Collingwood tipped to “have a crack” at out-of-contract star next off-season

2025 will be an important year for a group of players who were taken in the 2019 Draft as some big names reach the final years of their contracts.

While some of the top names from that year have already signed until 2027 – which is when they reach free agency after eight years in the system – those who are signed until 2025 will now weigh up long-term deals or a short-term two-year contract to take them through to that potentially lucrative free agency off-season.

AFL Media’s Cal Twomey named some of those players who have already set their sights on that off-season in three years’ time.

“The most obvious option for most of these guys is to do their six (initial years) at a club, then another two to take them through to free agency,” Twomey said on AFL.com.au’s Gettable.

“That’s been the way that most of the way these clubs and agents do things, and a lot of the 2019 Draft group are signed through to free agency in 2027 like Caleb Serong, Kysaiah Pickett  … Cody Weightman, Noah Anderson and Tom Green as well.”

One name that will be weighing up his future this campaign is Gold Coast midfielder Matt Rowell, and Twomey expects Collingwood to have a real crack at luring him back to Melbourne this off-season if he remains unsigned.

“Matt Rowell as well was the No.1 pick from the 2019 pool … I reckon Collingwood will have a crack at luring Matt Rowell next year,” Twomey said.

“I think they will, that’s not saying he will take up any interest or move.

“But like a lot of Victorian clubs, Collingwood will have a dip at, I think, a lot of players next year and they’ll be proactive in their approach.

“The Suns will want to sign him up as quick as they can … but other clubs will be watching that closely until he does.”

Other big names from the 2019 AFL Draft that come out of contract at the end of the 2025 season include Geelong’s Sam De Koning, Port Adelaide’s Miles Bergman and Sydney’s Chad Warner.