Bold expert contract verdicts on 33 star AFL veterans across 10 clubs, Midweek ‘Tackle The Headline’ segment, Lachie Neale Collingwood, Toby Greene Geelong Cats

With three rounds left at the home and away season, many of the AFL’s elder statesmen — and their clubs — are weighing up their futures.

In the latest episode of the Midweek Tackle digital-only show ‘Tackle The Headline’, CODE Sports reporters Lauren Wood and Glenn McFarlane, as well as Fox Footy broadcaster Corbin Middlemas, deliver the verdict on 33 players across 10 clubs aged over 30 — and whether they’ll play on or not.

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ADELAIDE CROWS

Corbin Middlemas says: “Taylor Walker is the name here. The sense is if you put your finger in the wind in Adelaide, if they win the flag he’d happily go out as a premiership player. If they don’t, he’ll probably play on – and most people probably feel ‘why wouldn’t he’ at this particular stage. He’s had a reasonable year, he hasn’t played every game but he’s helpful here and there. I could see him going around again.”

BRISBANE LIONS

Glenn McFarlane says: “Lachie Neale has got one foot in the door at Collingwood – if you were there last Friday, you would’ve seen he had two feet in the door at that particular stage – so he’s on the move. Dayne Zorko has had some injury issues this year, but you’d expect he would go on. The king of the one-year deals, Ryan Lester, will surely get another one he deserves. Lincoln McCarthy is the one who’s a bit open-minded about whether he plays on or whether others have passed him or not. He’s had a terrible run with injury. Conor McKenna is back playing as good a footy as he has for a while. But Lachie Neale is the one out the door.”

CARLTON

Glenn McFarlane says: “We’ve seen a real shaping of their best 23 at the moment. Nick Haynes had his 250th (game) last week, he’s played 16 consecutive games and I think he’s earnt another year. Nic Newman is a yes. Adam Saad hasn’t played, incredibly, since Michael Voss’ last game as coach. You’d think he’s a ‘no’ for next year. Zac Williams I think will be a lineball decision. They’ll get him on a really cheap deal if he does play on for one more year, but have other players passed him in that forward or defence role they can play him? Mitch McGovern is one of the stories of the year – I love this story. They made him wait last year for a long time, didn’t really look after him at stages. But he’s their leading goalkicker – only by one – so far this year, so he’s a ‘yes’ for mine and should play on.”

COLLINGWOOD

Lauren Wood says: “Thirty-five is the new 25 down at Collingwood. They’ve managed this group beautifully.”

Glenn McFarlane says: “Scott Pendlebury is the one, because we don’t know what he’s going to do. We’re thinking he’s going to play on, he’s keeping things very close to his chest. It’s going to come back to his call – the coach has actually said that. Very few players get to go out on their own terms, but I think Scott Pendlebury will. Jeremy Howe, I spoke to him a while ago and he said: ‘The only reason I won’t play on is if I have a really bad injury.’ This is a bad injury, but it’s not as bad as the previous one. He’s already been offered a one-year deal and he’ll accept that and play on. Steele Sidebottom, what an amazing player he’s been, the famous No. 22. We think back only a few years ago to that long goal to help the Pies win the flag. He’s likely leaving. I can see him going up the Goulburn Valley Highway and playing footy next year up that way. So again, it’ll be his call, but the feeling is that he will not play next year. And Tim Membrey, he was a guy who was completely gone earlier in this year, had some hamstring issues as well – but he’s back playing as well as ever. He’s been a bit of a vital cog in that forward line, so I would expect him to get at least another year.”

GEELONG CATS

Glenn McFarlane says: “They regenerate on the run, don’t they, Geelong? Let’s look at Rhys Stanley, I think he’s going at this stage. It feels like he’s been around forever, Rhys Stanley, but he’ll go. Mark Blicavs, it’s going to come back to him, really. He’ll play on. Earlier this year when he played his milestone game, the coach said he’s going to play on for another two or three (years) – I’m not sure about that. But he’ll definitely be staying. Jed Bews has been a really good servant of the Geelong Football Club, I think he’ll be going. Jake Kolodjashnij, question mark whether he goes on.”

Lauren Wood says: “Mark Blicavs is a really interesting one, because not only has he been a great player for them, but you talk to people at Geelong and he’s a big vibe guy. You keep him around, he’s the glue, he’s a culture fit for them.”

Glenn McFarlane says: “And he’s not giving anything away at the moment. He’s not telling them that he’s going to play on or anything like that. But I think internally they think he’ll play on for at least one more, it might be two more.”

GWS GIANTS

Corbin Middlemas says: “They’ve got a couple of fascinating name-brand players here. Toby Greene, it feels like it’s the Cats or the Giants. Early on it looked like he was going, but in more recent times there’s a bit more optimism out of Sydney that he may stay. Stephen Coniglio is coming off that seven-year, $7 million deal, so will he stay for reduced money? Jake Stringer has arguably had his best year, he’s been excellent on-field – and yet, as we learned last night, there’s all sorts of conversations going on about where he’s at with his footy. It’s hard to think he wouldn’t go on next year – he was probably less likely to go on last year than he is this year – and yet there’s no contract in front of him at the moment. Jesse Hogan is the other one. I feel like if this is a straight shootout between would you rather prioritise Max Gruzewski or Jesse Hogan, I think the birth certificate alone says Max is going to be a key forward going forward.”

MELBOURNE

Corbin Middlemas says: “Talk about heartbreak stories, Jake Melksham – who was part of the ‘Essendon 34’ and then obviously was not picked in the premiership team, but was in and around the squad and played games and then had injuries on the way through. And Christian Salem, who has been a mainstay of this team for a long period of time and then hasn’t really been able to get his body right, he’s been in and out of the team, playing in the two’s and came back on the weekend. I think Salem’s probably the most interesting story there. Melksham gives them something every single time he plays. Steven King, it feels like he’s coming in with that same kind of mantra, which is: ‘Hey, I’m here to extend your careers, rather than shut them all down.’ They’ve got plenty of high quality young kids, so I could understand if that goes the way of the player in both those scenarios.”

RICHMOND

Lauren Wood says: “I must admit, it feels like there is a significant amount of uncertainty. A real crunch couple of weeks are looming for Tom Lynch, and a lot of conversations still to play out with the club. I asked him straight out, ‘do you want to play on?’ There was a little bit of hesitancy there — ‘I don’t really know, I’m going to have to talk to the club …’ We know that he essentially parked any consideration while he was dealing with that larynx issue … it’s going to be an interesting couple of weeks, no doubt, on that front for Tom Lynch. And you’d have to say the same for Dion Prestia.”

SYDNEY

Glenn McFarlane says: “Dane Rampe will be 36. It feels like he’s been around for a long time. I spoke to him after the game last week and he told Moneyball on CODE Sports that he wasn’t looking any further than a final series. Four losing Grand Finals, he desperately wants to win a premiership. I think there’s a question mark on him, he hasn’t spoken to the Swans yet about what they’re going to do, so he’s a wait and see. I think Joel Hamling will likely go at this stage. Jake Lloyd will play on, I think there’s a strong feeling that he’ll play on. And the same with Harry Cunningham, I think he’ll definitely get another year as well. So there’s a few guys there, Hamling’s the one that will probably go.”

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Corbin Middlemas says: “I don’t think anyone thinks Adam Treloar is going to go on next year. This is a heartbreaking story – a guy who, people forget, had an All-Australian blazer two years ago and now can’t get a run at it, unfortunately, with soft tissue injuries. Tom Liberatore looks like he’s going to get another go. The interesting factor here is what happens if (Zak) Butters comes and then there’s another guy that needs to fit into the midfield? Is there another role he can play in the team? You talk about ‘vibes guys’ and what he means for that dressing room, I think there’s a place for him there in 2027, it’s just a matter of what capacity that looks like on-field.”

Lauren Wood says: “It’s just an interesting one with Tom, isn’t it? There’s clear concussion questions that he has to weigh up. You spoke to him earlier this season, Glenn.”

Glenn McFarlane says: “He was basically thinking if he can get through this year without too many other issues, he’s really keen – and the Dogs are really keen for him to play on as well.”