This year’s trade period could prove to be a bit flat, considering the amount of players who’ve re-signed and taken themselves off the market of late.
In the last week, we’ve seen Jeremy McGovern, Angus Brayshaw and Aliir Aliir commit to their respective clubs and that leaves teams scrambling - and potentially paying overs for the players still available.
It’s a good time to be a half-decent out-of-contract midfielder at the moment, as the market continues to shrink and their value increases.
There’s also a crop of veterans who aren’t on this list, but could see 'Hail Mary' offers thrown at them after the success of Luke Hodge at Brisbane.
The likes of Jarrad McVeigh, Shaun Burgoyne, David Mundy, Aaron Sandilands, Heath Grundy, Kade Simpson, Brendon Goddard and Jarrad Waite remain unsigned, but will likely either remain where they are or retire.
Of the rest, here are the 15 best players who are still out of contract and could be factors come the trade period in October.
Others currently unsigned: Jordan Roughead, Michael Barlow, Jacob Townsend, Shaun Grigg and Kade Kolodjashnij.
15. Shai Bolton (Richmond)
Bolton has put contract talks on hold and has been linked to a move home to Western Australia.
He's shown glimpses of talent but is behind Dan Rioli, Jason Castagna and Dan Butler and has now seen Jack Higgins go past him. The draw of heading to Freo or West Coast could be strong
14. Mitch Wallis (Western Bulldogs)
Wallis, like many on this list, doesn't want to leave his current club, but may be forced out as part of a changing of the guard at the Whitten Oval.
If so, he’s shown decent form in the back half of the year and could help out a team lacking inside midfielders.
13. Ben Jacobs (North Melbourne)
The North Melbourne tagger might raise eyebrows as an inclusion on this list, but the Roos are a significantly better team when he’s out there.
Both as a tagger and a ball winner, he’s a player they’ll desperately want to re-sign given his importance to their midfield structure.
12. Daniel Menzel (Geelong)
Menzel has once again had his injury issues, but we saw what he was capable of earlier in the season when in full flight.
He’s averaging 2.3 goals per game this season and given the one-year deals Geelong seems to want him on, the 26-year-old may seek a change of scenery.
11. Tom Liberatore (Western Bulldogs)
Liberatore is the forgotten man of the equation given he ruptured his ACL in Round 1, but remains out of contract and has plenty of good footy left in him you'd imagine.
He could be the final midfield piece in a team that already has great depth through the position like a Geelong or Hawthorn.
10. Jamie Elliott (Collingwood)
Let’s not kid ourselves, Elliott has played 17 games since 2015 and none this year, but we can’t rule out a new club getting his body right and turning him back into one of the most dangerous small forwards in the competition.
He’s now superfluous to Collingwood’s needs given the success they’re having with their current forward set up, which could make him enticing trade bait.
9. Scott Lycett (West Coast)
With Nic Naitanui suffering a second ACL injury, the Eagles likely won’t let their secondary ruckman go anywhere, but the fact remains he’s still out of contract.
Geelong is in desperate need of a ruckman, but it’s hard to see them having the cap space to offer more than what West Coast could.
Port Adelaide are also a big chance of pursuing the South Australian big man.
8. Bachar Houli (Richmond)
The general consensus is the somebody’s going to get squeezed out at the Tigers give,n the amount of players coming out-of-contract and their potential pursuit of Tom Lynch.
Houli therefore could be the one who gets moved on, but the 30-year-old would fit into most best 22s and would certainly have suitors.
However, a pay cut to remain with the Tigers is the most likely scenario.
7. Aaron Hall (Gold Coast)
Hall is a player who will benefit from being one of the few midfielders on the market and given he’s out for the season with a pectoral injury, he’s likely played his last game for the Suns.
Sides like Hawthorn, Carlton, North Melbourne and Melbourne could do with a ball-winner who works both on the inside and as a link player.
6. Jayden Short (Richmond)
Many have touted Short as the most improved player in the competition and his penetrating kicking off half-back has certainly made him a key cog for the reigning premiers this year.
As already mentioned, the Tigers can’t keep everyone and Short has reportedly already knocked back an offer this year.
The retirement of Shaun Hampson retirement the likely exits of fringe players Sam Lloyd and Anthony Miles will free up salary cap space which could see the Tigers offer Short closer to what he deserves.
5. Jared Polec (Port Adelaide)
Host of SEN’s Time On Sam McClure recently reported North Melbourne offered Polec a five-year $700,000 deal, but later added he expects the midfielder to remain with the Power.
Despite that, he’s another player who has benefited greatly from being one of the few midfielders available and the Roos may yet up their offer.
4. Luke Dahlhaus (Western Bulldogs)
The premiership Bulldog is another who has expressed his desire to remain with the club, but a deal between the two seems a while off – if it happens at all.
The unrestricted free agent might be the best (or only) midfielder still available come October. He may have played his last game as a Dog.
3. Darcy Moore (Collingwood)
The Pies just re-signed Jordan De Goey and whether they can afford to keep Moore as well now becomes the big question.
Moore has been plagued with injuries, but certainly has some big fans as a key defender and Sydney is reportedly very keen on him.
2. Andrew Gaff (West Coast)
Gaff is now the headline midfield target of free agency and while West Coast has the opportunity to match any offer, the numbers being thrown around ($1.2 - $1.3 million) are well above what they could.
Gaff could be right up there in the Brownlow calculations this year and teams like St Kilda and North Melbourne won’t die wondering.
1. Tom Lynch (Gold Coast)
Lynch has been the talking point for well over a year now and his days on the Gold Coast seem numbered.
Richmond, Collingwood and Hawthorn appear to be the teams fighting over his signature and it might just be a matter of when, not if.