26-year-old Western Bulldogs small Laitham Vandermeer could be on the move this trade period, in search of a new lease on his footballing life after injury and form kept him from the Bulldogs' senior side this season.
Vandermeer could unlock the Zak Butters trade, after the AFL's rules prohibited the salary-dumping sweetener that previously looked likely to complete the mooted move of the in-demand and restricted free agent.
The Murray Bushrangers product made his way to the Kennel after being selected with Pick 37 in the 2018 National Draft, and has managed 89 games in the eight seasons since.
However, AFL Media are reporting rivals believe he is likely to be squeezed out of the Bulldogs' best 23 even further when Butters arrives, should he not be a piece of that trade.
Soft tissue injuries have been a feature of his tenure at the top level, with hamstring complaints of varying severity hampering his 2026 campaign.
The Dogs also have an embarrassment of riches at his size and position, with players like Arty Jones, Cody Weightman, Rhylee West, Josh Dolan, Harvey Gallagher and Lachlan McNeil being preferred in the small utility role this season.
Vandermeer was infamously an unused medical substitute in the Dogs' 2021 Grand Final loss to the Melbourne Demons in Perth.
The Bulldogs loom as major players in the player movement space this off-season, with their pursuits of Zak Butters, Jordon Butts, Finn Maginness and Hudson O'Keeffe well documented.
