Every AFL club's most intriguing crop of off-contract players: Part 3

The finale of our three-part series has arrived, as we assess the Power, Tigers, Saints, Swans, Eagles, and Bulldogs.

SUBSCRIBER | August 15, 2023 - 3:30pm

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The 2023 AFL season has well and truly ticked into the business end of proceedings, and with that, the on-field activity becomes increasingly captivating.

Discussion and debate about the state of umpiring, dangerous tackles and the MRO, 'wildcard' finals formats – and everything else of the like – has dominated the league's agenda to this point in the year.

However, as we edge excitedly closer to the flag-deciding matchups of this year, we also creep closer to the off-season; signalling free agency and trades!

As is the case every season, an array of appealing talent is potentially up for grabs.

In this three-part series, we're not necessarily analysing each club's biggest or most popular off-contract names. Rather, we've examined every squad's most intriguing crop of players whose contract situations provoke curiosity.

READ: PART 1 and PART 2

So, without further ado, let's explore the final six teams and their interesting off-contract assets.

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5. West Coast Eagles

A plethora of imperative list decisions confront West Coast's brains trust at the conclusion of this season.

A multitude of the Eagles' elder statesmen find themselves without deals beyond this season amidst what has unfolded in a historically poor 2023 campaign for the storied WA club.

Jamie Cripps
Cripps, who has built a solid career by kicking timely majors for the Eagles, carries a sound reputation in West Coast circles.

However, the veteran goalsneak will be 32 years of age by the start of next season, with West Coast's list committee at least considering the prospect of a Cripps retirement. The Eagles have already seen the retirements of ex-skipper Shannon Hurn and current captain Luke Shuey over the course of the past month.

Cripps, who has managed just ten games to this late point in the season, is on track to have played the least amount of games in a season since his 12-match 2012 campaign, back when he was donning St Kilda colours.

The 31-year-old has kicked just ten goals this season; currently representing his lowest tally since 2013 (not including 2020's COVID-shortened season, when he kicked nine majors).

Jai Culley
Arguably one of West Coast's most crucial list calls revolves around a young, ascending player in Culley.

Culley, the first overall selection at the 2022 Mid-Season Draft, doesn't have a contract past this year, hailing from Victoria.

Since donning an Eagles guernsey, the youngster has showcased his contested work and tackling pressure, while also exhibiting an ability to go forward and impact the scoreboard; booting a landmark four goals in a Round 6 loss to Port Adelaide, earning that week's Rising Star nomination.

While Culley and the Eagles are understood to be progressing in discussions regarding a contract extension, nothing has yet been finalised to this late point in the year.

Sam Petrevski-Seton
Petrevski-Seton has failed to truly impose himself on the league throughout his first seven seasons and hasn't made the kind of impact at the Eagles as he would have hoped since crossing over from Carlton.

Further, by the end of the season, Petrevski-Seton will have played the fewest amount of games in a season in his career, with a mid-year quad injury resulting in the midfielder managing just 11 senior outings with two fixtures remaining on West Coast's home and away schedule.

Just 25 years of age, youth is still on Petrevski-Seton's side, which may be what pushes West Coast over the line as it pertains to determining whether or not offering him a contract beyond this season is in the club's best interests.

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