But since ‘The Chad’ comes from the western state, it is believed that only Fremantle and West Coast would be viable destinations for him to leave the Swans, a team with which he has lost two grand finals in the last three seasons.
The Eagles and Dockers are closely watching the upcoming season after the 2024 AFL Trade and Free Agency Period concludes.
With the acquisition of one from Hawthorn in the Tom Barrass trade, West Coast now has two first-round picks in 2025.
With the addition of Richmond matchwinner Shai Bolton, Fremantle, which currently only has one, stocked up in the third round.
David Walls, the manager of the Dockers list, said his squad is developing along all lines of the pitch, but he was evasive about the Warner scenario in 2025.
“Where our club’s at, where the list is at, where the side is going, we’d be attractive to any player,” Walls stated.
“We’ve given ourselves plenty of flexibility, too (with future draft picks) … to look at a number of different players.”
Warner will join Bolton and the ruck combo of Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy, as well as players like Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong, and Hayden Young, in Fremantle’s star-studded midfield.
If he decides to depart, it may be because the Dockers are arguably closer to a premiership.
The address for the West Coast is straightforward: Warner, Judd, Kerr, Priddis, Matera, and Cousins.
The Eagles would only hand over the car’s keys, claiming that he and Harley Reid would emerge as the team’s dominant tandem.
However, the league’s decision to stretch future picks into a new year will help both West Australian clubs.
In order to help teams in their efforts to acquire stars, the AFL plans to implement two years’ worth of future picks during the 2025 trade and free agency season.
However, we cannot ignore the Swans, who have repeatedly shown themselves to be a destination club this century. A location you’ll never leave.
The New South Wales team signed a number of players to lengthy contracts in 2024, including James Rowbottom (2028), Will Hayward (2029), Logan McDonald (2028), Ollie Florent (2029), and Errol Gulden (2028).
In addition, Nick Blakey (2031), Tom Papley (2028), and Isaac Heeney (2028) have made long-term commitments to the team.
It goes without saying that the other guns are from adjacent states and, with the exception of Heeney, Blakey, and Gulden (who attended the Swans academy), attracted a lot of interest from rivals before committing themselves fully.
Is Warner the same?
The 23-year-old fell through the cracks in a rather thin crop and was selected with Pick 39 in the 2019 National Draft.
Although there are no assurances, it’s reasonable to argue that Sydney’s consistent success—20 finals series this century—is a reason to stay, and Warner has been on the verge of ultimate glory.
This contrasts with West Coast’s four consecutive absences, which are expected to continue over the upcoming seasons, and Fremantle’s one (2022) in nine campaigns.
However, the Swans star is anticipated to earn a lot of money wherever he ends up.
The dilemma still stands: should one put more emphasis on succeeding or returning home?
And Warner’s choice will be based on that.
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