Brandon Starcevich, Judd McVee, Oscar Allen and Jack Steele among recycled players to help clubs in 2026

Callum Ah Chee (Adelaide) The dual Brisbane premiership winner joins his third club after proving his ability to play on the biggest stage at the Lions. He excelled as a forward during the 2024 grand final, kicking four goals, but shifted to the wing when the club won the 2025 flag. Ah Chee has also played in defence during his career, so will bring the Crows the key combination of skill, versatility and experience. Ben Ainsworth (Carlton) The Blues need small forwards and Ainsworth certainly know how to sniff out a goal. Drafted by Gold Coast at pick four, Ainsworth has now played 158 games and he’s kicked 137 goals during that time. The Blues have been searching for answers surrounding their small forwards in the last couple of years, so adding an experienced player like Ainsworth should provide them with some stability. Oscar Allen (Brisbane) Brisbane had an obvious area that they needed to address despite winning two premierships in a row. That needed another key forward following Joe Daniher’s retirement in 2024 and Eric Hipwood partially tearing his ACL last year. Now they’ve got a key forward who has previously kicked 50 goals in a season and has been a club captain. The only question is whether Allen’s body can stand up. Connor Budarick (Western Bulldogs) The Gold Coast defender wasn’t one of the headline acts during the trade period but the Bulldogs knew how important he could be for them as someone who can lock down on small forwards. Budarick’s career has been impacted by injury but he was part of Gold Coast’s finals campaign and the Dogs understand the value of someone who is prepared to do one of the game’s toughest jobs. Campbell Chesser (Carlton) There was never any doubt about Chesser’s speed and athleticism when he was at West Coast. He simply lacked confidence and continuity due to injury. A top 20 draft pick, if Chesser can get his body right and earn a spot in Carlton’s midfield, he will provide them with the explosive speed that they clearly lack. The Blues have been a one-paced midfield and Chesser will be a point of difference. Mason Cox (Fremantle) Fremantle made a long term commitment to playing two established ruckmen when they signed Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson to long term deals, but Jackson is now an option as a big bodied midfielder. So recruiting Cox gives Fremantle the opportunity to test Jackson as an onballer while still having two rucks. And if that doesn’t work out, they still have immense ruck depth in case of injury. Charlie Curnow (Sydney) Sydney fans love a high profile key forward and Curnow will add to long line of megastars who have moved to the Harbour City to kick goals for the Swans. Tony Lockett, Barry Hall and Lance Franklin were all hugely successful for Sydney and it’s hard to not see Curnow kicking bags of goals in red and white. The Swans haven’t had a player kick 50 goals since 2022. Curnow can do that. Tom De Koning (St Kilda) The Saints backed up the truck and threw money at De Koning to entice him away from Carlton. He’s 26-years-old, has fantastic athleticism and is 203cm tall which makes De Koning a huge threat. St Kilda already have Rowan Marshall so now they have two mobile ruckmen who can inflict damage both at stoppages and in marking contests all over the ground. Sam Draper (Brisbane) Oscar McInerney has retired and Darcy Fort is 32, so the Lions need a long term answer in the ruck. Draper hasn’t played since April after rupturing his Achilles against West Coast, but he will be healthy in 2026. Draper provides energy to his teammates and can produce brilliant passages of play. He’ll be extremely valuable for the Lions as the chase another flag. Brayden Fiorini (Essendon) The Bombers targeted Fiorini with the clear desire to play him as a wingman. He’s a player who knows how to win the ball himself and has had an immediate impact at Essendon after being selected in the club’s leadership group. Fiorini spent 10 years at Gold Coast, then left despite being part of their finals team, so it’s a bold decision to commit to a club that is re-building. Sam Flanders (St Kilda) Flanders fell out of Gold Coast’s centre square group during 2025 and he went looking for other opportunities at the Saints. Flanders averaged 31 possessions per game in 2024 but that figure dropped to 19 last season because he was playing a different role. St Kilda will play Flanders as an onballer and he’ll be determined to prove that’s where he should have been playing. Ollie Florent (Carlton) The Swans pushed Florent out the door to ensure they got Charlie Curnow to the club and it was obvious during the season that he wasn’t part of coach Dean Cox’s plans. But Michael Voss needs a player like Florent. He has played his best footy as a rebounding defender, but was on the wing a lot last season. The Blues need someone who can give them drive from half-back. Will Hayward (Carlton) Carlton ranked 14th for scoring during 2025 compared to fourth the previous year, and have to find a way to replace the goals that Charlie Curnow had been kicking. Hayward has kicked multiple goals in almost half of his games across the last two seasons. He is a good overhead mark and also kicks goals from his work at ground level. He’ll make the Blues different. Changkuoth Jiath (Melbourne) Attacking defenders are worth their weight in gold in modern footy, and Jiath always looked incredibly exciting when bursting from the backline at Hawthorn. Melbourne lost Judd McVee to Fremantle and need to have more excitement with the way they move the ball. Jiath will provide explosive power with the attacks and he’ll give Dees fans something to cheer for. Judd McVee (Fremantle) The Dockers have made no secret of their desire to move the ball quickly in 2026, and that will start with the way they use the ball in the backline. So adding a player like McVee who is an elite kick will make a huge difference. McVee could also push into the midfield, and the forwards would definitely enjoy leading to him if he’s winning the ball forward of centre. Brody Mihocek (Melbourne) Collingwood fans loved having Mihocek in their forward line because he competed all the time, kicked goals and they knew exactly what they would get from him. At 32, Mihoceck is entering the twilight of his career but if we exclude the COVID year, he’s kicked at least 30 goals in six of the last seven seasons. The Dees will relish having him playing in the forward line. Clayton Oliver (GWS) When fit, motivated and healthy, Oliver is one of the AFL’s best midfielders. He’s been below his best in recent years and finished seventh in Melbourne’s best-and-fairest. But Oliver still knows how to find the ball and a move to the Giants will give him a fresh start. If he gets back to anywhere near his best, Oliver will clearly improve the club’s midfield. Christian Petracca (Gold Coast) Petracca’s life was genuinely in danger after a horrible injury during 2024 and it always felt like he’d fallen out of love with the Demons afterwards. So Gold Coast are set to benefit from having another big bodied midfielder who can push forward and kick goals. The thought of the Norm Smith medallist working with Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson and Touk Miller is a bit scary. Deven Robertson (West Coast) The Eagles have become extremely young in recent seasons, so Robertson’s arrival gives them a 24-year-old midfielder who has been part of a club that has played in the last three grand finals and won two flags. He’ll be desperate to just play AFL after limited chances at the Lions. He will bolster West Coast’s midfield with his talent, hunger and experience. Liam Ryan (St Kilda) St Kilda went on a recruiting spree and Ryan will add instant excitement to their forward line. Let’s face it, while the Saints have shown they can be attacking and score freely, they also fall into the trap of being pretty bland at times. Ryan is far from bland. He plays with an electric flair, whether it is flying for marks or kicking amazing goals. Fans will want to watch him. Jack Silvagni (St Kilda) Silvagni was courted by multiple clubs and chose the Saints where his versatility will be important. We’ve seen Silvagni playing as a forward, a defender and a ruckman at different points of his career, so he’ll be keen to settle down one clear job at the Saints. Silvagni has played more than 100 games now so will give St Kilda another experienced head. Charlie Spargo (North Melbourne) Joins the club where his dad played 81 games. That wasn’t enough to qualify for father-son selection, but Spargo has now found his way to Arden Street. He won a premiership with Melbourne, so understands what is required to be successful. Spargo has had a rough run with injury for the past two seasons so will be desperate to stay healthy in 2026. Brandon Starcevich (West Coast) The dual Brisbane premiership defender is a master of locking down on dangerous opposition forwards and not giving them a sniff. Starcevich is strong in the air and on the ground which means he can line up on a variety of players. Grabbed the opportunity to move home to Perth and while there are concerns over his concussion history, there’s no doubting his talent. Jack Steele (Melbourne) The St Kilda captain was a casualty among a list overhaul but instantly saw an opportunity at Melbourne as the Dees searched for replacements for Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver. Everyone knows what Steele is good at. He wins clearances, he lays tackles and he competes every week. That’s precisely what new coach Steven King needs in 2026. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Gold Coast) In the game of risk versus reward, Ugle-Hagan is the ultimate roll of the dice. The Western Bulldogs gave away their former number one draft pick for a packet of chips amid frustration with his attitude. The key forward didn’t play a game in 2025 and barely trained. But Ugle-Hagan is clearly talented, so the Suns will be hoping he turns his life around and gets back to his best. James Worpel (Geelong) We all know how good Geelong is at identifying talented players to slot straight into their team and keep them at the top of the ladder. Worpel adds to a long line of big names to have joined the Cats. He’ll step into their midfield and win clearances which will make the outside runners even better. Geelong’s history tells us this move will be successful.