There's just under 24 hours left until the Supplemental Selection Period closes, with three clubs having decisions to make to potentially add to their lists ahead of the 2024 season.
Richmond, Hawthorn and Essendon are the clubs who are needing to make those calls ahead of Monday's deadline.
The Tigers have had a pair of train-on prospects pushing for their sole list vacancy this summer, with VFL-listed forward Mykelti Lefau and East Perth product Mitch Schofield competing for a spot in Adem Yze's attacking unit.
The duo each took part in Sunday's practice match against Melbourne at Casey Fields, with Lefau perhaps coming away as the favoured prospect between the pair.
The former Melbourne Storm junior and St Kilda City product started in the fourth term of the seven-period session, featuring alongside Richmond's preferred lineup of AFL-listed names before seeing out the final three periods alongside Schofield, where the field was mostly made up of VFL talent.
Lefau booted a goal in the fourth term and also floored Demons star Jake Lever with a heavy bump to help set up a goal for Shai Bolton to add to a decent day out for the rugby league convert. While he couldn't add to his goal tally in the final three terms, Lefau impressed with his contested marking in the front third of the field and pressure around the ball when pushed further up the ground.
Schofield converted a difficult set shot in his first term of the afternoon but couldn't capitalise on two more chances on goal.
If the Tigers are to fill their list spot, Lefau looms as the likely option following his impressive summer stint.
Collingwood and Fremantle have already come to decisions on their summer trialists, with the reigning premiers filling all three of their available list spots by adding Jack Bytel, Lachie Sullivan and Joshua Eyre on Thursday.
The Dockers signed former Essendon forward Patrick Voss the same day, deciding to keep their other list spot open for the Mid-Season Draft and bid farewell to SSP hopefuls Daniel McKenzie, Max Beattie and Sam van Rooyen.
VAFA talent Sam Sofronidis fell agonisingly close to landing a spot with the Magpies but has ventured across town to train with Essendon with just days left in the signing window.
The Bombers are likely to open up a list spot by moving injured forward Jaiden Hunter to the inactive list if they see Sofronidis as a valuable addition.
Sofronidis, an athletic intercepting defender, would slot into Brad Scott's backline options as fringe stopper Kaine Baldwin enters an extended period on the sidelines due to a stress fracture in his foot.
Hawthorn are primed to pull off a similar 11th-hour move after defender James Blanck's 2024 campaign was brought to a cruel premature end this week due to a ruptured ACL.
It was likely the Hawks might look in-house, much like they did when they drafted Blanck out of VFL affiliate Box Hill midway through 2022, and potentially sign a key defender out of Zane Littlejohn's squad.
Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal winner Ethan Phillips made the move to Box Hill this off-season after a strong few years with Port Melbourne and is said to be on the verge of signing his first AFL contract at Waverley.
Phillips has garnered reported interest from AFL clubs since his breakout 2022 campaign that saw him named the best young player of the competition, with Phillips the only Fothergill-Round-Mitchell medallist since 2006 not to land on an AFL list.
The 24-year-old has trained with the Hawks' senior squad over the pre-season to help his case in the eyes of onlookers.
The Hawks do have Sam Frost, Denver Grainger-Barras and new draftee Will McCabe to consider as backline options to replace Blanck, however the club has been prepared to act swiftly before the SSP deadline, and it looks as though Phillips will benefit from their proactive planning.
Gold Coast and North Melbourne also have free list spots but look unlikely to sign players via the SSP, with the Suns deciding against signing train-on options Aiden Bonar and Jack Peris following their stints at Carrara late last year.
The Suns were set to have the aforementioned McKenzie train with them earlier this month before a minor hamstring strain derailed his second chance of landing on an AFL list.
The Kangaroos haven't had any listed train-on prospects this pre-season but have had a wealth of VFL names train under Alastair Clarkson, with forward pair Tyler Sellers and Sam Lowson standouts over the course of the summer.
Sellers booted three goals in North Melbourne's final intra-club hitout and could be in the mind of the Roos' list team as they consider their options for the Mid-Season Draft.
The Western Bulldogs and Collingwood are also likely to consider opening list spots later into the year following ACL injuries to Bailey Smith and Daniel McStay respectively.
While the Dogs have put a line through Smith's 2024 season, the Magpies are holding onto some level of hope that McStay could be available late into the year, with Collingwood likely relying on a deep finals finish for their spearhead forward to be a chance of returning to the field.
The 2024 Supplemental Selection Period will close at 5:00pm AEDT on Monday, February 19.
