Seven clubs will have decisions to make on their Supplemental Selection Period train-ons in the new year, with a total of 16 AFL hopefuls fighting for nine list spots.
Port Adelaide and Hawthorn each have two vacancies in their squads for the 2026 season, while each of Adelaide, Carlton, Fremantle, Richmond and St Kilda have one.
Clubs are able to have two train-on players per open list spot, with the Power making the most of their flexibility to have four prospects training under Josh Carr this summer.
Among them is ex-Collingwood and North Melbourne forward Jaidyn Stephenson, who has continued to catch the eye since venturing to Alberton earlier this month.
The 26-year-old and former top six draft pick has competition to earn an AFL reprieve, with Norwood defender Balyn O'Brien, East Fremantle forward Mitch Zadow and North Adelaide midfielder Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier also training as SSP options.
Both Oudshoorn-Bennier and O'Brien were part of South Australia's undefeated U18s National Championships run this year before being overlooked at the AFL Draft, and earned national and state combine invites respectively.
Across at Adelaide, ex-Sydney forward Zac Foot is competing with Western Jets midfielder Tom McGuane for the sole list spot at West Lakes.
Foot enjoyed a dominant season with Southport in the VFL this year, averaging 24.0 disposals, 6.9 marks and more than a goal per game to earn Team of the Year honours.
McGuane received interest from the Crows after not being selected at last month's AFL Draft, with Collingwood opting against recruiting the son of club great Mick McGuane.
Richmond, too, have offered training trials to a pair of AFL Draft hard luck stories, with McGuane's Jets teammate Tom Burton pushing for a list spot at Punt Road alongside Eastern Ranges ruckman Marcus Krasnadamskis.
Burton, who represented Vic Metro this year, is a promising half-back/midfielder hybrid who could add some run to Adem Yze's squad, while Krasnadamskis is a raw key positition option who decided on football over basketball within the past year.
At Dingley, Hawthorn has opted for a more experienced avenue, with ex-Fremantle list flanker Ethan Stanley and former Roo Flynn Perez both listed as SSP train-ons.
The duo suit similar roles as likely half-back/wing players, meaning they could be fighting for the same contract despite the Hawks having two free list spots.
Stanley had interest from the Hawks before being recruited to the Dockers at the 2023 Mid-Season Draft, with the Frankstown YCW product returning to Box Hill after his 18-month stint in Perth.
Perez was part of Sturt's dominant run to the SANFL premiership this year, and is chasing another chance at the top level after spending four years on North Melbourne's list, playing 24 games between 2020-2023.
St Kilda has former Essendon father-son recruit Tex Wanganeen training at Moorabbin for the sole list spot on offer, however 187cm forward Oskar Ainsworth is also in the running.
Ainsworth joins the aforementioned Burton and McGuane in pushing for an AFL chance following a strong year with the Western Jets in the Coates Talent League and a spell with Vic Metro.
For the second successive summer, Carlton has given its own delisted players the chance to fight for another contract at Princes Park, with cut pair Elijah Hollands and Will White both pushing for the sole list spot on offer.
Fremantle has one list spot remaining for next season, and is currently deciding between Vic Country ruckman Zac Harding or Preston talent Chris Scerri.
The latter, who signed with Richmond's VFL program prior to earning a move west, is a lively small forward option for the Dockers to consider.
What might work against Harding is the Dockers' decision to sign Collingwood premiership tall Mason Cox earlier in the SSP.
Cox has joined Fremantle on a two-year deal after being delisted by the Magpies, with the American to support leading ruck pair Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy in purple following the departure of Liam Reidy to Carlton.
The signing of Cox is one of six moves that have been made during the SSP, with each signing seeing former AFL-listed talent earn another chance.
West Coast has used its additional AFL assistance package rookie spots to add Harry Schoenberg, Finlay Macrae and Deven Robertson, while former Bomber Jayden Laverde has signed with GWS.
Laverde's ex-teammate Will Setterfield has secured another chance with Essendon, which opened up a list spot after Nic Martin was moved to the inactive list following a setback in his recovery from an ACL injury.
Clubs can move players dealing with long-term setbacks to the inactive list to open a list spot and add to their squad via the SSP before the February 20 deadline.
The Blues could be one club to consider such a move, with young defender Harry O'Farrell facing most of next season on the sidelines after suffering an ACL injury last August.
GWS may also have the ability to open a list spot given young speedster Darcy Jones suffered a heartbreaking ACL injury in September, potentially wiping out his entire 2026 campaign, while uncapped attacker Nathan Wardius is in a similar position.
AFL clubs can opt to keep list spots open by deciding against adding to their lists via the SSP, giving them a vacancy for the Mid-Season Draft later in the year.
SSP Train-Ons
Adelaide (one list spot)
Tom McGuane (Western Jets)
Zac Foot (Southport)
Carlton (one list spot)
Elijah Hollands (Carlton)
Will White (Carlton)
Fremantle (one list spot)
Zac Harding (Murray Bushrangers)
Chris Scerri (Preston)
Hawthorn (two list spots)
Flynn Perez (Sturt)
Ethan Stanley (Box Hill)
Port Adelaide (two list spots)
Jaidyn Stephenson (Ferntree Gully)
Balyn O'Brien (Norwood)
Mitch Zadow (East Fremantle)
Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier (North Adelaide)
Richmond (one list spot)
Tom Burton (Western Jets)
Marcus Krasnadamskis (Eastern Ranges)
St Kilda (one list spot)
Tex Wanganeen (Port Melbourne)
Oskar Ainsworth (Western Jets)
Signed Players
Essendon
Will Setterfield (Essendon)
Fremantle
Mason Cox (Collingwood)
GWS
Jayden Laverde (Essendon)
West Coast
Harry Schoenberg (Adelaide)
Finlay Macrae (Collingwood)
Deven Robertson (Brisbane)
