Ahead of the 2025 Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period, Fremantle Head of Player Personnel David Walls has provided insight into the Club’s trade and draft plans.
Attention has turned to the 2025 Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period, commencing on Monday 6 October and running for 10 days until concluding on Wednesday 15 October.
Walls discussed a number of different options the Club is considering before the trade period officially begins.
“We’ve got three senior list spots to fill after those retirements (Nat Fyfe, Michael Walters and James Aish) and the delistings (Jack Delean and Odin Jones),” said Head of Player Personnel Walls.
“We’ve upgraded Josh Draper, who moves up to the senior list after being a Category B Rookie, and Jeremy Sharp also moves from the rookie list to the senior list.
“So we have three spots available on the senior list and three rookie spots as well.
“The three senior spots could be filled through a combination of trade and Draft, or it could be all Draft.
“We’ll continue to explore both possibilities and see where we land, but we’re confident we’ll be in a good position at the end of the trade period.”
When asked whether the Club would prioritise trades or draft picks, Walls explained that decisions will be situation-dependent, with the recruitment team keeping an open mind.
“We try to assess every option out there,” Walls said.
“Without being hard and fast, we tend to trade for our needs and then draft for the best available talent.
“With the Draft, you really have to take what it gives you and the players that are available.
“We’ll look to address specific needs through the trade table where we can and then go to the Draft and pick the best available talent.”
Following trade requests from ruckman Liam Reidy (Carlton) and midfielder Will Brodie (Port Adelaide) last month, Walls provided insight into the Club’s hopes from those moves.
“We’ll just try to get the right and suitable deal. I don’t think it will be too difficult - it should be pretty straight forward to get done,” Walls said.
“We wish Will and Liam all the best with their careers.
“It will be more about looking at points and potentially moving up the Draft order where we can.”
Walls said the Club remains open to exploring the Supplemental Selection Period (SSP) again following the trade and Draft windows, given the success with signing Jeremy Sharp, Pat Voss and Isaiah Dudley in recent years.
“Particularly when we come out of the trade period, get through the National Draft, and can really assess what we’ve brought in - what types - and whether there are still any needs or gaps on the list, we’ll look to fill those more specifically with roles,” Walls said.
“I think that’s something we’d be very open to, leaving one, maybe even two rookie spots open so we can bring in a number of players to train with us and get a really good look at them.”
The 2025 AFL Free Agency Period runs from Friday 3 October to Friday 10 October
The 2025 Telstra AFL Draft will be held over two nights on 19 and 20 November.
There is a rule change for this year, with clubs now able to trade picks two years in advance. It means clubs can trade picks for the 2025 Draft, as well as 2026 and 2027.
DRAFT ORDER (to 3 October)
Adelaide: 14, 43, 50, 52, 68, 70
Brisbane: 18, 39, 42, 48, 51, 63, 74
Carlton: 19, 38, 46, 64
Collingwood: 36, 54, 66, 72
Essendon: 4, 5, 24, 27
Fremantle: 11, 31, 40, 49, 67
Geelong: 17, 37, 55, 73
Gold Coast: 6, 13, 16, 33, 58, 69
GWS: 12, 32, 34
Hawthorn: 8, 28, 57, 71
Melbourne: 25, 55, 61
North Melbourne: 22, 23, 41, 59
Port Adelaide: 26, 44, 62
Richmond: 2, 3
St Kilda: 7, 45, 60
Sydney: 9, 29, 47, 65
West Coast: 1, 15, 20, 21, 35, 53
Western Bulldogs: 10, 30
