Inside AFL's wild SEVEN-club fight for emerging star that's primed to ...

He’s the trade period shaper you may have never heard of.

GWS Giants utility James Peatling is at the centre of a fierce multi-club battle as clubs clamour to acquire the services of the 24-year-old.

But where will he land?

Watch every game of the NAB AFL Women’s Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >

Foxfooty.com.au takes a look at the seven clubs in the race for the versatile Giant.

ADELAIDE

The latest club to register their interest in Peatling, the Crows could look to pull off a Giants double coup by luring Peatling to the club alongside teammate Isaac Cumming, who has requested a trade to West Lakes. AFL Media’s Cal Twomey said the Crows’ interest in Peatling is “real” and noted how the former Giants Academy duo could be a great package deal. “There is a link there clearly; they’re pretty tight with each other (Peatling and Cumming) – they’re both Academy boys,” he said. Adelaide’s on-ball brigade remains a point of intrigue for 2025, because they didn’t get the mix right this year. Matt Crouch and Rory Laird have been mainstays there for several years, while the emergence of Jake Soligo and Sam Berry has been promising. Captain Jordan Dawson also plays a crucial role for Matthew Nicks’ side through the centre of the ground, so it remains to be seen how, or if, Peatling would feature prominently. There’s speculation that the Crows are offering four, or even five years for the former mid-season draftee. That long-term security will definitely appeal.

COLLINGWOOD

If increased midfield time is what Peatling is after, then heading to Collingwood would be a smart option. While Nick Daicos is already one of the best players in the competition at just 21 years of age, he’s in need of some support in the centre of the ground next year and beyond. Scott Pendlebury and Jack Crisp aren’t getting any younger, while former Brownlow Medallist Tom Mitchell has struggled with injury issues in recent times. Securing Peatling, plus perhaps his teammate in Harry Perryman, would give Craig McRae’s midfield an injection of talent that could see the club return to the promised land once more. The question with the Pies is how they would strike a deal, given their draft hand is pretty ordinary with their first pick currently being pick 33. They’ll likely get something better than that back for dashing defender John Noble (who has requested a trade to Gold Coast), but they’re also in the market for some tall reinforcements, potentially in the form of Port Adelaide’s Ollie Lord, Richmond’s Tom Lynch or Melbourne’s Adam Tomlinson. Expect them to prioritise Perryman as a free agent instead of Peatling.

GWS GIANTS

Peatling is garnering the attention of the football world, but could he in fact stay in the orange and charcoal for 2025 and beyond? The Giants currently have a three-year deal on the table for the 45-game utility, but as the Giants up their offers, so too do rival clubs. If success is what Peatling is after, hanging around at the Giants is a promising option, but if he’d rather seek greater midfield time, moving on could be the play. Peatling is the fifth or sixth inside midfield option at the Giants, with Tom Green, Stephen Coniglio, Toby Bedford, Finn Callaghan and Josh Kelly all slightly ahead of him. Can he break into that first-choice mix for 2025? It would appear unlikely, but his strong form at the end of the 2024 campaign was definitely a step in the right direction. Youngsters such as James Leake and Harry Rowston are also players who will be pushing for greater senior opportunities in 2025. The 24-year-old played a career-high 19 games under Adam Kingsley this season, finding form that has seen rival interest and value skyrocket.

MELBOURNE

While their 2024 campaign was underwhelming and marred by controversy, it wasn’t too long ago that Melbourne were one of the most dangerous sides in the competition. Can they go deep into September again in 2025? It’s a question Peatling will be mulling over as he assesses his options. Melbourne still have plenty of A-grade talent, think Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Max Gawn which means if they can sort their issues out, they should be able to get back to winning ways. At 24 years of age, the recruitment of Peatling would be a clever move by Melbourne’s recruiting staff. In addition to players such as Trent Rivers, Peatling would add another dimension to Melbourne’s midfield unit. He’s a quality ball user, is hard at the footy and would help to fill the void left by the Adelaide-bound Alex Neal-Bullen. Training with and learning from the likes of Jack Viney, Petracca and Oliver has to be a drawcard as well, plus the Dees never really properly replaced Angus Brayshaw after he was medically retired before the 2024 season due to concussion. Regular senior opportunities in a side that should compete again in 2025 is sure to pique his interest.

ST KILDA

The Saints have cash to splash and are one of a handful of Victorian clubs to be linked to Peatling as it stands. St Kilda have made no secret of their desire to land a ‘big fish’ over the off-season for some time now, with links to both North Melbourne’s Luke Davies-Uniacke and Fremantle’s Andrew Brayshaw, too. They’ll likely secure the services of Port Adelaide ruck Ivan Soldo to help Rowan Marshall, while Bulldogs ball magnet Jack Macrae might also find his way to Moorabbin. Where does Peatling fit into the plans of St Kilda’s recruitment team, but more importantly, Ross Lyon’s 2025 plans? Captain Jack Steele will lead from the front again next year, but he could do with another set of helping hands. Seb Ross has retired; Brad Crouch and Zak Jones are on the outer and the likes of Paddy Dow and Hunter Clark are yet to solidify their places in the best 23. After Steele, it’s fair to say that there’s places and roles to be won over the pre-season. Peatling would add some pace and dash to the Saints’ midfield mix and he has shown he’s more than capable playing forward or back as well, which will no doubt please Lyon.

WEST COAST

It’s looking increasingly unlikely that Peatling will be at West Coast in 2025, with the club instead choosing to pursue other trade targets. “I don’t have them in the race anymore,” AFL Media’s Cal Twomey said on AFL Trade Radio. The Eagles, led by new coach Andrew McQualter, will bring Tigers duo Liam Baker and Jack Graham into their squad for next year as they look to surge up the ladder. Both Baker and Graham have strong relationships with McQualter after his time at Punt Road and are set to bring talent and experience to the Eagles in 2025. The Eagles could also look to recruit a trio of out-of-favour on-ballers from rival clubs in the form of Blue Jack Carroll, Brisbane’s Deven Robertson and Bulldog Riley Garcia. All three have been starved of senior opportunities at their respective clubs and will likely come at a cheaper price than Peatling, who’s price is getting bigger and bigger by the day. It seems as though you can cross the Eagles off the list as potential landing spots for the versatile Giant.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Although the Bulldogs were knocked out in an elimination final this season, Luke Beveridge and co are cooking something special at Whitten Oval. The Bulldogs are one of a handful of clubs to throw their hat in the ring for Peatling and a move to the west would surely appeal for the Giants Academy product. “Watch this space on the Bulldogs, they have come hard late for him,” Channel 7’s Mitch Cleary said earlier this month. Adam Treloar had a career-best year which saw him earn a maiden All-Australian blazer, Marcus Bontempelli is arguably the game’s best player, Tom Liberatore is a clearance beast and Ed Richards has become a star in the middle of the ground. Ryley Sanders is also waiting in the wings and Peatling would be a cherry on top for Beveridge’s on-ball unit, who are set to lose Bailey Smith and Jack Macrae this off-season. It seems as though he wouldn’t step into an inside midfield role straight away, so is he happy to bide his time for a year or two before really taking control? The Dogs also have strong interest in his Giants teammate, Xavier O’Halloran, while Dees defender Adam Tomlinson has been mooted as a player of interest as well.