Wed 7 Oct 2026 at 10:37amWed 7 Oct 2026 at 10:37am
Jaymie Graham’s first trade period
Anything happening for North Melbourne now they have a coach?
– North supporter from way out west
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It sounds like the first think Jaymie Graham did as North Melbourne coach was sit down with Zane Duursma to see if he could convince him to stay. It does not sound like he was successful, and Duursma still wants to get to Melbourne.
Josh Goater is also seeking a trade to Hawthorn, but there hasn’t been any movement on that one yet.
The Roos are chasing Nick Murray from Adelaide, but the Crows are driving a hard bargain and there is a big gap in valuations between the two clubs currently.
Wed 7 Oct 2026 at 10:24amWed 7 Oct 2026 at 10:24am
The calm before the Zak Butters storm
Could Richmond still get Zak butters if the dogs can’t get a deal done or is there not really much of a chance.
– Jackson
This question is going to keep getting asked until the moment a Zak Butters deal to the Bulldogs is completed.
No, I don’t think Richmond or any other club has a realistic chance of nicking in for Butters. He’ll get to the Dogs one way or another.
Wed 7 Oct 2026 at 10:11amWed 7 Oct 2026 at 10:11am
Rowan Marshall deal up in the air
What’s a Fair deal that gets the Rowan Marshall deal done? Or could the cats back out of the trade and Rowan has to find a new home?
– Tim
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This is a really interesting situation now, because Rowan Marshall is totally chips on in getting to the Cats now, to the point of burning bridges at the Saints. Meanwhile, Geelong may be forced to cool a little given developments in the Nick Blakey space.
The Saints want pick 14 from Geelong, at least. The Cats are not going to be entertaining that for as long as the Nick Blakey possibility is live, and maybe even if it isn’t.
If the Cats do make a move for Blakey, I don’t see how Marshall also gets to the Cats without the Saints taking way unders.
In terms of what is fair, I would say if the Cats got pick 21 from West Coast for Gryan Miers then that alone would be fair for Marshall. The Saints probably wouldn’t agree. And that pick, no guarantee at all to arrive anyway, could yet get used in a Blakey deal too.
It really is totally up in the air in Geelong. Anything is possible. Nervous days for Rowan Marshall.
Wed 7 Oct 2026 at 10:00amWed 7 Oct 2026 at 10:00am
Port Adelaide’s scuppered Butters plan
I’m a bit confused with why Port Adelaide’s proposed side deal (after accepting compensation for losing Butters) with the Bulldogs involving Todd Marshall was shut down by the AFL, but there is no concern with the Suns accepting the compensation for losing Ben King and then doing a trade to get Schubert in the door. Any enlightenment you can share?
– Nervous and tired Port Adelaide fan
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Yes, Port Adelaide and the Dogs had cooked up a little scheme in which Todd Marshall was going to be traded for overs to juice up the Zak Butters deal for Port.
Yes, the AFL said they were not allowed to do that.
Yes, Gold Coast and Hawthorn might kind of be doing something similar with Ben King and Aidan and Schubert …
But no, it’s not exactly the same.
The crucial difference in the AFL’s eyes was that Port Adelaide was going to continue covering a portion of Marshall’s salary in exchange for the multiple first-round picks the Bulldogs would be sending. That wrinkle is what the AFL stamped out in its hasty memo (salary-dumping deals can no longer be done if the same two clubs have been involved in a free-agency deal in the same window).
There is no salary-dump element of the potential Schubert deal, so the AFL would likely allow it.
Again, it’s a hell of a system we’ve got here.
Wed 7 Oct 2026 at 9:49amWed 7 Oct 2026 at 9:49am
Essendon incomings?
Is Essendon looking to obtain any players?
– Bomber
Jack Bowes is being chased and is likely to be included in a deal with Jordan Ridley going the other way.
There is also talk of picking up Bailey Banfield as a delisted free agent. Then the Bombers are likely to be heading to the draft with a massive bundle of picks, in what is a relatively deep draft pool.
Wed 7 Oct 2026 at 9:32amWed 7 Oct 2026 at 9:32am
The Nick Blakey risk
I don’t understand why a club would want to bid on a player who is currently suspended with a police investigation hanging over his head. Sounds like buying dead salary cap space. I can definitely see why Sydney would want to get Blakey off the books though, maybe they give him away for free?
– Josh
Any club entertaining a trade for Nick Blakey (or any of the suspended Swans, though the others seem highly unlikely to move) will be acutely aware of the risk involved. And there is a limit to the due dilligence they can perform given the investigation is still ongoing.
The Swans, for their part, seem to determined to reintegrate those five players in 2027 and beyond. In their eyes, they are required and contracted players. I don’t think there will be any sort of discount being offered up on Blakey due to his off-field situation.
Wed 7 Oct 2026 at 9:14amWed 7 Oct 2026 at 9:14am
Could Geelong land Nick Blakey?
If Nick Blakey wants to go to the cats what would a trade look like?
– Jackson
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Honestly, I’ve got no idea how the Cats would be able to secure all of their stated targets this year, if you were to include Nick Blakey in that. For the record, the suggestion is Geelong is the club Blakey would be most keen on.
The Cats are trying to bring in Jordan Ridley with future picks and are still working on a difficult deal to get Rowan Marshall out of St Kilda. Even if they do manage to push Gryan Miers out the door, I’m not sure they have the capital to tempt Sydney for Nick Blakey.
Blakey would be worth multiple first-round picks as a starting point. The Cats currently have pick 14, and the Saints want that (as a starting point) for Marshall. Geelong would need to get creative and probably let some quality players leave if they were serious about a Blakey chase.
Wed 7 Oct 2026 at 9:04amWed 7 Oct 2026 at 9:04am
The complicated Nick Blakey situation
Even if Nick Blakely is cleared in a police investigation, I feel like the scandal will follow him wherever he goes. There’ll be fans, especially women, who won’t welcome him at other clubs. But just out of interest, before the Pullman scandal was there any chatter of him wanting to trade?
– Holly
That’s something any prospective club will have to take into account. As you say, the police investigation will be continuing beyond the conclusion of the trade period, but whichever way that falls, there will no doubt be people inside and outside any new club uncomfortable with the situation.
There was no suggestion that Nick Blakey was looking to leave Sydney before the incident at the Pullman. This is all in the wake of that.
Wed 7 Oct 2026 at 8:55amWed 7 Oct 2026 at 8:55am
Gold Coast continue to target Aidan Schubert
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The Suns have been going after young Hawks forward Aidan Schubert over the past couple of days, and the young man has been to the club in recent days for a look around.
Hawthorn is still waiting to see if Gold Coast choose to match the free agency bid for Ben King. I’m sure if the Hawks were to sanction a Schubert trade to the Suns, the Suns would be less inclined to play hardball over King.
Wed 7 Oct 2026 at 8:36amWed 7 Oct 2026 at 8:36am
Geelong’s proposed move for Jordan Ridley
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There was not a whole lot of movement overnight in terms of deals advancing, but there was a bit more reporting on the shape of Geelong’s offer for Essendon defender Jordan Ridley.
Channel Seven’s Mitch Cleary says the offer is a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and Jack Bowes.
Cleary also says the Bombers may continue paying a portion of Ridley’s salary, given the cap space they have.