The players your team has been linked to in 2026 – AFL trade news - Zero Hanger

With Australia officially hitting winter and the colder months, the trade news cycle is beginning to escalate as clubs and players begin to prepare for 2027 and beyond. There's already been plenty of names, big and small, that have been linked to moves to rival sides. With plenty of names included in the trade and free agency conversation in 2026, we've listed every player each AFL team has been tied to so far this season. Adelaide The Crows have been forthright in their desire to improve their midfield mix, and Brisbane's Zac Bailey is on the top of the agenda. Adelaide has been found out in that part of the ground, and would love an established player who can spit through the centre square as well as hit the scoreboard. Bailey's teammate Lachie Neale has also been floated as an option given his free agency status and willingness to consider his future elsewhere away from the Lions. Melbourne's Tom Sparrow has links to South Australia, and is out of contract at the Demons. Sparrow's spike in form has rivals interested in making a move. Gold Coast forward Jed Walter is another name to watch as he weighs up his future. Walter has struggled to cement his spot in the senior side, and could seek more senior opportunities elsewhere. The Crows also have preliminary interest in Darcy Wilson. Brisbane The Lions seemingly have all the pieces to the puzzle, but have wanted defensive reinforcements for multiple years, and Essendon's Jordan Ridley is back on the radar. Ridley wants to depart the Bombers after suffering from an injury-plagued career, especially the past few seasons. His desire to head to Queensland also puts Brisbane's rival in the running, but the sustained interest from last year, plus the links to former Bombers Sam Draper and Connor McKenna, as well as Joe Daniher, may put the reigning premiers ahead of the pack. Carlton The Blues are attempting to stabilise the club after the departure of Michael Voss, but it hasn't stopped them assessing the viability of Gold Coast pair Bailey Humphrey and Jed Walter. The Suns duo pose as gettable, but the Blues may have bigger fish to fry. Potential Pick 1 Cody Walker is set to gobble up a heap of draft capital in November. However, the deal to walk out Charlie Curnow to Sydney has placed Carlton with a strong draft hand for years to come, which they can tap into if they please. Ironically, Curnow's new teammate, Joel Amartey, is a name to watch at the Blues as they look to improve their key forward stocks. Collingwood Collingwood has gone on record saying they will hit the draft this year to regenerate its aging list, but their name continues to bob up when discussing potential trade and free agency options. The Pies hunted Ben King for some time, while his teammates in Jed Walter and Bailey Humphrey were also on the club's whiteboard as potential targets. Free agent Lachie Neale is one that is alive in play as he won't cost the club anything in draft capital. Zak Butters is a free agent, but his restricted status will mean Port Adelaide will force a trade, and the ask will likely be too much for Collingwood. Hawthorn Mitch Lewis' hat has also been thrown in the ring as the Pies look to bolster its key forward stocks, which has been an issue for the club (apologies to Brody Mihocek) since Travis Cloke left a decade ago. Essendon The Bombers are undergoing a transitional phase as they hunt a new coach, but are still in the running for Suns forward Jed Walter. A pair of Zac/ks (Bailey and Butters) have been floated as ideal options to bolster the midfield at Tullamarine, but given the uncertainty and lack of premiership contention, it's deemed very likely they will seek homes elsewhere. Adelaide ruckman Reilly O'Brien poses as a live option to give the Bombers some assistance in the ruck department after finding himself on the outer at West Lakes. Fremantle The Dockers are perfectly placed without acquiring a star from a rival club, but Lachie Neale's uncertain future bore the idea of a reunion. Neale's children reside in Western Australia, and he previously played at the Dockers before making the switch cross country. The move is extremely unlikely given Fremantle's strong midfield contingent, while its priorities will be on other parts of the ground. Collingwood's Ed Allan is out of contract and is from Western Australia. Geelong It's never truly an off-season unless the Cats thrown their hat into the ring, and they're pushing for Port Adelaide's Zak Butters as well as Toby Greene and Darcy Wilson. It is known the Giants skipper wants to return to Victoria, but a matter of when has yet to be decided. Geelong will pose the reunion with great mate Jeremy Cameron, as well as playing at the MCG in front of a bumper crowd should be enough to persuade Greene to return home. If not, the Cats are a watch on Wilson. The speedy Saint has held off contract talks as he weighs up his future following a career-best season to date. As most clubs in the market for an emerging forward, Suns' Jed Walter has also been linked to Geelong. And could St Kilda's Rowan Marshall attempt to head down the highway again? Gold Coast Essendon's Jordan Ridley is understood to want to play football in Queensland, putting Gold Coast and cross-town rivals Brisbane on deck. Ridley toyed with a move last year to the Lions, but was ultimately held to his contract. However, a secondary club like the Suns, which has plenty of trade capital, could be brought into negotiations with the Bombers on Ridley's future. Collingwood's Ed Allan and North Melbourne's uncapped Brayden George have been mentioned in passing to the Suns. GWS The Giants have been major movers in the trade and free agency space, but are keen on keeping some of its stars. Tom Green is understood to have a seven-year deal in front of him from GWS worth more than $9 million, and is a priority given Tasmania's interest for next year. The club is also keen on keeping captain Toby Greene, albeit his links to a move to Victoria, while Jesse Hogan, Jake Riccardi and Max Gruzewski are ones to watch in the key forward squeeze. Hawthorn The Hawks are still after a premium midfielder, and the noise around Zach Merrett and Bailey Humphrey will not go away. Hawthorn's pursuit of Merrett hit fever pitch last year, and is set to resume in the coming months, while Humphrey is also on the agenda. Zak Butters and Ben King were also targets of the Hawks, but the free agent duo are expected to select other clubs over the brown and gold. Melbourne The Demons' links to Bailey Humphrey are strong, and have plenty of avenues they could use to lure him back to Victoria. Humphrey has friends from Moe at the club, and met the Demons last year as he weighed up his future at the Suns. Melbourne has also been on the front foot in saying they're keen to bring in top-end talent, which includes Zak Butters. However, coach Steven King believes that race may have already run, but is still worth a watch as the year progresses. North Melbourne The Kangaroos are ready to leap into finals calculations, but are keeping a wandering eye in case of potential moves. St Kilda's Darcy Wilson poses as a perfect candidate for a trade given his age and athletic profile which would complement the young North Melbourne core. The Arden Street club has cash to burn, and has missed out on big targets in years gone by. They have been floated as a potential destination for Zak Butters, which is unlikely. Adelaide's Jordon Butts is another one linked to North Melbourne. Port Adelaide Home-grown talent is hard to come by, but when they are in form, and out of contract, it makes sense. Melbourne duo Tom Sparrow and Kade Chandler both hail from South Australia, and are live options for Port Adelaide to improve their list with established talent. There's no discernible movement on both their contracts, giving the Power an opportunity to strike. Richmond The Tigers are in a precarious position given their pitch wouldn't necessarily appeal to the top-liners considering a move. Zak Butters has been deemed a gettable target, and Richmond has thrown its hat in the ring, albeit wouldn't be considered as a leading contender. They have the cash and 'big-four' vibes to lure Butters, but with no premiership tilt in sight, and would be a hard sell. GWS ruck Nick Madden is also a player of interest to the Tigers who need to look at Toby Nankervis replacements. St Kilda The Saints have reached out to Gold Coast's Joel Jeffrey after he has found himself on the outer. Jeffrey is contracted until 2028 but has struggled to cement his spot in the senior side. They have confirmed they will continue to look at improving their list with established talent. Sydney The Swans are nicely placed from a list perspective, and one of the main objectives is to re-sign the much-improved Joel Amartey as he enters free agency. Defensive additions will be a target for the club, and can be expected to move relatively late on a player from a rival club. Decisions on veterans Taylor Adams, Dane Rampe, Joel Hamling and Harry Cunningham are set to be worked through in 2026. Tasmania A new club always has plenty of names linked to them. The Devils enter the AFL in 2028 but have already begun making plays at players in the competition. Collingwood's Nick Daicos was linked to them, albeit a very difficult move during his current contract which expires at the end of 2029. Daicos' teammate Beau McCreery is a live option while Giant Tom Green is deemed the perfect candidate to lead the club. Top draftees Sam Lalor and Finn O'Sullivan are a pair of names Tasmania is hunting while Richmond's Rhyan Mansell hails from the Apple Isle, and is tipped to join the club. North Melbourne's Colby McKercher, given his links to the state, is another one to keep an eye on. West Coast The Eagles are building their list nicely, and the addition of a two-time premiership player in Lachie Neale may help steer the club in the right direction. However, the pitch to Neale, who is after more flags and team success, will be a hard one as West Coast still laments in the bottom rungs of the ladder, despite strong improvement in 2026. The link to Western Australia is obvious, with Neale's children located in the state, making for a swift transition if he opts to leave the Lions. The same goes for Patrick Cripps, who is keen to remain at Carlton. The Blues skipper is contracted for 2027, but given the club is heading in a new direction, he's been floated as a target amid uncertainty. Collingwood's Ed Allan is out of contract and has links to the state. The same goes for Melbourne's Trent Rivers and Port Adelaide's Mitch Georgiades. Western Bulldogs The club most spoken about in the trade and free agency space as they hold ascendancy over rivals for the signature of Zak Butters. The Port Adelaide star is tipped to depart the Power, with the Bulldogs believed to be the front runners. Butters has links to the west of Melbourne, and to be paired with Marcus Bontempelli and Ed Richards is another attractive feature of the pitch. The Bulldogs were also interested in Adelaide defender Jordon Butts last year, and their need to bolster their back half is still apparent.

		P	W	L	PTS	%
1	FRE	12	11	1	44	135.2
2	SYD	12	10	2	40	152.4
3	HAW	12	8	3	34	114.8
4	GEEL	13	8	5	32	121
5	GC	11	7	4	28	116.9
6	ADEL	12	7	5	28	107.9
7	MELB	12	7	5	28	101.8
8	WB	12	7	5	28	93.7
9	BL	12	6	6	24	103.9
10	GWS	12	6	6	24	103.2

The players your team has been linked to in 2026 – AFL trade news

Here are the names your club has been tied to this year👇

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