While players and coaches are gearing up for another campaign after a long pre-season, list managers have also been pulling strings before a ball has bounced almost a year out from the 2025 trade period.
While not a common occurrence, pre-season trade news has been a feature this year as star players Luke Davies-Uniacke, Matt Rowell, Oscar Allen and Tom De Koning have calls to make.
Reports have gone as far as to suggest Allen and Rowell have spoken to other clubs over the off-season, with club list managers getting their interest in early.
With this year's crop of off-contract names still home to a plethora of quality players, we've looked at who could be up for grabs and which clubs are positioned as potential landing spots.
With this list, we name the one player your club should be keeping a close eye on in 2025.
18. Western Bulldogs
Brandon Starcevich
Luke Beveridge's backline looks to be an area of focus in their list planning moving forward, having settled on a star-studded midfield that is assisted by emerging names and a forward line home to a lethal cohort of attacking options.
The Dogs' defence does boast quality talent in the form of veteran stopper Liam Jones and All-Australian runner Bailey Dale, but another top-line defensive asset down back might be what's needed moving forward.
Beveridge still has a reliance on the lockdown efforts of veteran Taylor Duryea, who played 22 games in the red, white and blue last year, often against the opposition's best small forward.
With Duryea turning 34 next month, the Bulldogs will be considering his long-term replacement, and there may be none better than premiership Lion Brandon Starcevich.
The Brisbane backman is one of the best one-on-one small defenders in the competition, and with his status as a free agent this year, the Dogs could come calling without having to part with any trade capital.
In a win-now window, the Dogs would attain a prime-aged 26-year-old who could slot into a defensive post and alleviate the roles of dashing defenders Dale, Joel Freijah and Lachie Bramble.
Get set for the footy with the FREE Zero Hanger 2026 AFL Season Guide! Packed with 150+ pages of player profiles, team previews, insights and analysis, the 2026 AFL Season Guide is built for fans who want the full picture. Download your free Season Guide HERE.
