Perth Scorchers have fended off interest from Melbourne Renegades to re-sign Ashton Agar for the next three BBL seasons, but the futures of Mitchell Marsh, Jason Behrendorff and AJ Tye remain up in the air.
Agar, a star performer in the white-ball arena at both domestic and international level, was being heavily chased by Renegades. The 31-year-old would have been a free agent had he not signed by Sunday night, but he is now locked away with Scorchers for the next three years.
Each club was only allowed to contract a maximum of 10 players before the free agency period began - and the Scorchers have now reached their limit. It means that Marsh, who made a first-ball duck in his one Scorchers appearance this season, will be among those available for other clubs to sign during the trade window which begins on January 28 and runs for 10 days.
Elsewhere, Hurricanes have reached their 10-player limit by signing fast bowler Riley Meredith and breakout star Mitchell Owen to new deals meaning Tim David, a key part of the run to the finals this season, will be on the market for another team to snap up.
"Mitch has completely owned the opening role, not only has he been entertaining, but he has also given the rest of the batting order so much confidence to go out and play their natural game," Salliann Beams, general manager of high Performance at Cricket Tasmania, said
"He has been preparing for this all season and has been so impressive, as we needed to change it up this year and to invest in our future, and it has paid off. Mitch gives this team a new point of difference, so we are thrilled he has invested long term, and this is the start of something exciting for him and this team.
Scorchers look to Beardman
Renegades are in the box seat to poach Behrendorff, while Tye's future remains unclear after losing his spot in Scorchers' preferred XI late this season. Behrendorff has taken a league-high 17 wickets this season and is widely regarded as one of the BBL's greatest pace bowlers.
Agar, who has taken 69 wickets across 94 appearances with the Scorchers, was thrilled to re-sign.
"Perth is my home. I moved here from Melbourne when I was 18 and I've never looked back," Agar said. "To be at the Scorchers for another three years means the world to me. It means I'm all in at one club and I'm playing with my best mates, in front of the greatest fans in Australia. It's huge."
Among the 10 players Perth have managed to lock away is 19-year-old pace bowler Mahli Beardman, who appears destined for future stardom. Beardman already clocks more than 140kph, and his 3 for 17 against Strikers in just his second BBL match showcased what a weapon he can be.
He now has his sights set on cracking 150kph. "I'm only a small frame still. So hopefully with a couple of pre-seasons in the gym...hopefully that can get up towards that 150 mark," he said.
Siddle goes around again
Meanwhile, Peter Siddle has backflipped on retirement plans and will play another season in the BBL at age 41. The 40-year-old former Test quick has been convinced to play again for Melbourne Stars next season after taking 11 wickets in the current tournament.
Siddle, who ended his international career in 2019, is Stars' leading wicket-taker this season and has played a crucial role in their turnaround from an 0-5 start. By the time the Stars play their first game of next season, Siddle will have turned 41.
After spending three years in Tasmania, Siddle returned to Victoria on a two-year deal for the 2023-24 season. He remains committed to this being his last season in domestic cricket and will only play in the BBL next summer.
Siddle intends to stay fit for Stars' 2025-26 campaign by playing masters cricket and cycling.