Essendon, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs are reportedly interested in trading into the top 10 of the National Draft via the Gold Coast Suns' earliest first round selection.
According to AFL Media's Callum Twomey, the Suns have had their early selection, which is tied to Port Adelaide, on the trade block "in recent months" as they look to bolster their playing list via the trade period rather than the National Draft.
Gold Coast are linked to several disgruntled stars of the game, including Christian Petracca and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, and may look to leverage their first round picks to land these talents.
Twomey stated that the Eagles are keen on trading for the Suns' Pick 6 to claim what will likely be a third top 10 selection, assuming that the compensation for departing captain Oscar Allen eventuates to be the second selection in the draft.
West Coast are likely to pair Picks 16 (acquired via Hawthorn) and 22 (acquired via the AFL's assistance package) in their offer to the Suns, but the situation could change with the club expected to receive further draft capital for departing talents Liam Ryan and Campbell Chesser during the trade period.
The Bulldogs also loom as an interested club for Gold Coast's Pick 6, and may have an advantage on the Eagles, given the expected movement of players between the two sides.
Suns midfielder Connor Budarick's recently put in a trade request to the Footscray-based outfit and Bulldogs troubled forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has his sights set on a move to the Gold Coast for 2026.
The Bulldogs currently hold Pick 11 and 32 for the National Draft.
Essendon, while less likely to acquire the Suns' draft capital, is looking at a potential push up the draft board also. The Bombers hold five top 30 picks, including Picks 4 and 5, and are open to packaging their later selections of Pick 20, 26 and 29 to move up the order.
The 2025 AFL Trade Period will start on Monday, October 6 and run until Deadline Day on Wednesday, October 15.
