Premiership contenders ready for Tassie’s AFL arrival

Premiership contenders Fremantle, Hawthorn and Brisbane are the most prepared clubs for Tasmania's slated entrance to the AFL in 2028.

The three clubs have comfortably the most players locked away beyond 2028, meaning Tasmania will be unable to sign them as part of the raft of draft concessions given to the club.

Across the 2027 and 2028 seasons, the Devils will have the capacity to sign up to 18 players - one per club - who are out-of-contract or free agents.

Brisbane has the core members of its back-to-back premiership squad locked away long term, with no club having more than the Lions' 16.

Of those who come out of contract in the coming years, two-time premiership forward Logan Morris is the clear priority, having been heavily linked to the Devils as he comes out of contract next year.

Academy graduate Sam Marshall is another who the club will want to lock away, but he has been exploring his options with St Kilda circling, while Dan Annable has not extended beyond his base three-year draft contract.

Murphy Reid's recent re-signing until the end of 2032 brings the number of players who are contracted beyond 2028 to the Dockers to 15, with star forward Josh Treacy and fellow midfielders Caleb Serong and Hayden Young also in that mix.

Of course, one player the Dockers may lose is Alex Pearce, who has been discussed as a suitable inaugural skipper for his home state.

Hawthorn, meanwhile, has 14 locked away, spearheaded by co-captain Jai Newcombe, star small forward Nick Watson and hard-nut utility Blake Hardwick.

The Hawks are, however, a touch more vulnerable on paper than Freo, with star winger Massimo D'Ambrosio (2028), co-skipper James Sicily (2027), Jack Ginnivan (2027) and Will Day (2027) all priorities to re-sign.

North Melbourne has done exceptionally well to be another club towards the top of the list despite a poor decade.

Despite five consecutive bottom-four finishes and Alastair Clarkson admitting this week his future is uncertain ahead of another season almost certainly without finals, the Kangaroos have signed 10 players until 2029 or beyond.

Charlie Comben was the latest of those during the week, while Finn O'Sullivan turned his back on big money and Tristan Xerri, Harry Sheezel and Luke Davies-Uniacke are other key clubmen who are in it for the long haul. 

George Wardlaw comes out of contract at the end of 2028 and will be a watch until another deal is penned.

Remarkably, it is a fellow premiership-contender, Sydney, with the lowest number of players locked in with just five: Charlie Curnow, Will Edwards, Justin McInerney, Callum Mills and Nick Blakey.

Chad Warner has received plenty of headlines and may not only be enticed to return out west as he has in the past, but with younger brother Troy Warner towards the top end of 2028 draft boards, playing alongside another brother could be part of the Devils' pitch.

But Warner is not the only star the Swans need to get to work on, with Errol Gulden, Isaac Heeney and James Rowbottom arguably the highest-profile trio out-of-contract from one club in 2028.

Richmond has the equal second-least number of players committing long-term with just six.

In a way, it is understandable given the club has scarce proven commodities worth signing compared to other clubs, while in other cases, players may be reluctant to sign as they have been sidelined and want to maximise the value of the deal.

However, none of Richmond's bevy of first-round picks from the 2024 National Draft putting pen to paper yet is becoming a worry and has the capacity to become a talking point if they continue to hold out and the Tigers' results do not turn next season.

Melbourne also has only six squared away, headlined by star Kysaiah Pickett, and they will be desperate to get several more contracts done imminently after a season where Steven King has unlocked improved individual output from a host of players.

The chief priority is Tom Sparrow, unsigned beyond this year, while Trent Rivers, Harry Sharp, Caleb Windsor and Xavier Taylor are others to keep an eye on.

Collingwood has seven locked in long term, but given the age of the list, it makes sense they are on the lower side. 

Geelong is in the same position, but has several youngsters it will be desperate to lock away, including Sam De Koning, Tanner Bruhn, Max Holmes and Connor O'Sullivan, all with contracts expiring across 2027-2028.

Port Adelaide has a whopping 22 without contracts for next year, which further underlines the fluidity of the list and how impressively Josh Carr has performed in his first season as coach.

Zak Butters has received all the headlines this year, but Joe Richards, Miles Bergman, Mitch Georgiades and Aliir Aliir are top six players at the club and all unsigned beyond next year.

A priority of the new Essendon coach will be attracting the young core to commit long-term, with none of the touted first-round trio Dyson Sharp, Jacob Farrow or Sullivan Robey yet putting pen to paper.

Archer May, Angus Clarke, Zak Johnson, Archie Roberts and Archer Day-Wicks are among the other youngsters the club has invested in to come out of contract in Tasmania's window.

Adelaide sits mid-pack in the competition, but as well as the much-discussed defensive duo James Borlase and Jordon Butts out of contract at the end of this year, the Crows have Izak Rankine, the improved Sam Berry, standard-setter Ben Keays and ruck Lachie McAndrew available to clubs at the end of next year and Riley Thilthorpe and Wayne Milera out of contract beyond 2028.