A decade ago, the AFL followed the lead of the American sporting codes by introducing a free agency program.
The policy has led to the biggest shift in the employee/employer relations since the induction of the eight-hour working day and the biggest in the code since the short-lived ten-year rule of the Seventies.
The past shackles of clearances, poor salaries and a powerless playing class were cast off, with million dollar deals over multiple years becoming the new norm.
No sooner had this new age been established did the term ‘pre-agency' become a side-effect and a part of the footballing vernacular.
The tag of pre-agent relates to those that are still on contract with their current clubs, but come the agreements conclusion, they will have served a tenure long enough to be granted either restricted or unrestricted free agency status.
Recently, clubs have begun shopping these players prior to their contracts completion in an effort to avoid leaving future negotiations empty handed. Players have also been known to openly flirt with other teams as a means of securing an extension from their current cheque cutters.
With the conclusion of the 2020 season imminent and the trade period around the following corner, we've compiled a list of the players that will enter free agency this time next year.
Below are all 18 club's most interesting 'pre-agent', with some added speculation about what their futures may hold.
West Coast
Dom Sheed
Following his clutch goal late in the 2018 Grand Final, Dom Sheed revealed to the footballing world that it was in fact ice rather than plasma that pumps through his veins.
DOM SHEED PUT THE EAGLES IN FRONT!#AFLGF pic.twitter.com/uhTTxmV6eT
— AFL (@AFL) September 29, 2018
Since that defining moment, the close-cropped Eagles' career has gone from strength to strength.
The left footer's 2019 season proved that he wasn't just making up the numbers in the Perth powerhouse's engine room, but rather a vital cog in their success.
Sheed's last season averaged – 26.4 disposals per game, 4.9 clearances, 4.7 inside fifties and a total of 16 majors.
With the Western Australian set to become a restricted free agent next season, should the slice of pie offered be thinner than anticipated, Sheed may seek to exercise his right to peruse the marketplace.
At just 25, the Eagle will no doubt see Sheed as integral for their future growth when the club's elder statesmen hang them up, but as mentioned, his services shouldn't come cheap.
With Josh Kennedy and captain Shannon Hurn last week inking new one-year deals, they join Sheed as the club's only pre agents.
Like the Swans, don't expect to see these veterans anywhere else, with these pair of singular season agreements likely to be their last.
