Big free agent 'expected to go', Crow's new suitor, will Bombers get AFL help?

The AFL's free agency landscape is heating up with major dominoes poised to fall, starting with Zach Butters, the top-rated unrestricted free agent, whose future hinges on whether he returns to Victoria. Despite Richmond's astronomical $18–20 million offer, the Western Bulldogs remain favorites, though Geelong and Collingwood are closing in. Meanwhile, Ben King’s re-signing remains unresolved, with Hawthorn and Melbourne emerging as potential landing spots. Brisbane’s belief that Zach Bailey will join Adelaide next year is now the market consensus, despite clubs throwing cash at him as a free agent. The episode also dives into Essendon’s push for an AFL assistance package—argued as necessary after 22 years without a finals win—though the lack of a transparent, formulaic model makes it hard to judge fairness. The Giants are making a bold move with a seven-year, $9 million offer to Tom Green, potentially making him the highest-paid pure inside midfielder in the game. Elsewhere, the Swans’ academy prospects are drawing serious interest, and the Devils are widening their 17-year-old search. A standout moment comes when Cal Toomey argues that clubs should be allowed to trade players to future premiership rivals—like Gold Coast trading Bailey Humphrey to a top-four team—because it’s a strategic move, not a betrayal.