With the futures of a number of senior AFL coaches up in the air, SEN's Tom Morris has provided a coaching contract stocktake, exploring all of the current deals in place at the top of all 18 clubs.

Approaching Round 11, nine total coaches are facing potential contract expirations over the coming two seasons, with a singular coach operating on a rolling deal, open to extension at the conclusion of each season.

Morris, alongside Kane Cornes and David King, debated whether or not the eight coaches facing a contract year in 2027 should be offered an extension over the course of 2026.

“Justin Longmuir is the only coach that is now technically out of contract, as he is on a rolling deal – as Brendon Bolton and David Noble had,” Morris told SEN’s Fireball.

“In 2027, the coaches that are out of contract are Luke Beveridge, Alastair Clarkson, Chris Fagan, Ross Lyon, Andrew McQualter, Sam Mitchell, Matthew Nicks and Brad Scott. It’s a massive year.

“Not all of those coaches will go into 2027 out of contract. Very few coaches go into the last year of their contract without a deal for the following year. It just doesn’t happen often.”

See the discussion below:

Alastair Clarkson (North Melbourne, 2027)

“Do you think they will extend Clarkson?”, Cornes questioned.

Morris: “If they have a good back half of the year they might. What if they finish 10th?”

Cornes: “There is zero chance, I’m telling you, I will dye my hair like Jack Ginnivan again if Clarkson’s contracted is extended by January.”

King: “You’ll do a Dwayne Russell style eating/drinking binge – what he has during a game, you’ll have during a Fireball if he re-signs!”

Morris: “So, we’re expecting that Clarkson goes in without a contract for ’28.”

Luke Beveridge (Western Bulldogs, 2027)

Morris: “We’re expecting next year that Beveridge goes in without a contract for the following year.”

Chris Fagan (Brisbane, 2027)

Morris: “If he wants another deal, he can just re-sign. His call.”

Ross Lyon (St Kilda, 2027)

Morris: “Ross Lyon is an interesting one.”

Cornes: “Depending on how they finish the year, I think.”

Morris: “What about depending on if Carlton come for Corey Enright.

“Does that change St Kilda’s planning? Just as Hawthorn changed their planning when Collingwood came for Sam Mitchell.”

Cornes: “No, I think the Saints would be pretty happy with Ross.”

King: “If Enright’s ready, I think Ross would make way for him.”

Cornes: “I think you’d do an agreement to say Ross can do it for another two years and then transition into Corey Enright.

“If you don’t want to lose him, like Sam Mitchell at Hawthorn, then you would do an agreement like that.”

King: “That doesn’t work.”

Cornes: “I’m not ready to lose Ross for Corey yet. An unknown for a known.”

Andrew McQualter (West Coast, 2027)

Morris: “That’s come around pretty quick.”

Cornes: “He won’t be extended.”

Morris: “Has he shown enough to suggest that he is the long-term coach at West Coast?”

Cornes: “What’s the benefit to extending him before the season starts next year? Why not just wait? No one is going to poach him.”

Morris: “This is what Adelaide did for Matthew Nicks.”

Cornes: “This is what I said, why would you do that?

“Why wouldn’t you wait until the halfway point of the year at least until extending Matthew Nicks. Same with West Coast, same with pretty much all of them other than Fagan.”

King: “It’s not going to affect their rebuild – they are not going to change their coach at that point.”

Cornes: “So, you’d be happy to extend him?”

King: “For one year, I would. Just to give him some certainty.

“You put it to the playing group that this is our guy. It’s a big endorsement internally. You’re not purging him; it’s not going to affect your trading and your national draft acquisitions.”

Matthew Nicks (Adelaide, 2027)

Cornes: “It depends on what they do in finals. There’s a lot left to go this season.”

Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn, 2027)

Cornes: “I would be extending Sam Mitchell. Tassie would have Sam Mitchell coach them tomorrow!

“Yes, you are taking Sam Mitchell. That’s the difference. Fagan and Mitchell can make their own call.”

Brad Scott (Essendon, 2027)

Morris: “Brad Scott can wait.”

“The 2028 coaches are Josh Carr, Damien Hardwick, Steven King, Adam Kingsley, Craig McRae, Chris Scott, Adem Yze and Dean Cox.”

Listen to the full conversation below: