List Mgmt. 2026 - What do we need?

[Andy Brennan]

I think we need to find two mids in the best 22 at least. 1 to replace jom who I don't want to see ever again and 1 bigger body. Maybe Johnson and ras can fill those roles but who knows. Hopefully ras doesn't leave.

We also need a genuine winger. I don't see anyone on the list being up to it unless sharp improves a lot.

And more run/kicking skill off half back. Hopefully Simpson helps here.

Players I'm concerned about:
Ras - don't want him to leave
Banfield - need to upgrade him
Ryan - getting old and banged up
Dudley - needs to lose weight and get much fitter
Chapman - seems to have lost any dare and fumbles a lot
Jom - please just pay him out and delist him
Bolton - tries to do too much a lot of the time
Freddie - we don't use his strengths enough and when he's not in form he's worst on ground
Switta - getting older and injured a lot
Nod - what is he? He isn't a winger

 

[FreoRicci]

I'm worried about who we could lose - I hope the rumours about Jackson are dead, I hope Erasmus stays, and maybe we should consider trying to hold on to Reidy.

Send Freddy back to Adelaide and give us Georgiades

Erasmus playing a full game, a goal with 18 disposals is surely him staying .

 

[Cobbler]

Let's be honest, we got a hefty dose of good fortune this year that we have failed to take advantage of and that we may not get again - a pretty healthy list, the most benign draw possible
I am interested that people think we are so close and just need a bit of tinkering. I'm not so sure.

Our window must start from next year.

We’re still young, but we need to start finishing top 4.

 

[FreoGirl]

I think we need to find two mids in the best 22 at least. 1 to replace jom who I don't want to see ever again and 1 bigger body. Maybe Johnson and ras can fill those roles but who knows. Hopefully ras doesn't leave.

We also need a genuine winger. I don't see anyone on the list being up to it unless sharp improves a lot.

And more run/kicking skill off half back. Hopefully Simpson helps here.

Players I'm concerned about:
Ras - don't want him to leave
Banfield - need to upgrade him
Ryan - getting old and banged up
Dudley - needs to lose weight and get much fitter
Chapman - seems to have lost any dare and fumbles a lot
Jom - please just pay him out and delist him
Bolton - tries to do too much a lot of the time
Freddie - we don't use his strengths enough and when he's not in form he's worst on ground
Switta - getting older and injured a lot
Nod - what is he? He isn't a winger

hasn't Sharp just signed on for two more years? something went so wrong for him this season, compared to last year - he needs more confidence because he does have the pace we need

 

[FreoGirl]

Erasmus playing a full game, a goal with 18 disposals is surely him staying .

he's been offered a Freo deal for three years, but hasn't signed?

 

[13then7]

he's been offered a Freo deal for three years, but hasn't signed?

I was of the belief that was a more recent contract. I hope that with Fyfe stepping aside and JOM aging is enough for him to see his worth at the club.

 

[Fat Nyfe]

Let's be honest, we got a hefty dose of good fortune this year that we have failed to take advantage of and that we may not get again - a pretty healthy list, the most benign draw possible
I am interested that people think we are so close and just need a bit of tinkering. I'm not so sure.

It’s just fan psychology.

People will take what happened this year, assume every good or lucky thing that happened will happen again and we’ll get improvements on top of that.

 

[FreoRicci]

I was of the belief that was a more recent contract. I hope that with Fyfe stepping aside and JOM aging is enough for him to see his worth at the club.

Plus Brodie being traded

 

[maccamk]

We need a premiership

 

[FreoGirl]

I was of the belief that was a more recent contract. I hope that with Fyfe stepping aside and JOM aging is enough for him to see his worth at the club.

 

[FreoGirl]

It’s just fan psychology.

People will take what happened this year, assume every good or lucky thing that happened will happen again and we’ll get improvements on top of that.

we had to make the finals this season - we did that (after missing out for the past few years) - next step is to go deeper (we watched Brisbane do that)

 

[wakojako]

Let's be honest, we got a hefty dose of good fortune this year that we have failed to take advantage of and that we may not get again - a pretty healthy list, the most benign draw possible
I am interested that people think we are so close and just need a bit of tinkering. I'm not so sure.

Imo we don't need much 'tinkering'. I think we are close but need to sort out the following to be a top four side:
1. Add more skill and speed to the HB: Easy done by trading in McVee (brilliant attacking kick) and add Walker/Simpson.

2. Figure out how to get more out of Jackson the midfielder

3. Make contested marks our brand (we play three flipping KPFs and two rucks)

4. Spend the summer drilling ball movement, ball movement and ball movement off HB. No more kicking to the pack for every set play. Geelong, Brisbane and Hawks have nailed this. We get this right and we get more quality looks at goal, not just a pointless I50 entry.

5. Improve or replace the bottom tier best 22 players (Banners, Freddy, JOM, Noddy).

 

[Freomaniac]

Banfield is a trier but should never be allowed to play in the backline again.

Banfield should be rotated in the midfield, forward flank or bench.

I am alone on this. I don't mind his kicking. I am slightly biased as he is a left foot kicker.

 

[FreoGirl]

Banfield should be rotated in the midfield, forward flank or bench.

I am alone on this. I don't mind his kicking. I am slightly biased as he is a left foot kicker.

he has an awesome kick and is always the whipping boy

 

[Deathly]

Banfield should be rotated in the midfield, forward flank or bench.

I am alone on this. I don't mind his kicking. I am slightly biased as he is a left foot kicker.

It's funny I'm saying this - but he should have stayed and grown in the middle of the ground.

The best he's ever been for us was in his early seasons as a tagger under Lyon. Under JLo - he's just become an average Yes Man role-player forced into JLos conservative sysem based only off age and experience.

 

[Freomaniac]

It's funny I'm saying this - but he should have stayed and grown in the middle of the ground.

The best he's ever been for us was in his early seasons as a tagger under Lyon. Under JLo - he's just become an average Yes Man role-player forced into JLos conservative sysem based only off age and experience.

Always wondered why he looked good in his rookie season in 2018. Maybe the experienced inside mids he worked with helped

 

[swanny1234]

A better coach.

 

[benfica]

Faster more attacking game plan ....so frustrating watching us Mark the ball and refuse to play on even when the opp player was nowhere near them , then waiting for them to stand on the mark instead of playing on

 

[Righteo]

We need Banfield. He’s adapted really well to the backline in a short period of time. Makes mistakes but does many important pressure acts. Not our worst. There’s more important areas to correct.

First player i'm replacing. Cooper Simpson is an immediate upgrade. Then swap out Worner for McVee. It would require a shift in philosophy (embracing run and gun from the backline) but it's not like our backline is particularly skilled at defending in the first place so how much are we really losing by putting the emphasis on aggressive rebounding.

 

[TheMcManusNose]

All of this crap is deck chairs on the titanic shit. The only thing we actually need is a new coach.

 

[FreoRicci]

All of this crap is deck chairs on the titanic shit. The only thing we actually need is a new coach.

It’s top 4 or bust next season.
Nicks got 8 years and he’s top of the ladder.

Jl must push this team higher and get off to a winning start.
4-5 is never going to get the team where it should be.
7-2 or 6-3, better chance.

Finished the season losing only 3 games in the last 13.

 

[FreoGirl]

It’s top 4 or bust next season.
Nicks got 8 years and he’s top of the ladder.

Jl must push this team higher and get off to a winning start.
4-5 is never going to get the team where it should be.
7-2 or 6-3, better chance.

Finished the season losing only 3 games in the last 13.

This is where I see our group in 2026 - we are better at contending than last year. We just need players like Young not to be injured.

Will be interesting to see who will suddenly now be whisked off for surgery, with the season finally over.

 

[BStaff17]

It’s top 4 or bust next season.
Nicks got 8 years and he’s top of the ladder.

Jl must push this team higher and get off to a winning start.
4-5 is never going to get the team where it should be.
7-2 or 6-3, better chance.

Finished the season losing only 3 games in the last 13.

If Crows lose on Friday is nicks really the benchmark to be compared with.

Adelaide won't be much better off and kicking themselves more then us they pissed away a golden opportunity.

 

[Freomaniac]

It’s top 4 or bust next season.
Nicks got 8 years and he’s top of the ladder.

Jl must push this team higher and get off to a winning start.
4-5 is never going to get the team where it should be.
7-2 or 6-3, better chance.

Finished the season losing only 3 games in the last 13.

Matthew Nicks didn't have 8 years at the crows. He only had 5 or 6 years.


Nicks became coach at the crows the same time as Justin Longmuir became dockers coach, end of 2019 or start of 2020.

Only difference is that crows were in decline and had to do a long rebuild. Nicks saw out 5 years of no finals from 2020 to 2024. Only year crows could of made finals was 2023.

Mean while when Justin Longmuir was dockers coach in the start of 2020, our rebuild was already 75 to 80 percent complete as Ross Lyon did the bulk of the rebuild from 2016 to 2019.

Meanwhile in that same timeline of 2020 to 2024, only year dockers could of made finals was 2021, 2022 and 2024.

Looking back at it, had we beaten Essendon in Docklands in 2021, we would of taken their 8th spot.

We were more than worthy of finals in 2022.

2023 we had only 10 wins and remarkably were not close.

2024, we were 3rd with 4 games to go and collapsed with 4 narrow defeats late In the season.

 

[Boppo]

he has an awesome kick and is always the whipping boy

Doesn’t man up as a defender.