AFL list limbo: Big decisions every club must make, including West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers

AFL list managers are in the process of finalising their playing squads ahead of next month’s draft. Every club bar Gold Coast can sign a maximum of 44 footballers for the 2022 season, comprising between 36 and 38 on the primary list, four to six category A rookies and up to two category B rookies. The difference for the Suns is they can have nine category A rookies, as part of their assistance package. One complication is AFL rules state clubs must use at least three draft picks each year, although rookie upgrades count towards this. Here’s where your team stands from a list perspective. ADELAIDE Arrivals: Jordan Dawson (traded – Sydney) Departures: Tom Lynch (delisted), Jake Kelly (free agent – Essendon), David Mackay (retired), Tyson Stengle (delisted – Geelong), Daniel Talia (retired) Uncontracted: Ben Davis, Ronin O’Connor Contracted: 39 (including two category B rookies) Draft picks: 4, 33, 75, 80 Davis and O’Connor are the only players yet to learn their contract fate for next season. The Crows can add up to seven more players, so could be active in the recycled market, where they struck gold with Ben Keays two years ago. BRISBANE Arrivals: Darcy Fort (traded – Geelong) Departures: Connor Ballenden (delisted), Grant Birchall (retired), Cam Ellis-Yolmen (delisted)*, Tom Joyce (delisted), Archie Smith (retired), Brock Smith (delisted) Uncontracted: None Contracted: 41 (including two category B rookies) Draft picks: 14, 18, 41, 54, 60, 76, 90 Ellis-Yolmen still has a year to run on his deal and was delisted only for list requirements. The former Crow will be redrafted as a rookie. The Lions are headed to the national draft, where they will use three selections to complete their playing list. CARLTON Arrivals: Adam Cerra (traded – Fremantle), George Hewett (free agent – Sydney), Lewis Young (traded – Western Bulldogs) Departures: Eddie Betts (retired), Levi Casboult (delisted), Matthew Cottrell (delisted)*, Michael Gibbons (delisted), Marc Murphy (retired), Lochie O’Brien (delisted)*, Sam Petrevski-Seton (traded – West Coast), Sam Ramsay (delisted) Uncontracted: None Contracted: 40 (including one category B rookie) Draft picks: 25, 64, 82 The Blues delisted Cottrell and 2017 No.10 overall pick O’Brien, but have committed to redrafting them as rookies. That means they already know 42 of their maximum 44 players for the 2022 season – but one of those would have to be a category B rookie. As it stands, Carlton is set to use only pick 25 and upgrade two rookies to satisfy AFL list rules. COLLINGWOOD Arrivals: Nathan Kreuger (traded – Geelong), Patrick Lipinski (traded – Western Bulldogs) Departures: Isaac Chugg (delisted)*, Levi Greenwood (retired), Max Lynch (traded – Hawthorn), Chris Mayne (retired), Jay Rantall (delisted), Brayden Sier (delisted), Josh Thomas (retired), Anton Tohill (retired) Uncontracted: Mason Cox Contracted: 38 (including two category B rookies) Draft picks: 36, 38, 40, 46, 48, 55, 58, 78, 79 The Magpies announced John Noble’s new two-year deal on Tuesday but still have six list openings. They also want Cox to stay after fellow big man Lynch’s defection to Hawthorn. Collingwood cut Chugg but will redraft him as a rookie. The club has also committed to Senegalese ruck prospect Bassirou Faye as an International Rookie Scholarship player, but he sits outside the list of 44. Faye isn’t eligible to play AFL games until he is promoted. ESSENDON Arrivals: Jake Kelly (free agent – Adelaide) Departures: Patrick Ambrose (retired), Ned Cahill (delisted), Martin Gleeson (delisted), Cale Hooker (retired), Lachie Johnson (delisted), Ross McQuillan (retired), Irving Mosquito (retired), David Zaharakis (delisted) Uncontracted: Dylan Clarke Contracted: 38 (including two category B rookies) Draft picks: 11, 51, 56, 87 Clarke is the only Bomber from this year’s list who doesn’t know his fate for next season. The Bombers could look to improve their draft hand since there is such a big gap between their first and second picks. They have six list spots to fill. FREMANTLE Arrivals: Will Brodie (traded – Gold Coast), Jordan Clark (traded – Geelong) Departures: Brett Bewley (delisted), Adam Cerra (traded – Carlton), Reece Conca (delisted), Taylin Duman (delisted), Stefan Giro (delisted), Stephen Hill (retired), Leno Thomas (delisted), Tobe Watson (delisted) Uncontracted: Mitch Crowden, Darcy Tucker Contracted: 36 (including one category B rookie) Draft picks: 6, 8, 19, 61, 69, 84 The Dockers are close to locking in Tucker, who football boss Peter Bell expects to be a best-22 staple for the long term. Crowden will also remain at the club. They have also signed Irishman Ultan Kelm to a two-year category B rookie deal. Freo has seven more list vacancies – or eight if they recruit another category B rookie. GEELONG Arrivals: Jon Ceglar (traded – Hawthorn) Departures: Oscar Brownless (delisted), Jordan Clark (traded – Fremantle), Charlie Constable (delisted), Darcy Fort (traded – Brisbane), Lachie Henderson (retired), Ben Jarvis (delisted), Josh Jenkins (retired), Nathan Kreuger (traded – Collingwood), Stefan Okunbor (retired), Cameron Taheny (delisted) Uncontracted: None Contracted: 35 (including one category B rookie) Draft picks: 22, 30, 32, 34, 50, 91 Tyson Stengle will sign with the Cats once the delisted free agency window opens, so that will increase their list to 36 players. They cut Charlie Constable to increase his chances of being picked up elsewhere. If that doesn’t eventuate, Constable may return as a rookie. Geelong can still add seven more players, on top of another category B rookie. GOLD COAST Arrivals: Mabior Chol (free agent – Richmond) Departures: Will Brodie (traded – Fremantle), Aiden Fyfe (delisted), Jarrod Harbrow (retired), Jack Hombsch (retired), Jordan Murdoch (retired), Zac Smith (retired), Luke Towey (retired) Uncontracted: Jacob Townsend Contracted: 43 (including one category B rookie) Draft picks: 3 Malcolm Rosas re-signed for two years after Essendon showed interest in him. Rookies Matt Conroy, Patrick Murtagh and Hewago Paul Oea are also sticking around, but Towey returned to Ireland. A call is still to be made on Townsend. The Suns can have 38 primary-listed players and nine category A rookies, as part of the AFL’s assistance package – but will have only one category B rookie (Oea). They are set to draft ex-Blue Levi Casboult as a rookie. GWS GIANTS Arrivals: None Departures: Matt Buntine (delisted), Jeremy Finlayson (traded – Port Adelaide), Tom Hutchesson (delisted), Sam Reid (delisted), Nick Shipley (delisted) Uncontracted: Shane Mumford Contracted: 39 (including two category B rookies) Draft picks: 2, 13, 53, 71, 89 Mumford is almost certain to retire, but that hasn’t been made official. There won’t be any further delistings at the Giants, with Phil Davis, Zach Sproule and Jake Stein all receiving one-year deals. That means there are five spots to fill. Three of those are expected to be used at the national draft, including likely matching a bid on Academy prospect Josh Fahey. HAWTHORN Arrivals: Max Lynch (traded – Collingwood) Departures: Keegan Brooksby (delisted), Shaun Burgoyne (retired), Jon Ceglar (traded – Geelong), James Cousins (delisted), Damon Greaves (delisted), Ollie Hanrahan (delisted), Michael Hartley (delisted), Tim O’Brien (free agent – Western Bulldogs), Jon Patton (retired), Harry Pepper (delisted), Tom Scully (retired) Uncontracted: None Contracted: 36 Draft picks: 5, 21, 24, 59, 65, 81 The Hawks have four primary and category A rookie-list vacancies after locking in Jack Saunders and mid-season draftee Jackson Callow. They are also considering signing Ireland’s Fionn O’Hara as a category B rookie. MELBOURNE Arrivals: Luke Dunstan (free agent – St Kilda) Departures: Austin Bradtke (delisted), Kye Declase (delisted), Marty Hore (delisted), Neville Jetta (retired), Nathan Jones (retired), Jay Lockhart (delisted), Aaron Nietschke (delisted), Aaron vandenBerg (delisted) Uncontracted: None Contracted: 38 Draft picks: 17, 37, 49, 57, 94 Michael Hibberd was the last re-signing, with his one-year deal confirmed on Monday. They currently have 33 footballers on the primary list and five category A rookies, so that leaves four spots available. The Demons no longer have a category B rookie after delisting Bradtke, so could sign up to two qualifying players if they choose. NORTH MELBOURNE Arrivals: Callum Coleman-Jones (traded – Richmond) Departures: Shaun Atley (delisted), Tom Campbell (delisted), Trent Dumont (delisted), Taylor Garner (delisted), Charlie Ham (delisted), Connor Menadue (delisted), Robbie Tarrant (traded – Richmond), Dom Tyson (delisted), Will Walker (delisted) Uncontracted: None Contracted: 36 (including one category B rookie) Draft picks: 1, 20, 42, 47, 72, 77 The Kangaroos finalised their delistings on Monday, with Atley and Dumont the most notable among them. They still have eight available list spots, including if they recruit another category B rookie. At least four of those vacancies will be filled in the national draft, as North’s promising rebuild rages on. PORT ADELAIDE Arrivals: Jeremy Finlayson (traded – GWS Giants) Departures: Trent Burgoyne (delisted), Joel Garner (delisted), Tyson Goldsack (retired), Hamish Hartlett (delisted), Peter Ladhams (traded – Sydney), Jarrod Lienert (delisted), Sam Mayes (delisted)*, Tom Rockliff (retired), Boyd Woodcock (delisted) Uncontracted: Steven Motlop Contracted: 34 Draft picks: 12, 63, 73, 74, 92 Mid-season draftee Jed McEntee has inked a one-year extension for 2022, leaving only Motlop to re-sign – but the veteran will get a deal for next season. Martin Frederick has been promoted, so the Power doesn’t have a category B rookie at this stage. That leaves eight primary- and category A rookie-list positions up for grabs, one of which will go to Motlop. RICHMOND Arrivals: Robbie Tarrant (traded – North Melbourne) Departures: David Astbury (retired), Mabior Chol (free agent – Gold Coast), Callum Coleman-Jones (traded – North Melbourne), Noah Cumberland (delisted)*, Derek Eggmolesse-Smith (delisted), Ryan Garthwaite (delisted), Bachar Houli (retired), Patrick Naish (delisted), Bigoa Nyuon (delisted)* Uncontracted: None Contracted: 36 (including one category B rookie) Draft picks: 7, 15, 26, 27, 28, 83 The Tigers delisted Noah Cumberland and Bigoa Nyuon with the promise of redrafting them as rookies, so that means they have committed to 38 players so far for next year. They confirmed new one-year extensions for Sydney Stack and Ben Miller on Monday. Richmond can use all five of its top-30 selections at the national draft to round out the list. ST KILDA Arrivals: None Departures: Sam Alabakis (delisted), Jake Carlisle (retired), Oscar Clavarino (delisted), Luke Dunstan (free agent – Melbourne), James Frawley (retired), Jack Lonie (delisted), Shaun McKernan (retired), Dylan Roberton (retired) Uncontracted: Paul Hunter, Darragh Joyce, Dean Kent Contracted: 33 Draft picks: 9, 62, 66, 67, 85 The Saints have nine primary- and category A rookie-list openings, but Hunter, Joyce and Kent will hope to fill three of them. They will ideally keep their first-round pick and be able to match bids outside the top 20 on Academy prospects Mitchito Owens and Marcus Windhager. SYDNEY SWANS Arrivals: Peter Ladhams (traded – Port Adelaide) Departures: Kaiden Brand (delisted), Malachy Carruthers (delisted), Jordan Dawson (traded – Adelaide), Sam Gray (delisted), George Hewett (free agent – Carlton), Matt Ling (delisted) Uncontracted: Barry O’Connor, Sam Reid, Ben Ronke, Sam Wicks Contracted: 35 (including one category B rookie) Draft picks: 16, 31, 39, 70, 88 Wicks will re-sign for two more years after cementing his senior spot this year, while Irishman O’Connor is set to continue as the Swans’ second category B rookie. Final calls are still being made on Reid and Ronke. If Wicks, Reid and Ronke all stay, that would leave four selections for Kinnear Beatson, Simon Dalrymple and co. to play with. WEST COAST Arrivals: Sam Petrevski-Seton (traded – Carlton) Departures: Brendon Ah Chee (delisted), Brayden Ainsworth (delisted), Jarrod Brander (delisted), Jarrod Cameron (delisted), Will Collins (delisted), Mark Hutchings (delisted), Ben Johnson (delisted), Nathan Vardy (retired), Daniel Venables (retired) Uncontracted: Shannon Hurn, Josh Kennedy Contracted: 34 Draft picks: 10, 29, 35, 68, 86 List boss Rohan O’Brien was on record during the trade period as saying star veterans Hurn and Kennedy will play on next year. Their re-signings would mean there are six spots to fill – unless they add two category B rookies on top. At least three of those are set to be used at the national draft, all of which are inside the top 40. WESTERN BULLDOGS Arrivals: Tim O’Brien (free agent – Hawthorn) Departures: Ben Cavarra (delisted), Will Hayes (delisted), Lin Jong (retired), Patrick Lipinski (traded – Collingwood), Sam Lloyd (retired), Lewis Young (traded – Carlton) Uncontracted: Stefan Martin Contracted: 37 (including one category B rookie) Draft picks: 23, 43, 44, 45, 52, 93 Mitch Wallis has re-signed for next year, while Martin won’t be far behind. The Bulldogs will match a bid on father-son prodigy Sam Darcy in the top three of next month’s draft and could yet be active in pick swaps to boost their draft points. They can add six more players on top of Martin, including another category B rookie.