Dog earns new deal, breakout Saint still waiting, Swan keen to go on

Check out all the latest trade news from around the League

L-R: Sam Davidson, Max Hall, Dane Rampe. 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.

DOG DOC GETS REWARD

THE WESTERN Bulldogs are rewarding mature-age recruit Sam Davidson with a new two-year contract after an impressive start to life in the AFL.

Davidson secured a round one debut after a strong maiden summer at the Mission Whitten Oval and played the first 15 games of the season before missing the win over North Melbourne last Thursday night due to illness.

The 23-year-old landed a two-year deal to play for his boyhood club when the Bulldogs selected him at pick No.51 last November after just one season in the VFL.

But now the club is not just finalising an extension that will activate a third year under the new collective bargaining agreement, but will sign Davidson through until the end of 2028.

Davidson has captured the attention of the football public this year after being recruited from Richmond's VFL program at the end of his fifth year of studying medicine.

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The requirements of that degree had forced him to complete rural placements all over Victoria, which is why he played for Sale City in 2022 then South Mildura and Maffra in 2023.

Now Davidson is proving to be another winner out of the Tigers' VFL program, playing predominantly on a wing in his first season at the kennel.

Davidson deferred that degree due to the inability to study medicine and play AFL at the same time, but has started a PhD in paediatric health this year. That medical degree will take longer to finish than he first envisaged when he enrolled at Monash University's School of Medicine. – Josh Gabelich

Sam Davidson kicks for goal during the R11 match between Western Bulldogs and Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on May 22, 2025. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos

BREAKOUT STAR WAITING ON SAINTS OFFER

ST KILDA is yet to offer breakout talent Max Hall a contract beyond this season, despite an impressive month-long stretch that has put the club's rookie recruit among the most in-form players in the competition.

Hall joined the Saints on an 18-month deal during last year's mid-season draft and has yet to commence talks on an extension, though there is optimism an agreement will be struck at some point during the latter weeks of the campaign.

It comes after a scintillating patch of form for the unheralded 23-year-old, who has somehow leapfrogged the likes of Marcus Bontempelli, Sam Darcy, Caleb Serong and Luke Jackson to be Champion Data's highest-rated player in the AFL across the last four weeks.

Hall continued his strong spell against Hawthorn last Saturday night, producing the best performance of his young career to finish with 27 disposals, three goals, five clearances, four tackles and nine score involvements.

It was just his 16th appearance at AFL level, having joined St Kilda midway through last season following an impressive stint in the VFL competition with the Box Hill Hawks. – Riley Beveridge

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NO SWAN SONG YET

SYDNEY veteran Dane Rampe is keen to play on next year, with discussions likely to happen deep in the season.

Rampe, 35, is a test to return this week from a calf strain and has played 15 games for the Swans.

The unrestricted free agent is out of contract at season's end but will look to go around again for the 2026 season, which would be his 14th AFL campaign.

Rampe started his career as a 22-year-old and has been a key member of the Swans' line-up since, including being a co-captain of Sydney. – Callum Twomey

Dane Rampe handballs during the R16 match between Sydney and Western Bulldogs at the SCG on June 27, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

TIGER TO HIT TRIGGER

JACOB Blight is set to hit a trigger to secure another contract at Richmond this Saturday night against Essendon at the MCG.

After playing the first five games of 2025, Blight had to bide his time in the VFL but the West Australian has been recalled for the past two games against Adelaide and Geelong.

The 23-year-old played three games in the second half of last year after being selected from Peel Thunder with pick No.2 in the 2024 Mid-Season Rookie Draft.

Jacob Blight kicks the ball during the R17 match between Richmond and Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on July 5, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Blight earned an opportunity in the AFL after strong form in the WAFL, where his state game showing against the SANFL ahead of the Mid-Season Rookie Draft sealed his passage to the next level.

Richmond has had to cope without premiership backman Noah Balta at different times this year, while young defender Josh Gibcus has only just returned in the VFL from a knee reconstruction.

Blight arrived at Punt Road on a six-month contract, then signed a one-year deal last September. Now he is set to land an extension for 2026. – Josh Gabelich

DEVILS TO SELL 2027 VISION

TASMANIA will ramp up its bold push into the trade and draft market next week, with the AFL's newest expansion club set to host a unique event with the families of players due to compete at the upcoming under-16 championships.

Next week's annual under-16 carnival, hosted on the Gold Coast, will include many of the talented youngsters set to form the bulk of the 2027 national draft that will be Tasmania's first ahead of its debut season the following year.

It's understood the Devils have arranged for a meet and greet with the parents and family members of the players involved, with invites to the informal event on the Gold Coast sent out earlier this week.

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With the Devils hoping to scout key members of their inaugural team for the first time at next week's under-16 carnival, the club will proactively lay out the team's vision for the future and answer any questions about the side's formation with close family members at the exclusive event.

Tasmania is currently slated to receive seven of the first 13 picks in the 2027 draft pool, while it is also set to gain access to youngsters from within that crop a year early to be used as trade assets as part of a 'mini draft' system.

As revealed on AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable on Wednesday, Tasmania has also started aggressively pitching to existing players from across the League via a dossier being distributed to player agents throughout Australia.

The document, which has been presented and distributed to AFL agents across the last month, features key details on topics such as training facilities, real estate opportunities, lifestyle, education, schooling and investment prospects across Tasmania. – Riley Beveridge

KNEE BLOW FOR DRAFT HOPEFUL

DRAFT talent Harley Barker is set to miss the rest of this season after suffering a suspected ACL knee injury last week.

The South Australian, whose form had pushed him into top-20 calculations, went down with the injury in recent days. Clubs were made aware of the update this week.

Barker was coming off an impressive carnival with South Australia playing on the wing and in the forward line and was a regular goalkicker, booting two goals against the Allies, one against Vic Metro and one against Vic Country as SA clinched the under-18 title.

The 187cm Sturt product has a turn of speed and was a prospect who pushed his way up recruiters' draft boards during the championships, with clubs to take a long-term view of him come November's draft. – Callum Twomey

Harley Barker in action during the Marsh AFL National Championships U18 Boys match between South Australia and Victoria Country at Marvel Stadium on June 29, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

DEES EYE DEFENDER DEAL

MELBOURNE could open talks on an extension for in-form defender Jake Bowey before he heads into a contract year in 2026, having started initial dialogue on what a deal for the classy half-back might look like.

The Demons were proactive in re-signing Bowey to his last contract, locking him through until 2026 before he entered his contract season, and have had "brief" discussions around doing similar again in the second half of this year.

Speaking on AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable last week, Bowey's agent Scott Lucas from Phoenix Management Group said the club had already brought up talks on a new contract following a career-best season where he has averaged 22.9 disposals per game.

"We've had a very brief, passing comment with Melbourne," Lucas said.

Jake Bowey handballs during the R13 match between Melbourne and Collingwood at the MCG on June 9, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

"But they certainly value him in that sense. That would be something, if not soon … sometimes you get to the end of the year and say, 'That was a good season, there's one to go, what do you want to do, guys?'

"That can be us going to them, them going to us. It's a little bit dependent on the player, the list at the time, and what they're trying to achieve as well."

Lucas said Brisbane was another club who had held similar discussions around his fellow client Jaspa Fletcher, with the premiership-winning youngster impressing having moved across half-back this season.

Fletcher, a father-son recruit at the Lions, is also contracted through until 2026 but could be in line for a new deal in the coming months.

"We've had a brief chat about him with the Lions around how that looks going forward," Lucas said.

"I won't say we're working through that at the moment, but I think we will get to that stage sooner rather than later." – Riley Beveridge

Jaspa Fletcher in action during the R17 match between Brisbane and Port Adelaide at the Gabba on July 5, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

PIE THAT GOT AWAY

COLLINGWOOD has had an extraordinary run with father-sons but is set for a near miss.

Gabe Patterson is shaping as a potential early pick in next year's draft and booted seven goals in Glenelg's under-18 loss to West Adelaide on the weekend.

Patterson is the son of former Pie Stephen, who played 96 games for Collingwood between 1995-2000, but is four games short of Gabe being father-son eligible. He was a midfielder with speed and the capacity to also hit the scoreboard, booting 88 goals for the Pies.

Gabe is a small forward and had a massive day out for the Tigers, kicking 7.2 from 13 disposals and eight marks. He has booted 25 goals from nine games at the level as a bottom-ager this season and would likely have featured for South Australia's under-18 if not for injury setbacks.

The Pies have current stars Nick and Josh Daicos and Darcy Moore as father-son selections. – Callum Twomey

SUNS SEEKING TO BECOME DESTINATION CLUB

GOLD Coast will continue to leverage its unique lifestyle opportunities to target rival talent, as the club seeks to become a destination for the League's best players following a bumper Trade Period last year.

The club ripped contracted duo Daniel Rioli and John Noble from big Victorian rivals Richmond and Collingwood respectively during last year's window, and is set to continue being active in the acquisition market as it hunts a maiden AFL flag.

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The Suns will welcome another batch of talented Academy prospects through the door at this season's draft – notably potential top-five picks Zeke Uwland and Dylan Patterson – adding to the five first-rounders it has developed across the last two years.

Gold Coast is also stocked with three first-round selections heading into this season's Trade Period, which could be placed on the table to attract rival talent or to amass draft points to help match the likely early bids on Uwland and Patterson.

Speaking to AFL.com.au, Gold Coast's head of football Wayne Campbell said the club was fielding a lot of interest from management groups having improved the selling point of the relaxed lifestyle opportunities afforded to players up north.

"We get a lot of phone calls, only five per cent of those get out there," Campbell said.

Dylan Patterson in action during the Marsh AFL National Championships U18 Boys match between Allies and Victoria Country at Ikon Park on July 5, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

"We feel like we're building a footy club and a footy department that provides a good environment, wins games and provides a great place to live.

"It's an interesting discussion or debate around whether some players like the stuff that goes with Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, all of the trimmings and the exposure. Or do players prefer to be able to go about their business? Every player is going to be different.

"In an era where there's only more and more pressure on them, to take pressure off them by allowing them to live their lives outside of the footy club, I think that's a good thing and a real selling point for us." – Riley Beveridge

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