ABC News (AU)
· collected 2026-10-04 · by Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson
The AFL trade period begins shortly after the conclusion of the grand final, with clubs looking to strengthen their sides through player trades and draft picks. Notable players like Lachie Neale, Scott Pendlebury, Toby Greene, Jesse Hogan, and Zak Butters are among those expected to move, offering fans hope for improved team performance in the upcoming season. Compensation rules have also changed, resulting in lower Band 1 compensation picks than seen previously due to recent adjustments in player payment caps.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Tasmania Devils unveiled their first-ever AFL squad on September 3rd, featuring eight teenage footballers from across Australia. The team aims to provide elite development opportunities and financial incentives for these young talents, who have committed to the Devils early, bypassing next year's national draft ahead of joining the league in 2028. Among the highlights is Axel Walsh, a towering 202-centimeter West Australian, considered the favorite for pick No.1 in the upcoming AFL draft but choosing Tasmania instead.
Meanwhile, the AFL trade period officially opened on September 3rd, with clubs like the Dockers, Cats, Hawks, and Lions eyeing blockbuster moves to strengthen their teams before next season. Key players such as Zak Butters, Zach Merrett, and Ben King are expected to be involved in significant trades during this period.
The draft provides young footballers the chance to compete at the highest level, with seventeen clubs aiming to challenge reigning premiers Brisbane. Clubs will seek both experienced players and talented rookies through trade deals and upcoming drafts to build competitive sides for future seasons.
Written for “AFL Trade Period” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Footy never truly sleeps.
asserted
Footy → sleep → ?
Just days after the final siren sounded in one of the most chaotic AFL grand finals in memory did the competition begin once again.
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competition → sound → memory
The trade period can help sides find the missing pieces in their side, while the draft provides young footballers the opportunity to play on the biggest of stages.
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draft → help → stages
Seventeen clubs are looking to catch the reigning premiers, while Brisbane is doing its best to stay ahead of the pack.
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Brisbane → look → pack
No games are won during the off-season, but a good period can set sides up for years to come.
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period → win → years
The names of countless players and draft picks have been discussed by the list managers in earnest over the last year, all ahead of the two weeks to come.
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names → discuss → weeks
These are the key themes to watch out for as the AFL enters its silly season.
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AFL → watch → season
A star-studded crop
This time of year lives and dies on the star power of the names linked to new clubs.
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crop → stud → clubs
If the trade period is about hope, then only the best in the game truly drives that optimism.
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best → drive → optimism
On achievements alone you would be hard pressed to find a trade period where more highly credentialed players have found new clubs.
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players → press → clubs
Already a two-time Brownlow Medallist with three flags, Lachie Neale has found his way to his third club, Collingwood.
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Neale → find → club
He's set to replace AFL games record holder Scott Pendlebury in the Pies midfield.
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He → set → midfield
Pendlebury is set to finish his career like many future Victorian retirees do; on the sunny sands of the Gold Coast.
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retirees → set → Coast
Elsewhere, GWS games and goals record holder Toby Greene has found his way to Geelong, and fellow former GWS teammate and Coleman medallist Jesse Hogan is set to join his fourth club, Collingwood.
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Hogan → find → club
These players are joined by several others who have achieved plenty across their careers already.
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who → join → careers
But despite the list of greats looking for another club, one younger star has grabbed the lion's share of the headlines.
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star → look → headlines
Unlike the names listed above, Zak Butters, firmly in his prime and off a top 10 finish in the Brownlow Medal, is poised to move east if Port declines to match a contract offer from the Western Bulldogs.
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Port → list → Bulldogs
Butters will attract top Band 1 compensation, but other high-profile moves have not.
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moves → attract → compensation
Compensation is tied to last year's salaries of players across the league.
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Compensation → tie → league
The sharp jump in the total player payment cap in recent years saw inflated compensation as a result.
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jump → see → result
Those effects have now dissipated, with the likes of Lachie Neale and Toby Greene attracting lower compensation picks than they may have a year or two ago.
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they → dissipate → picks
These stars are far from the only players that will be discussed heavily over the coming 10 days.
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that → discuss → days
It's expected up to 40 trades involving about 30 players will be made during the player movement period, with many negotiations already firmly underway.
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negotiations → expect → period
As the league trends back towards multiple key forwards and an extended bench, clubs lacking depth are searching for answers.
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clubs → trend → answers
No surprise about number one
In many — if not most — years there's intrigue about who is likely to be the number one pick in the November draft.
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who → be → draft
Recruiters and scouts alike are scouring over player videos and stat profiles, trying to separate the wheat from the chaff.
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Recruiters → scour → chaff
Thanks to a recent rule change from the AFL, Essendon are heavily incentivised to pick a player tied to a club via the father-son or academy rules.
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Essendon → incentivise → rules
If it does, it'll give itself (plus up to four other clubs) an extra high-end draft pick.
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it → do → pick
"We're certainly planning for Dougie to be bid on at one," Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps told Trade Radio last week.
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Cripps → plan → Radio
"I'm happy to share that Essendon has told us that as well.
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Essendon → share → that
However, Dougie isn't eligible for the father-son process, and is instead tied to Port via its Next Generation Academy (NGA).
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Dougie → tie → Academy
He is set to become the second NGA player to be chosen at pick one after Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
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He → set → Hagan
Cochrane has missed almost the entire year with injury, but his 2025 junior season was incredibly impressive.
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season → miss → injury
If there was a fully open draft there may be questions about whether he would go first, but under the current rules there's little doubt.
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he → be → rules
The new rule seeks to better aid lowly clubs seen as missing out on top talent and it may also address some reluctance by clubs with early picks to actually bid on high-value tied players.
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it → seek → players
This bonus draft pick disappears if the original is traded, so only lopsided trade offers are likely to be entertained.
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offers → disappear → ?
Last week the Tasmania Football Club unveiled its first eight players to the football world.
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Club → unveil → world
For many list managers it acted as an alarm that tough times were coming on the draft front.
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times → act → front
Each club values the crop of each draft in different ways.
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club → value → ways
Some drafts have stronger top ends, but weak depth.
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drafts → have → ends
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia