Dees replace May as Dogs bolster key ranks on SSP deadline

Following Steven May’s retirement on Sunday afternoon the Demons have acted quickly, signing 23-year-old Casey talent Paddy Cross on the SSP deadline.

After spending the entire pre-season training with Melbourne, Cross earns his AFL call-up after a strong 2025 campaign in the VFL, kicking 24 goals in 18 games with Casey including four goals against Williamstown in an elimination final.

In another deadline day move, the Western Bulldogs have signed forward Will Lewis from affiliate club Footscray to bolster their key position ranks.

The 26-year-old was a member of Footscray’s 2025 VFL premiership side, playing up forward and kicking two goals in the club’s 10-point Grand Final win.

Labelled a utility, the 194cm 26-year-old will hope to transition into top level football as a ready-made mature recruit.

Hawthorn have secured the services of former Roo Flynn Perez.

After an impressive showing against Geelong to open the unofficial pre-season fixtures, the running flanker has secured his AFL lifeline after being delisted by the Kangaroos in 2023.

Perez featured 24 times for North Melbourne across four seasons.

Richmond has also added former Western Jets midfielder Tom Burton.

St Kilda have decided against using their final list spot, carrying the vacant position into the mid-season draft.

Here are the ongoing SSP selections from the pre-season thus far:

• Carlton - Wade Derksen, Elijah Hollands
• Fremantle - Mason Cox, Chris Scerri
• Greater Western Sydney - Jayden Laverde
• Hawthorn - Flynn Perez
• Melbourne - Paddy Cross
• North Melbourne - Tom Blamires
• Port Adelaide - Balyn O'Brien, Mitch Zadow
• Richmond - Thomas Burton
• West Coast - Finlay Macrae, Milan Murdock, Deven Robertson, Harry Schoenberg
• Western Bulldogs - Will Lewis

The SSP deadline finishes at 5pm today, March 2nd.