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2026 AFL Free Agents

Red and Blue realist
in Melbourne Demons

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The list of Free Agents for 2026 is out - it doesn't seperate free or restricted - but there could be a few names on here we could look at. We know we've got far less salary cap restraints after the recent trade period. From the list below the bigger names are obviously Butters, Walsh, Bailey and Ben King, but Mitch Lewis, Jordon Butts, Hinge, P.Voss, Amartey and B.Williams are all under 28 and could fill roles for us (talls at either end).

Interestingly we have the most names on the list, but I think at least 4 of ours will retire (May, TMac, Melk & Campbell).

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Quartet headline 2026 out-of-contract stars as every AFL...

Quartet headline 2026 out-of-contract stars as every AFL club’s list of free agents revealed
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    MELBOURNE

    Tom Campbell veteran

    Kade Chandler 🔒 2 years

    Jai Culley ??

    Bayley Fritsch 🔒 2 years

    Steven May veteran

    Tom McDonald Veteran

    Jake Melksham veteran

    Christian Salem. 2 years?

    Tom Sparrow 2 years ?

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    I'll take Walsh and Bailey, thanks.

    Bailey would be kind of a hybrid successor to Nibbler and Melksham, which we definitely want. Not much needs to be said. Brisbane is looking at the Salary cap squeeze to end all salary cap squeeze, surely?

    Walsh because he is an in-and-out midfielder with enough utility to help cover the succession of whichever of Viney, Steele, Salem and Langdon begins to fade and isn't naturally covered as the kids develop.

    Walsh has played with all manner of niggles over the last few years, and I think people underrate his 'fundamentals' a bit because of the obscene Daicos-level hype he copped early in his career. If you slot him in mentally as a 'valuable, versatile utility' rather than the hyped no.1 pick, he's a great addition to a team.

    Fingers crossed he has a poor 2026 and falls out of love with Carlton, comes cheap and then gets his body right for us, ready for the 2028 premiership.

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    All in on butters.

    Bailey would also be super

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    3 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

    MELBOURNE

    Tom Campbell veteran

    Kade Chandler 🔒 2 years

    Jai Culley ??

    Bayley Fritsch 🔒 2 years

    Steven May veteran

    Tom McDonald Veteran

    Jake Melksham veteran

    Christian Salem. 2 years?

    Tom Sparrow 2 years ?

    So in other words you'd get rid of Chandler, Fritsch and Sparrow? Seriously, there is no way any of them are staying on 2 year contracts.

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    • Thanks 1

    IMO we should continue to focus on Bailey Humphrey despite having to trade for him. Let other clubs battle it out for these guys.

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    • Haha 1

    I think it depends how we track next year… if we are bottom 4 (we most likely will be) a free agent won’t come to us as they’ll be going to a club close to a flag. Eg- Walsh, Butters.

    A play like Zac Bailey who would most likely be after cash, might think about it.

    I think next year we go again at trying to lure Bailey Humphrey as he’ll be the perfect age to add to our list.

    Until we start showing signs of progressing up the ladder which most likely won’t be for a few years, then we won’t attract a free agent who wants a premiership

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    • 4 months later...

    2026 RESTRICTED FREE AGENCY LIST

    BRISBANE
    Zac Bailey

    GOLD COAST
    Ben King

    HAWTHORN
    Jarman Impey 

    MELBOURNE
    Bayley Fritsch

    PORT ADELAIDE
    Zak Butters

    WEST COAST
    Bailey Williams

    2026 UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENCY LIST

    *Denotes player is eligible for free agency after being previously delisted in their career.
    ^Denotes player is eligible for free agency after previously changing clubs as a free agent. 

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

    BRISBANE 
    Darragh Joyce*
    Ryan Lester
    Lincoln McCarthy
    Lachie Neale
    Dayne Zorko

    CARLTON 
    Wade Derksen*
    Francis Evans*
    Nick Haynes^
    Elijah Hollands*
    Mitch McGovern
    Nic Newman
    Zac Williams^

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

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

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

    GEELONG 
    Jed Bews
    Mark Blicavs
    Patrick Dangerfield
    Jake Kolodjashnij
    Keighton Matofai-Forbes* 
    Jack Martin*
    Mark O'Connor
    Rhys Stanley
    George Stevens*

    GOLD COAST 
    Oscar Adams*
    Caleb Graham
    Nick Holman
    Ben Jepson*
    Lachie Weller
    Jarrod Witts

    GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 
    Kieren Briggs
    Stephen Coniglio
    Toby Greene
    Jayden Laverde*
    Jake Stringer* 
    Conor Stone* 

    HAWTHORN 
    Jack Gunston
    Mitch Lewis
    Harry Morrison
    Flynn Perez* 

    MELBOURNE 
    Tom Campbell^
    Kade Chandler
    Jai Culley*
    Tom McDonald
    Jake Melksham
    Christian Salem
    Tom Sparrow

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

    PORT ADELAIDE
    Darcy Byrne-Jones
    Ollie Wines

    RICHMOND
    Nathan Broad
    Tom Lynch
    Dion Prestia

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

    SYDNEY 
    Joel Amartey
    Harry Cunningham
    Joel Hamling*
    Jake Lloyd
    Dane Rampe

    WEST COAST 
    Tom Cole
    Jamie Cripps
    Matthew Flynn^
    Harry Schoenberg*

    WESTERN BULLDOGS 
    Oskar Baker*
    Lachie Bramble*
    Ryan Gardner*
    Buku Khamis
    Tom Liberatore
    Lachie McNeil*

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    Any tall defenders worth it here?

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