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.
4Darcy Wilson
The Murray Bushrangers product emerged as an endurance beast in his debut season. Rewarded with the Saints' Best Emerging Player award and fourth in Rising Star voting at the conclusion of the 2024 season, hopes were high that Wilson would continue to develop, but his sophomore season was underwhelming.
Ross Lyon twice dropped Wilson to the VFL and subbed him out of AFL matches on two occasions. Suggestion that Wilson directly asked for time to hone his craft in the VFL reportedly drew a 'mixed' response from the second-year man and those around him, instigating trade chatter.
Wilson will look to re-cement a starting role at Moorabbin in his contract year. The balance of an exciting young core, and significant investment in established talent, designates the Saints as a rising commodity next year.
Whether or not their young runner will be a part of this rise may well dictate whether or not he's wearing black, white and red beyond 2026.
Potential Suitors: North Melbourne, Essendon
