More than 60 of the AFL's retired or delisted talent from the 2025 season have locked in their colours for next year, whether that be at the local level, in the state leagues, or back in the AFL after securing another chance.
Grassroots competitions lead the way, with local clubs having swooped on 19 names straight out of the top flight.
SANFL sides have also been busy, with a dozen delisted AFL players landing in the South Australian competition. South Adelaide has been among the busiest clubs, signing ex-Hawk Seamus Mitchell, cut Saint Arie Schoenmaker, Panthers product Jack Delean and delisted Demon Will Verrall straight out of the AFL following a four-win season.
The VFL has managed 17 recruits, with the newly arrived Tasmania Devils responsible for four of those as the club builds its maiden list. Queensland powerhouse Southport has been busy, adding experienced AFL talent in the form of Ryan Burton, Thomas Berry and Sam Day this off-season.
WAFL clubs have been making moves, adding 10 players from the AFL.
Seven delisted players have secured lifelines with another AFL club, while the Supplemental Selection Period could see more added to that tally.
Here's where recently delisted or retired AFL players will be pulling on the boots in 2026.
AFL
Jayden Laverde (GWS)
Finlay Macrae (West Coast)
Deven Robertson (West Coast)
Callum Ah Chee (Adelaide)
Harry Schoenberg (West Coast)
Mason Cox (Fremantle)
Elijah Hollands (Carlton*)
Will White (Carlton*)
Will Setterfield (Essendon)
*Supplemental Selection Period train-ons
VFL
Jye Menzie (Tasmania)
Lachlan Charleson (Werribee)
Robbie Fox (Tasmania)
Caleb Mitchell (Tasmania)
Jaxon Binns (Essendon)
Geordie Payne (Tasmania)
Oliver Sestan (Port Melbourne)
Kallan Dawson (Williamstown)
Sam Day (Southport)
Tom Fullarton (Williamstown)
Kynan Brown (Sandringham)
Thomson Dow (North Melbourne)
Ryan Burton (Southport)
Jack Billings (Footscray)
Xavier Ivisic (Werribee)
Ben Hobbs (Port Melbourne)
Thomas Berry (Southport)
SANFL
Jack Delean (South Adelaide)
Harry Boyd (Norwood)
Loch Rawlinson (Sturt)
Harry Lemmey (West Adelaide)
Josh Fahey (Central District)
Will Verrall (South Adelaide)
Jed McEntee (Sturt)
Aaron Francis (Norwood)
Ted Clohesy (Woodville-West Torrens)
Kieran Strachan (Adelaide)
Arie Schoenmaker (South Adelaide)
Seamus Mitchell (South Adelaide)
WAFL
Darcy Craven (East Perth)
Oskar Smartt (East Fremantle)
Odin Jones (West Perth)
Indhi Kirk (Perth)
Jack Petruccelle (Subiaco)
Jacob Blight (Subiaco)
Ashley Johnson (West Coast)
Callum Jamieson (West Coast)
Charlie Dean (Perth)
Coen Livingstone (West Perth)
Local
Quinton Narkle (Broadford)
Travis Boak (Torquay)
Ben Paton (Albury)
Blake Leidler (Surrey Park)
Will Hoskin-Elliott (Yarravile Seddon)
Dylan Williams (Surrey Park)
Jeremy Finlayson (Myponga-Sellicks)
Lachlan Murphy (Port Noarlunga)
Brodie Smith (Seaton)
Todd Goldstein (Pascoe Vale)
Miller Bergman (Berwick)
Rory Atkins (Maribyrnong Park)
Chris Burgess (Paskeville)
Jimmy Webster (Lavington)
Brandon Ryan (Maribyrnong Park)
David Swallow (Surfers Paradise)
Lachlan Keeffe (Sydney University)
Wade Derksen (Montmorency)
Zak Jones (Mt Eliza)
Other
Karl Gallagher (Monaghan, Gaelic)
Jasper Scaife (Notre Dame, Gridiron)
Not Listed
Matt Crouch
Oscar McInerney
Alex Cincotta
Sam Docherty
Orazio Fantasia
Oleg Markov
Tom Mitchell
Alwyn Davey
Luamon Lual
Dylan Shiel
James Aish
Nat Fyfe
Michael Walters
Mitch Duncan
Cameron Guthrie
Lloyd Johnston
Sean Lemmens
Alex Sexton
Callan Ward
Luke Breust
Sam Frost
Marty Hore
Taj Woewodin
Eddie Ford
Will Phillips
Brynn Teakle
Darcy Tucker
Hugh Jackson
Willie Rioli
Jacob Bauer
Mate Colina
Jacob Koschitzke
Kamdyn McIntosh
Zaine Cordy
Jayden Hunt
Dom Sheed
Taylor Duryea
Jason Johannisen
Liam Jones
Caleb Poulter
Anthony Scott
