Petracca to meet Suns, Lions offer defender new deal, 'Gia' in Magpies' sights

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PETRACCA TO MEET WITH SUNS

CHRISTIAN Petracca has headed to Gold Coast to meet with the Suns as he weighs up a trade request to the Suns or Adelaide.

AFL.com.au revealed on Wednesday the Melbourne superstar was set to meet the Suns and tour the club on Thursday as he steps closer to his call between Gold Coast and the Crows.

He had already spoken with Suns coach Damien Hardwick in recent days, having travelled to Adelaide on Monday to meet with the Crows and coach Matthew Nicks.

The 2021 Norm Smith medallist will assess both clubs' list profiles, his potential role within the teams, their culture and what he can add to either of the options before making a decision on where he wants to play in 2026.

Petracca is contracted at the Dees for another four years, with Demons CEO Paul Guerra adamant any trade deal would need to suit Melbourne before the club would let the premiership star go.

It comes as the Gold Coast also meet with Western Bulldogs' former No.1 pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan as they consider offering the key forward a second home.

Ugle-Hagan met with Suns officials on Wednesday, with the Suns looming as his best chance to be on an AFL list in 2026 after positive discussions.

Petracca has jumped to top of the Suns' list of priorities ahead of Blues goalkicker Charlie Curnow, with the club also having interest in Swans midfielder James Rowbottom.

Brayden Fiorini has a three-year deal in front of him to stay at the Suns but has Port Adelaide and Essendon pursuing him, while Connor Budarick is expected to depart, with the Western Bulldogs looming.

Malcolm Rosas will be traded to Sydney, while Sam Flanders is expected to late this week decide on his preferred home after meeting St Kilda, Essendon, Melbourne and Carlton last week.

Clubs are keeping an eye on Suns forward Ben Ainsworth as a possible trade target if Gold Coast lands its array of targets, although they missed out on Collingwood free agent Jamie Elliott, who decided to re-sign at the Pies on a two-year deal on Wednesday. – Callum Twomey

LIONS MAKE FLAG-WINNER OFFER

IRISHMAN Conor McKenna has been offered another deal to play on with Brisbane in 2026.

The 29-year-old became just the fourth player from Ireland to win a premiership last year, but struggled with injuries and for opportunities in 2025.

McKenna managed only five AFL appearances around 13 VFL games this year, after playing 44 times in his first two years back in Australia.

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Brisbane has now offered McKenna a one-year extension before he returned home to Ireland this week.

After playing 79 games for Essendon before heading home during the pandemic, McKenna has added 49 games for Brisbane since returning to the AFL ahead of the 2023 season.

McKenna played in the 2023 and 2024 Grand Finals and will be aiming to reclaim his spot in Chris Fagan's side in 2026. – Josh Gabelich

'GIA' ON PIES' RADAR

COLLINGWOOD has Essendon assistant coach Daniel Giansiracusa as a target to add to its coaching panel after the departure of Scott Selwood.

The highly rated Selwood announced last week he was stepping away as an assistant coach with Collingwood after a year of family tragedy, with the Pies now on the hunt for a replacement for Craig McRae's coaching division.

Giansiracusa is believed to be on the Pies' target list as they scour the market for assistants, with the former Western Bulldogs star having been at Essendon since the end of 2020 and been Brad Scott's right-hand man leading the midfield.

He has been in discussions on a contract extension at the Bombers in recent months, having also been through the Melbourne coaching process and made the Demons' shortlist of applicants before missing out to Steven King.

The Pies also have to fill the vacancy left by Josh Fraser, who has returned to Carlton after three years at Collingwood, where he served as head coach of the VFL side and head of development. – Callum Twomey

HAWK TO HOLD BEFORE SIGNING

HAWTHORN has offered Ned Reeves a three-year deal that will extend the ruckman's contract at the club until the end of 2029, with more opportunities beckoning after rule tweaks on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old is expected to stay at the Hawks, but might not re-sign until after the trade period.

Reeves has been starved of AFL chances across the past two years, playing only one senior game in 2025 after four last year due to the emergence of Lloyd Meek, but he is happy at the club despite being keen to play more regular senior football.

The AFL's decision to remove the substitute rule – and scrap the centre bounce – should help a ruck like Reeves, with clubs more likely to play two ruckmen in the same 23 next year.

Carlton and Collingwood both expressed interest in Reeves earlier in the year due to uncertainty around their ruck stocks. Brisbane also kept tabs until Sam Draper committed to join as a free agent.

Reeves was named ruck in the VFL team of the year after averaging 38 hit-outs and 14.6 disposals per game from 17 appearances, as well as 15 goals for Box Hill.

Rival clubs have been making moves on a handful of fringe Hawks, but Sam Butler turned his back on an opportunity at West Coast to sign on for two more years on Wednesday.

Inside Trading revealed last week that North Melbourne has maintained interested in key defender Jai Serong, who hasn't played a senior game since the 2024 semi-final. Essendon and Sydney have also inquired, while Fremantle explored a move last year.

Like Reeves and Serong, Henry Hustwaite was named in the VFL team of the year after establishing himself as one of the best inside midfielders in the state leagues this year. Essendon has kept tabs, but the 21-year-old is contracted for 2026. – Josh Gabelich

WINDFALL DETAIL IN DEVILS' MONEY POT

TASMANIA will be able to use its $5 million sign-on fund to pay the same player twice over two years, potentially putting A-Grade targets in line for a huge financial windfall.

The AFL Commission approved Tasmania's initial list build concessions on Wednesday morning, headlined by a $5 million 'signing bonus pool' that can be distributed outside of the salary cap for the club's first two years.

While the League stipulated that the Devils can only spend a maximum of $3 million from that fund in one calendar year, the same player will be eligible to receive money from the pool across both seasons.

In the most extreme of examples, it would mean Tasmania could try offering one player all $5 million from the sign-on fund across its first two years in the competition.

The Devils are able to divvy up the $5 million pool in any way they see fit to attract rival talent to the League's newest expansion club ahead of its planned entry in 2028.

But the AFL is still finalising the exact details of the list concessions and is expected to retain oversight in the way Tasmania spends the allotment of cash.

Tasmania was also given access to 11 first-round picks across its first three seasons as part of the list concessions, though it must trade six of those selections.

The Devils will start with picks No.1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 in their first draft, but must trade picks No.5, 7, 11 and 13 from within that crop. – Riley Beveridge

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