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.
Western Bulldogs
Tom Doedee
The Western Bulldogs have utilised the past two off-seasons to bolster their backline for what has been a key area in need of improvement at Whitten Oval.
The Dogs have called on soon-to-be 32-year-old Liam Jones to help fix their defensive woes, while Sam Darcy is likely to be developed as an intercepting backman along with first-round draftee Jedd Busslinger to form a promising key-position pair in Luke Beveridge's back six.
Looking toward a more senior option with his best football still ahead of him, Doedee could be a fitting target for the Dogs to keep a close eye on throughout the course of this year should they look to add a third prong to their defensive pack.
The medium-sized backman, who will be considered for the Crows' captaincy for 2023, could be tempted for a switch back to Victoria should he be overlooked to succeed Rory Sloane as skipper.
The Bulldogs would be wanting to show they're closing in on another premiership to persuade Doedee to make the switch, with Adelaide's rebuild showing enough signs finals football isn't too far away for the South Australian club.
