While a portion of trade and free agency deals are often finalised in the dying seconds of the exchange window's deadline day, the wheels can often be in motion before the AFL home and away season is even underway.
Last year's trade window saw 36 players find a new club ahead of the 2023 season, some deals being brokered within hours and others landing after months in the making.
Between contracted players and free agents, AFL clubs and their list managers will often be putting the wheels in motion to scout targets right from their first appearance of the season, or could very well enter the new year with priority signings in mind.
Lion-turned-Magpie Daniel McStay was among the movers at the end of last season, with his switch to Collingwood coming months after his mind was already made up.
"Daniel McStayย was a free agent of mine who I got across toย Collingwood. But that was all done in July," CSM agent Nick Gieschen revealed toย Zero Hangerย in the off-season.
"It was still six months in the making, though. There was Brisbane's offer. Then cameย Collingwood's meeting. It then went back toย Brisbane to think about whether to keep him. It eventually got to a stage where Daniel decided, โnup, I want to come home'."
With the new season just over a month away, each club is sure to have their list of targets slowly coming together as they plan to scout out-of-contract names across the course of the year.
With this list, we name the one off-contract player your club should be keeping a close eye on in 2023.
Melbourne
Lachie Schultz
With Melbourne tasked with needing to persuade Kysaiah Pickett to recommit to the club, the Demons will be keeping an eye on who they could bring into their forward line in the chance their young star opts to depart.
The Dockers are among the clubs likely to be pressing for Pickett's services, and the Demons could look to snatch one of Fremantle's own goalsneaks to even the score.
Schultz, who joined the Dockers from Williamstown in 2018, could consider a switch back to Victoria if the Demons came calling, with a potential trade involving the 25-year-old and Pickett something all parties could consider.
