Blues wait on compo call, new deals for Bombers pair, axed Swan wants another crack

Check out all the latest trade news from around the League

L-R: Jack Silvagni, Liam McMahon, Robbie Fox. Pictures: AFL Photos

Get all the latest news in the trade, free agency and draft landscape in Inside Trading, AFL.com.au's dedicated column for player movement. Find out the latest on contracts, deals, trades, draftees, rules, agents and who is going where from the AFL.com.au team.

BLUES WAIT ON COMPO CALL

JACK Silvagni's age as a 10-year free agent will work against Carlton's hopes of receiving a first-round compensation pick for his exit to St Kilda.

Silvagni decided officially on Wednesday to join the Saints as an unrestricted free agent, having also met with the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood, on what is expected to be a five-year deal worth more than $4 million.

While the length and value of the deal given to the third-generation Blue will be in the territory of band one compensation, Silvagni's age – he turns 28 later this year – will be part of the AFL's free agency formula.

No player in free agency history since it started in 2012 has garnered a first-round pick for the club they departed as a 10-year player. The player's age comes into the formula for compensation selections.

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Harry Perryman and Josh Battle last year received first-round picks for the Giants and Hawks, respectively, on deals around $900,000 a season and were unrestricted free agents, however both were one year younger than Silvagni.

James Frawley also received a first-round pick for Melbourne when he left for Hawthorn in 2014 as an unrestricted free agent, but was in the eighth year of his career as well.

The Blues will get a first-round pick for Tom De Koning's exit to the Saints, which will start at No.9 but likely be bumped down to pick No.10 if the Oscar Allen compensation pick comes through.

Tom De Koning leaves the field after the Round 24 match between Carlton and Essendon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on August 21, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

An end-of-first-round pick appears more likely for Silvagni although that too would be a first in free agency history, with the best compensation a club has received for a 10-year exiting free agent being second-round compensation (Nick Malceski to Gold Coast, Daniel Wells to Collingwood and Colin Sylvia to Fremantle).

Brendon Goddard, Dale Thomas, Lance Franklin, Joe Daniher, Zac Williams, Ben McKay, Perryman and Battle are among the players to secure their previous clubs first-round compensation picks when they left. – Callum Twomey

BOMBERS PAIR GET CONTRACT CLARITY

ESSENDON is rewarding mature-age recruit Liam McMahon with another contract for 2026.

And former Lion Jaxon Prior has earned a new one-year deal as well.

The 23-year-old McMahon landed a second chance at AFL level after being selected with the final pick in the 2025 Mid-Season Rookie Draft.

McMahon made his debut against Greater Western Sydney in round 19 and played the final seven games of the season.

Liam McMahon celebrates a goal during the R23 match between Essendon and St Kilda at Marvel Stadium on August 15, 2025. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos

The Bombers have now offered the former Magpie a one-year extension for next season.

McMahon kicked 12.3 for Brad Scott's side in 2025, including four goals against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium and then three against St Kilda the following week.

The 198cm key forward also kicked 43.17 from 13 VFL appearances for Carlton and Essendon this year.

Prior played every game for the Bombers in his first season at the club after crossing from Brisbane at the end of last season and will be locked in for 2026 at the club.

The defender's father, Michael, played 81 games for the Bombers before crossing to West Coast. – Josh Gabelich, Callum Twomey

Jaxon Prior during the round 20 match between Essendon and Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on July 25, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

THREE-CLUB BLUE TO STAY

CARLTON has rewarded SSP signing Francis Evans with another contract for 2026.

The Blues have offered the former Geelong and Port Adelaide small forward a one-year extension.

Evans was added to the rookie list at Ikon Park late in the pre-season supplemental selection period, after signing with the Blues' VFL program, following 27 appearances for the Power and seven for the Cats.

The 24-year-old played 10 games for Michael Voss' side this year, but roared home in August to command another deal.

Evans kicked 11 goals in the final month of the season, including four against Gold Coast in round 22 and three against Essendon in round 24. – Josh Gabelich

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SWAN KEEN FOR NEW HOME

DELISTED Sydney defender Robbie Fox is keen to continue his AFL career after not being offered another contract by the Swans.

The 31-year-old was limited to just four VFL appearances in 2025 due to injuries and hasn't played at AFL level since the 2024 Grand Final loss to Brisbane.

Fox played 105 games under John Longmire after moving from Burnie to play suburban football in Melbourne, before starring for Coburg to earn a spot on Sydney's rookie list at the end of 2016.

Robbie Fox during the Grand Final between Sydney and Brisbane at the MCG, September 28, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

The Tasmanian played 18 games last year after 20 appearances in 2023 when his versatility and reliability made him a permanent fixture.

State league clubs are already chasing him, but Fox is hoping for another chance in the AFL across the coming months, via the delisted free agency window, rookie draft or pre-season supplemental selection period. – Josh Gabelich

VFL BOLTER ON RADAR

TOM BLAMIRES is on the radar of a handful of AFL clubs in a season where the Frankston midfielder has emerged as one of the leading contenders for the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal.

The 23-year-old moved from the Sandringham Zebras to the Dolphins last off-season, reuniting with former Sandringham Dragons coach Jackson Kornberg in Frankston.

Five AFL clubs are understood to have requested GPS data and vision from the Dolphins, while Tasmania has expressed interest in Blamires joining the Devils ahead of the 2026 VFL season, as they dangle the carrot of AFL list spots in 2028 as part of the club's concessions.

Blamires started working for Collingwood in the commercial sales team in July after working for the AFL around his university commitments.

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Not long after he started at the AIA Centre, Blamires amassed 44 disposals against the Magpies' VFL team, while spending some time playing on Jordan De Goey. Collingwood is one club that has kept tabs on his form in 2025.

Last Saturday at the Whitten Oval, Blamires went head-to-head with Adam Treloar at times, with the 2024 All-Australian midfielder remarking in the aftermath that he thought the Frankston star had AFL traits and deserved a shot on a list.

Blamires collected 34, 35, 30 and 44 touches in consecutive weeks earlier this year and has averaged 23.9 disposals and 4.2 tackles across 19 appearances this season.

Frankston's Jackson Voss has also been nominated for the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal, along with Richmond pair Harry Scott and Massimo Raso, while Werribee key defender Ryan Eyers is considered another leading contender. – Josh Gabelich

Massimo Raso in action during the VFL R2 match between Richmond and Sandringham at RSEA Park on March 29, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

US PAIR TRIAL IN FRONT OF AFL CLUBS

AMERICAN giants Josh Van Gorp and Hayden Curtiss are ready to jump at an AFL opportunity, with the athletic pair hoping to follow in the footsteps of Mason Cox and land a Category B rookie contract in the coming months.

Van Gorp and Curtiss impressed at a United States AFL Draft Combine held in Dallas back in June and have spent the last week in Australia trialling at four clubs including Gold Coast, Collingwood, Geelong and Hawthorn.

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Van Gorp is a 208cm former basketballer from Central College in Iowa, while Curtiss stands at 211cm and comes from a soccer and basketball background at Portland State University.

The pair trained with Cox at the Magpies earlier this week in their bid to land an AFL deal in the coming months, saying they're ready and determined to return to Australia in the near future by earning a contract.

"I think it would be awesome," Van Gorp told AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable this week. "It's something that I'd definitely be open to and it's an opportunity I'd definitely jump at."

An interesting subplot to Collingwood training today...

Hayden Curtiss and Josh Van Gorp were the two Americans selected from July's AFL combine in Dallas. Today, they trained with the Pies.

They both stand at well over 200cm tall and did ruck drills with countryman Mason Cox.… pic.twitter.com/jagIkdyN1v — Joel Kennedy (@JoelKennedyy) September 2, 2025

The pair are due to return to the United States later this week, with Curtiss set to be offered an opportunity to play at the Seattle Grizzlies in the USAFL in his efforts to continue acclimatising to the game.

"I've been practicing with the USAFL team in Seattle before I came out, so I'll probably just continue going out to that," Curtiss said. "I'll maybe play some games with them, we'll see. I know they've been pretty keen on getting me out there to play some games, so maybe I'll make that happen." – Riley Beveridge

FORMER AFL BOSS IN NT PUSH

FORMER AFL boss Andrew Demetriou and ex-Melbourne and Essendon CEO Peter Jackson met with the League last month as part of the Northern Territory taskforce as the Top End pushes for more games in the Coates Talent League next year.

Demetriou and Jackson joined the AFL's head of NT Sam Gibson in Melbourne to present to the AFL, with more representation in the country's premier under-18 competition as soon as 2026 among the agenda items.

Having the boys and girls under-18s teams playing more games in the CTL, and more games hosted in the Northern Territory, are among the key items the taskforce is keen to introduce to help build up the talent pathway in the region.

Former AFL boss Andrew Demetriou. Picture: AFL Photos

This year the NT boys team played three games in the competition, and one at home, while the girls team played three as well and one at home. AFLNT has pushed for at least one more game each, with the goal to double the tally in time as well.

The NT taskforce is appointed by the Northern Territory government to lead the build of an AFL team based in the region and be the 20th AFL licence, with the small steps in building more programs for 12 to 13-year-olds to progress the start of their bigger plans.

Demetriou joined the NT taskforce last year, having overseen the expansion of the competition from 16 teams to 18 during his time as AFL chief executive. – Callum Twomey

SWANS ADD EXPERIENCE TO ACADEMY

FORMER St Kilda list manager and head recruiter Tony Elshaug has taken on a new role with Sydney.

Elshaug, who was in charge of the Saints' recruiting for a decade before taking on a position in Essendon's recruiting team, has been added in a part-time role with the Swans Academy.

As part of the Swans, Elshaug is looking at alternate talent streams as clubs invest more in the Category B space and look to access prospects from different sporting backgrounds.

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It continues the 1985 Essendon premiership player's long association with the game, including being a long-time assistant coach during North Melbourne's successful 1990s era alongside Denis Pagan and then as an assistant coach to Ross Lyon at the Saints during St Kilda's run of Grand Final appearances.

The Swans Academy could produce multiple draftees this year, with Max King, Lachie Carmichael, Harry Kyle and Noah Chamberlain all vying to be selected. – Callum Twomey

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