2026 Trade / FA Thread

[Eric Shin]

Each to their own. Whatever turns you on Eric Shin. The feeling might be a face slap I have heard.

I like big Butts and I cannot lie

 

[Pistol Night]

I’ve never been to Tasmania. For those that have, would it be appealing for a player in their 20s? Sorry if that sounds like a stupid question.

The airport?

 

[manicpie]

As I suspected. Why the **** would Nick want to go live and play there.

Nick's just having a bit of fun. He'll be our captain soon

 

[Pistol Night]

Nick's just having a bit of fun. He'll be our captain soon

Might win a Brownlow one day as long as Zak Butters doesnt poll 18 votes in the bye rounds this year to keep the tradition going

 

[Obese Arachnid]

Trade: Humphrey for me, admire his dress sense or lack thereof.

 

[Jen2310]

 

[Jen2310]

It also mentions that Bailey Humphreys Melb based partner has moved up to gold coast, so they hope that will settle him

The view of most Victorian clubs is that King is again likely to re-sign with the Suns.

Gold Coast will set aside up to $1.4 million a season to pay free agent Ben King

34

Ben King

Age

25

Ht

202cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.2

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

2.2

2star

M

3.5

4star

T

0.5

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

7.5

2star

K

5.6

2star

HB

1.9

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.3

1star

G

1.5

5star

D

6.8

2star

K

4.4

2star

HB

2.4

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

0.2

3star

G

1.0

4star

but is aware he is likely to postpone meaningful talks until some time into the AFL season.
Brownlow Medallist Matt Rowell

18

Matt Rowell

Age

24

Ht

180cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.4

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

0.8

1star

T

5.2

5star

CL

3.8

5star

D

17.4

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

0.8

1star

T

5.2

5star

CL

3.8

5star

D

17.4

5star

K

7.6

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

0.8

1star

T

5.2

5star

CL

3.8

5star

took until June to re-sign with the Suns last year after meeting with rival clubs including Collingwood and Geelong.

This year King’s contract status will be a key talking point given his brilliant season kicking 71.23 in a career-best year.

King has always expressed his desire to remain on the coast and cash in on the club’s premiership window but after most recently re-signing in February 2023 will likely take his time to ease into the season.

Collingwood has been consistently linked with King but he has never shown an inclination to consider rival offers, saying in August last year he was keen to stay.

Gold Coast has enough cap space to give him a hefty pay rise in an industry where Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera will earn $2 million next year and Harley Reid’s new deal will see him paid up to $2 million from 2027 onwards.

King is currently on around $1 million a season under the final year of his two-season deal but contracts for the AFL’s stars continue to explode.

Rivals might ask him to name his own price given he is a free agent but the Suns do have their cap in good order so can afford to pay him up to $10 million over seven seasons.

While clubs will eagerly consider his free agency status, the Suns would most likely match any rival offer to maximise its draft haul if he did make a shock decision to move south.

A club on the rise after its inaugural finals appearance would likely only secure modest free agency compensation for King so would be more likely to force a club to trade for him.

But in an ideal world as the Suns get off to a strong start to the season he will solidify his view that he wants to play his football on the Gold Coast as a one-club player.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/gold-coast-star-ben-king-likely-to-delay-contract-talks-as-suns-prepare-mega-deal/news-story/a030ed4dd4b32f4ce63461c05d32a7f2

 

[Go Woods]

Hope we've made him an offer he is struggling to refuse!

 

[magpies42]

Rather than trading Hill when it was obvious he was losing focus, we will now struggle to get rid of him.

It’s sad to see anybody struggling, ultimately we are all responsible for our own decisions though. We have looked after him enough, it’s time to get rid of him. The club comes first.

 

[Harry O]

Just when we thought we had seen the end of the Treloar and Grundy cap issues, we are saddled with another 900k burden until 2030

 

[Peters_Nuts]

Just when we thought we had seen the end of the Treloar and Grundy cap issues, we are saddled with another 900k burden until 2030

Where's this figure coming from?

I find it hard believe Bobby is on 900k per year regardless if he won a Norm Smith.

 

[Roverjg]

Where's this figure coming from?

I find it hard believe Bobby is on 900k per year regardless if he won a Norm Smith.

This article similar with several others on the internet all report his contract is around $750k

Pies ‘not factoring’ Hill into 2026 plans as Cats reveal goal for star’s return after ‘challenging’ period

Pies ‘not factoring’ Hill into 2026 plans as Cats reveal goal for star’s return after ‘challenging’ period

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Eric Shin]

We still have plenty of cap space (despite what the media portrays) and we’ll have even more to splash after a few retirements over the next couple of years.

 

[frizzle]

Just when we thought we had seen the end of the Treloar and Grundy cap issues, we are saddled with another 900k burden until 2030

No. If Bobby doesn’t come back to the club I think the contract will be terminated with the AFL’s blessing at the end of the year. I hope he recovers & returns to us instead.

 

[Peters_Nuts]

No. If Bobby doesn’t come back to the club I think the contract will be terminated with the AFL’s blessing at the end of the year. I hope he recovers & returns to us instead.

Yep there’s no way the club will just roll over on this.

 

[Go Woods]

No. If Bobby doesn’t come back to the club I think the contract will be terminated with the AFL’s blessing at the end of the year. I hope he recovers & returns to us instead.

No way the club let's this situation go beyond this season.
Either Hill gets back and commit or see ya later.

 

[Rorzza]

We tend to take mental health more seriously these days and for good reason. Bobby is contracted to 2030, I tend not to buy into the innuendo until the club or manager makes a statement. CFC will be all over it. If Bobby plays this year, awesome! if it's next year, such is life!

 

[Harry O]

Yep there’s no way the club will just roll over on this.

Dayne Beams anyone? AFL didn’t help us out with him

 

[Jelly Bean]

We still have plenty of cap space (despite what the media portrays) and we’ll have even more to splash after a few retirements over the next couple of years.

How do you know that we have plenty of cap space? What do you know that 'the media' doesn't know?

 

[sr36]

Dayne Beams anyone? AFL didn’t help us out with him

AFL wouldn't be involved. If we part ways, whatever we pay Bobby will be included in the cap (unless they've changed policy). I'd be surprised if it was close to the full contract though. It'd become a settlement, which we'd never know the details about.

 

[Eric Shin]

How do you know that we have plenty of cap space? What do you know that 'the media' doesn't know?

It was mentioned by Glen McFarlane a couple of years ago, and in one of the recent Gettable episodes by Cal Twomey.

Considering we chased Rowell pretty hard last year before he re-signed also tells me we have plenty of cap space.

 

[Vankri]

Don’t want to ‘dance on any graves’ so to speak but I’m frustrated by the Bobby situation because I think cunning list management would have seen us float him as a trade with the WA clubs before this whole debacle. That’s because his salary demand was really high, and if you know where we stood midfield wise which is not where we should be you would have engineered a way to get us a young elite mid by now and Bobby could have been the key because he had strong currency and Wass the most replaceable top liner on the list (HH, Hayes).

You might say hindsight is 20/20 but to that I will say it’s not hindsight, these were my posts early last year pre the whole saga.

List Mgmt. Post in thread '2025 Trade/FA Thread'

May 15, 2025

We need to do everything in our favour to land Rowell. ****ing perfect player for us.

I would sacrifice our rights to McGuane, Saxena and McCarthy to land the glorious ranga.

Controversial but if we were truly a chance I would have traded Bobby to get the picks needed to get him (sorry Bobby love you).

• Vankri

List Mgmt. Post in thread '2025 Trade/FA Thread'

Mar 24, 2025

I’m holding onto Bobby period.
Extend his contract beyond 2026.

I don’t know. I love him and think he still has scope for a whole new level, but when you look at our list, at who has currency and who we would be able to mitigate the loss of, Hill gets to the top of the list (Harrison, Hayes). I certainly would not do it for draft picks but of course if Allan, Hill and a pick gets you Reid I think you take the chance.

• Vankri

• 

 

[Dtennent94]

Don’t want to ‘dance on any graves’ so to speak but I’m frustrated by the Bobby situation because I think cunning list management would have seen us float him as a trade with the WA clubs before this whole debacle. That’s because his salary demand was really high, and if you know where we stood midfield wise which is not where we should be you would have engineered a way to get us a young elite mid by now and Bobby could have been the key because he had strong currency and Wass the most replaceable top liner on the list (HH, Hayes).

You might say hindsight is 20/20 but to that I will say it’s not hindsight, these were my posts early last year pre the whole saga.

List Mgmt. Post in thread '2025 Trade/FA Thread'

May 15, 2025

We need to do everything in our favour to land Rowell. ****ing perfect player for us.

I would sacrifice our rights to McGuane, Saxena and McCarthy to land the glorious ranga.

Controversial but if we were truly a chance I would have traded Bobby to get the picks needed to get him (sorry Bobby love you).

• Vankri

List Mgmt. Post in thread '2025 Trade/FA Thread'

Mar 24, 2025

I’m holding onto Bobby period.
Extend his contract beyond 2026.

I don’t know. I love him and think he still has scope for a whole new level, but when you look at our list, at who has currency and who we would be able to mitigate the loss of, Hill gets to the top of the list (Harrison, Hayes). I certainly would not do it for draft picks but of course if Allan, Hill and a pick gets you Reid I think you take the chance.

• Vankri

• 

Who says we didn’t? Bobby was adamant he wanted to stay, publicly on social media.

 

[Mollythedolly]

It was mentioned by Glen McFarlane a couple of years ago, and in one of the recent Gettable episodes by Cal Twomey.

Considering we chased Rowell pretty hard last year before he re-signed also tells me we have plenty of cap space.

All clubs should be within the +/-5% of TPP range (+/- $900k approx). StKilda an exception last year which is how they freed up the $s to spend this year.

 

[frizzle]

All clubs should be within the +/-5% of TPP range (+/- $900k approx). StKilda an exception last year which is how they freed up the $s to spend this year.

We could be doing the same right now.