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2026 free agents revealed: Red-hot Lion among footy's mos...

A sensational finals series has shot Zac Bailey into the upper echelon of wanted players

Some planning required here.

2026 FREE AGENCY LIST
^Qualifies as previously delisted
*Qualifies as previously moved clubs as a free agent

First things first, our lads

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

Who do you think we should retain?

And whilst we don't really have the allure for a big name, if we clear Tracs wage we could bring someone in - if so, who should we put preliminary work into

ADELAIDE 
Mitch Hinge*
James Borlase*
Chayce Jones
Rory Laird
Lachie Sholl
Jordon Butts

BRISBANE 
Zac Bailey
Darcy Gardiner
Ryan Lester
Oscar McInerney
Lachie Neale
Dayne Zorko
Noah Answerth

CARLTON 
Nick Haynes^
Nic Newman
Sam Walsh
Zac Williams^

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

ESSENDON 
Jade Gresham^
Matt Guelfi
Liam McMahon*
Jaxon Prior*

FREMANTLE 
Bailey Banfield*
Oscar McDonald*
Sam Sturt
Sam Switkowski
Patrick Voss*
Corey Wagner*

GEELONG 
Mark Blicavs
Patrick Dangerfield
Jake Kolodjashnij
Jack Martin*
Mark O'Connor
Rhys Stanley

GOLD COAST 
Oscar Adams*
Caleb Graham
Ben King
Max Knobel*
Lachie Weller
Jarrod Witts

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 
Kieren Briggs
Stephen Coniglio
Toby Greene

HAWTHORN 
Jack Gunston
Jarman Impey
Mitch Lewis
Harry Morrison
Ned Reeves

NORTH MELBOURNE 
Aidan Corr^
Luke McDonald
Toby Pink*
Bailey Scott

PORT ADELAIDE 
Zak Butters
Darcy Byrne-Jones
Ollie Wines

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

ST KILDA 
Jack Carroll*
Liam Stocker*

SYDNEY 
Joel Amartey
Harry Cunningham
Joel Hamling*
Justin McInerney

WEST COAST 
Tom Cole
Matt Flynn^
Liam Ryan
Bailey Williams

WESTERN BULLDOGS 
Lachie Bramble*
Ryan Gardner*
Tom Liberatore
Lachie McNeil*
Rhylee West
Buku Khamis

Thanks for the hard work on the list:

To clarify, are these players free agents before or after 2026 season?

I’d want to keep Fritta and move him up like Jeremy Cameron, he’s got good ball use, decent speed and decent ground work, Chandler (if he improves or plays more like ANB), and Culley.

Edited September 30, 2025Sep 30 by GawnOfTheDead

'2026' = available after 2026, I presume? (If it were for 2026, Campbell, McDonald and Melksham wouldn't be there)

7 minutes ago, GawnOfTheDead said:

Thanks for the hard work on the list:

To clarify, are these players free agents before or after 2026 season?

I’d want to keep Fritta, Chandler (if he improves or plays more like ANB, and Culley.

6 minutes ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

'2026' = available after 2026, I presume? (If it were for 2026, Campbell, McDonald and Melksham wouldn't be there)

List of players with contracts (currently) expiring at the end of the 2026 Season, so could be brought in for 2027.

Very premature thread but curious which players of ours we should lock in ASAP.

I would throw everything, including the kitchen sink, at Zac Bailey

Edited September 30, 2025Sep 30 by BW511

Keep: Chandler, Culley*, Fritsch

Assess Price and possible returns: Salem, Sparrow

Cull: Campbell*, May, McDonald, Melksham

Target:

3rd string ruck depth: Reeves, Blicavs, OMcInerney, Knobel, Flynn,

Key backs: Butts, Gardiner, Broad, Vlastuin, Graham, Borlase

Small Backs: Answorth, Impey, Hinge, Weller,

Key Fwds: King, Amartey, Lewis

Small Fwds: Bailey, Switkowski, West

Good players: Butters, JMcInerney

We should really target this group to improve our overall list profile, so many obvious talent and age profile upgrades who are capable AFL players but for one reason or another could play some reserves football next year.

Prioritising Answorth once we see how his achilles heals teehee

any of the three tall forwards

and 2 of the key backs, gardiner hasnt bee paid well and butts/vlastuin could come at good prices

bailey and butters the obvious superstars every vic club will be in for

Interesting lists.

Of ours, I would expect Tom McDonald to retire. He was leaning that way this year.

Melksham will probably retire too

May likely traded out.

Campbell is a bare maybe, depon or ruck stocks.

Fritsch may look to move, depending on how we perform and his relationship with King.

I would expect us to retain Chandler, Culley, Salem, and Sparrow.

I'd be targeting Zac Bailey and Ben King of the list of available players. Not massively excited by the rest.

I'll take Butters, Walsh, Zac Bailey and Ben King.

Not one of - all of.

Enough run to overwhelm anyone anywhere, and a lump of a forward waiting for the ball to arrive.

Probably about $6m/season between them, but hey who is counting?

48 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

I'll take Butters, Walsh, Zac Bailey and Ben King.

Not one of - all of.

Enough run to overwhelm anyone anywhere, and a lump of a forward waiting for the ball to arrive.

Probably about $6m/season between them, but hey who is counting?

Toby Greene. Would be handy