. There's going to be a heap of compensation picks handed out in that draft, plus additional draft picks to Tassie.

 

[Chrispiesssss]

 

[soreplums]

Ok… so it’s settled. King to Pies Hogan to Suns.

 

[Scodog10]

FOUR top 10 picks AND a best 23 player! Why not make it five? No list manager would stump up that haul unless they were drunk.

I mean you could make it 5 that’s little more than the starting point for Nick. Essendon passed on 3 firsts and Hustwaite for Merrett who is a shadow of the player Butters is. With Cochrane, Pilot, Salopek and Rodan on the radar they will want both live picks and immediate players. In terms of the bolded I think Port would be ecstatic because it’s Butters + a bunch of FS and academy kids they’re a decent chance to get. Whoever ends up with Butters will be like a kid at Christmas in 2027.

Picking up Mitch Lewis would be like giving McStay an extension. God help us

It would absolutely reek of desperation. Lewis is a nice player when he’s on, but he’s not the 40+ goal a season lock we need in a KPF. In the scenario where King/ Butters/ Bailey all say no then pick around the edges ala 2022 and leave the big $ up our sleeve for a crack at Rowell/ Warner.

 

[Scodog10]

Butters ain’t the second best player in the comp

Do we really think we should be splitting hairs when talking about the 2nd best to 4th best? I think most fans would suggest there’s a clear top 4 this year in Heeney, Daicos, Bont and Butters. I’m sure there’s wildcards like Cats fans suggesting Cameron or Hawks nutters suggesting Watson (not yet for him), but for me those 4 are just on a different level in terms of output and performance.

Two of them will enter 2027 30+ so Butters is therefore the clear 2nd most valuable trade commodity in the league. We’re talking trade price so, IMO, 2nd best or 2nd highest trade price is much of a muchness. Given we have the best and greatest trade commodity player it really is an easy discussion start at what it would take for you to be ok to trade Daicos and take a 1st rounder or one player off.

 

[Scodog10]

Middling first round picks - they're pretenders.

We’ll finish above them. Imagine how scary it would be though if they had Fly or we had their top end. Especially once they add Butters.

 

[JLC]

Why would you pay him a million! Have they turned on the tv this year

Hine dog loves following up players he either recruited or tried to recruit.