Sydney's young star Zippy Fish is expected to nominate Fremantle, Collingwood captain Ruby Schleicher has told teammates she will leave the club, and Port Adelaide key forward Lauren Young is being circled by rival clubs, according to Fox Sports reporting published on October 25, 2026.
With one round remaining in the AFLW season, the trade period is shaping as one of the busiest on record, with the movement of several All-Australians set to reshape lists across the competition ahead of December's national draft.
Zippy Fish and what her exit means for Sydney
Fish, the 2025 Rising Star and All-Australian half-back, is the headline act of this year's trade period. Ten rival clubs surveyed by foxfooty.com.au in the past week expect the 20-year-old to nominate Fremantle, the club she supported as a child and was aligned to through its Next Generation Academy.
North Melbourne and Geelong have been linked to Fish, who has wrestled with homesickness and remains open to staying at Sydney. She is expected to wait until the Swans' season ends before finalising her decision.
A Fish trade request would carry consequences well beyond one player. Sydney holds no first-round pick after sending it to Brisbane last year for forward Taylor Smith, yet five Swans academy players are rated top-25 prospects in December's draft: Charlotte Tidemann, Frankie Walsh, Ash Barlow, Aurelia Russell and Evie Bowie.
AFLW clubs can only match bids on academy-tied players using a selection within 18 picks of the bid, a rule that tightens to within 10 picks for bids placed between Picks 1 and 19 from next year. Fremantle holds Pick 9, which along with a future first-rounder could form the basis of a deal, allowing Sydney to slide back and stockpile selections in the late teens to mid-20s to match bids on its academy crop.
Tidemann, a line-breaking defender rated a top-five prospect, is regarded by one rival club as the closest player in the draft class to Fish.
When I think of myself as an AFLW player, I dream of being a Swan and I can see myself as a Swan, Tidemann told foxfooty.com.au at last month's AFLW draft combine.
Sydney is also working to extend star forward Chloe Molloy, who is contracted until 2027, on a new two-year deal. Molloy kicked five goals on Sunday to move to a competition-high 24 goals for the season.
Port Adelaide brace for a salary cap squeeze
Port Adelaide looms as one of the most active clubs of the trade period after locking away several big names, including ruck Matilda Scholz until 2030. The re-signings have produced a salary cap squeeze that could see multiple players explore their options.
Young, 21, is the most significant. Widely considered the best player of her draft class, she has kicked seven goals in 10 games this season after an 18-month recovery from a second ACL rupture. She would prefer to stay at Alberton but will weigh strong interest from Adelaide, the club she grew up supporting, along with several Victorian clubs including Essendon.
The Bombers are also tipped to land Young's teammate Jas Sowden, while contracted midfielder Piper Window, who has played 26 games in three seasons, is set to assess options with the Giants and Melbourne interested. Key forward Indy Tahau, the competition's leading goalkicker last year, remains unsigned after an ACL rupture in late August but is considered a good chance to stay on a short-term deal.
I'm confident that Indy will make the right decision for her, and I really hope that's here at Port Adelaide, Power coach Glenn Strachan told reporters last week.
Skipper Justine Mules-Robinson announced her retirement last week, and Port has interest in Brisbane ruck Eleanor Hartill, who is out of contract at season's end.
Collingwood captain leads a queue for the exit
Schleicher, a dual All-Australian, informed Collingwood teammates on Tuesday that she will depart at season's end and return home to Western Australia, a decision ABC News also reported last week. Daisy Pearce's West Coast is set to land the 28-year-old on a long-term deal, with Pick 6 expected to be central to the trade.
She is unlikely to be the last Magpie to go. Defender Tarni White is one of the most in-demand uncontracted players in the competition, with the Western Bulldogs considered front-runners and Adelaide and Brisbane also in the mix, as AFL.com.au's Inside Trading reported. Bri Davey, Sarah Rowe, Violet Patterson and Mattea Breed remain unsigned, while vice-captain Jordyn Allen is again expected to explore a trade after requesting a move to Brisbane last year.
The upheaval comes with Collingwood sitting 17th with a 1-10 record after a 48-point loss to Port Adelaide, its lowest-ever AFLW score, in the club's 100th match. The Pies have won five games across the past three seasons.
Brisbane and GWS face list balancing acts
Dual premiership Lion Jade Ellenger has declined an offer from the Giants and is closing in on a four-year extension with Brisbane. The Lions have also agreed to terms with star midfielder Ally Anderson on a short-term deal extending her tenure into a 12th season, while coach Craig Starcevich is expected to sign a new contract tying him to the club until at least the end of 2028.
Brisbane, which will miss finals for just the second time in its history, holds Pick 19 and three second-round selections, putting it in a strong position to match early bids on an academy crop headlined by midfielder Molly Ferguson and key forward Harlee McIlwaine.
The Giants hold Pick 4 but could split the selection before the draft, with bids expected on academy prospects Majella Day and Morgan Stevens. All-Australian defender Cambridge McCormick will consider a move to Carlton, but Hawthorn, holding two first-round picks, is better placed to negotiate. Melbourne is also monitoring her situation.
Who goes at Pick 1?
Most clubs rate dynamic goalkicker Bailee Martin as the best player in the draft pool after she kicked 82 goals across three Talent League seasons with the Oakleigh Chargers. But Western Australian ruck Cara Dziegielewski, a three-time All-Australian with outstanding aerobic capacity, is firmly in contention for the top selection.
St Kilda currently holds Pick 1, and industry sources believe Dziegielewski would be in the Saints' mix, particularly if the club cannot secure a ruck during the trade period.
It's definitely a privilege to get talked about like that. I'd be happy with anything, Martin told foxfooty.com.au at last month's draft combine.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Zippy Fish likely to play in 2027?
Rival clubs widely expect Fish to nominate Fremantle, the club she supported as a child, though Sydney remains hopeful of retaining her.
Why is Ruby Schleicher leaving Collingwood?
The Magpies captain informed teammates she wants to return home to Western Australia, with West Coast set to sign her on a long-term deal.
When does the AFLW draft take place?
The national draft is scheduled for December 2026.