With another trade period now in the books, attention for list managers and fans alike turns to a loaded class of talent due to come out of contract at the conclusion of the 2026 season.

With a Brownlow Medal, two Gary Ayres Awards, AFLCA Champion Player of the Year honours and plenty of All-Australians and premiership players featuring in the off-contract crop for next year, clubs keen to add star power to their list will be salivating.

Here we've listed 10 players set to come out of contract in 2026, and rival clubs that could be suitors.  

3Sam Walsh

1988-2005: The best player born in each year
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 13: Sam Walsh of the Blues kicks the ball during the 2024 AFL Round 05 match between the Carlton Blues and the Adelaide Crows at Marvel Stadium on April 13, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The first pick of the 2018 National Draft, and 2023 Gary Ayres Award winner, Sam Walsh has been courted by Victorian powerhouses Geelong and Hawthorn as his current deal nears expiration. Walsh is a bull at his best, but has consistently battled injury over the course of his tenure at IKON Park.

A fresh start at a club on a flag-winning trajectory, such as the two mentioned above understandably appeals to the man many believed would replace Patrick Cripps as Blues skipper.

Family ties in the greater Geelong region earmark the Cattery as a likely destination for the 2021 John Nicholls medallist, but Carlton are steadfast in their desire to re-contract the sought-after ball-winner. New General Manager of Football Chris Davies labelled Walsh a 'massive player for us into the future' at the commencement of the recent trade period.

Walsh, for his part, has publicly stated his own desire to steer the Blues back to premiership contention after two seasons in the relative wilderness.

Potential Suitors: Geelong, Hawthorn

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