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.
asserted
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.
asserted
draft → help → stages
Seventeen clubs are looking to catch the reigning premiers, while Brisbane is doing its best to stay ahead of the pack.
asserted
Brisbane → look → pack
No games are won during the off-season, but a good period can set sides up for years to come.
asserted
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.
asserted
names → discuss → weeks
These are the key themes to watch out for as the AFL enters its silly season.
asserted
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.
asserted
crop → stud → clubs
If the trade period is about hope, then only the best in the game truly drives that optimism.
asserted
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.
asserted
players → press → clubs
Already a two-time Brownlow Medallist with three flags, Lachie Neale has found his way to his third club, Collingwood.
asserted
Neale → find → club
He's set to replace AFL games record holder Scott Pendlebury in the Pies midfield.
asserted
He → set → midfield
Pendlebury is set to finish his career like many future Victorian retirees do; on the sunny sands of the Gold Coast.
asserted
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.
asserted
Hogan → find → club
These players are joined by several others who have achieved plenty across their careers already.
asserted
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.
asserted
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.
asserted
Port → list → Bulldogs
Butters will attract top Band 1 compensation, but other high-profile moves have not.
asserted
moves → attract → compensation
Compensation is tied to last year's salaries of players across the league.
asserted
Compensation → tie → league
The sharp jump in the total player payment cap in recent years saw inflated compensation as a result.
asserted
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.
uncertain
they → dissipate → picks
These stars are far from the only players that will be discussed heavily over the coming 10 days.
asserted
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.
asserted
negotiations → expect → period
As the league trends back towards multiple key forwards and an extended bench, clubs lacking depth are searching for answers.
asserted
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.
asserted
who → be → draft
Recruiters and scouts alike are scouring over player videos and stat profiles, trying to separate the wheat from the chaff.
asserted
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.
asserted
Essendon → incentivise → rules
If it does, it'll give itself (plus up to four other clubs) an extra high-end draft pick.
asserted
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.
asserted
Cripps → plan → Radio
"I'm happy to share that Essendon has told us that as well.
asserted
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).
asserted
Dougie → tie → Academy
He is set to become the second NGA player to be chosen at pick one after Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
asserted
He → set → Hagan
Cochrane has missed almost the entire year with injury, but his 2025 junior season was incredibly impressive.
asserted
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.
uncertain
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.
uncertain
it → seek → players
This bonus draft pick disappears if the original is traded, so only lopsided trade offers are likely to be entertained.
asserted
offers → disappear → ?
Last week the Tasmania Football Club unveiled its first eight players to the football world.
asserted
Club → unveil → world
For many list managers it acted as an alarm that tough times were coming on the draft front.
asserted
times → act → front
Each club values the crop of each draft in different ways.
asserted
club → value → ways
Some drafts have stronger top ends, but weak depth.
asserted
drafts → have → ends
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
