List Mgmt. 2025 List Management Discussion - Part 3

[Hubnester]

2025 List Management Discussion - Part 3

Now that our season is over, and news is starting to break - it's time for a fresh thread.

This thread is to discuss all things list management - trades, draft, free agency, delistings and more.
As we are now officially in our off-season, we'll be wanting to keep this thread more strictly on-topic than the previous iterations.
Be respectful. You are allowed to disagree with someone - but play the ball, not the man. Repeat offenders will have their posting rights revoked.

Thanks to Lore once again for this incredibly useful spreadsheet.

2025 KEY DATES
Free Agency Period: Friday, October 3rd - Friday, October 10th
Trade Period: Monday, October 6th - Wednesday, October 15th
AFL Draft: Wednesday, November 19th - Thursday, November 20th

See Also:
2025 Year in Review Rumours & Confirmed Movements 2025 Draft Discussion
​

 

[The Boar]

Turn Windy and Heath into Flanders and call it a win

 

[stavro#4]

No idea, why offer him the two years at 500k to start with?

That to me seems like you are telling the guy to go and look at his options.

It’s all hypothetical.

But It just looks like negotiating to me.

Obviously we are going to offer him unders. But if you want to land at 600-650. You’re probably not offering that at the start are you?

 

[SaintyMcSaintface]

Don’t you reckon they have told Windhager that from 2028 and onwards he could earn more if he takes his performances to another level?

Maybe I’m a nuffie. But would expect that’s the basis for any of these convos with him.

That's what I was thinking. The two year deal was to show his worth and get his bumper pay packet after that

 

[stavro#4]

That's what I was thinking. The two year deal was to show his worth and get his bumper pay packet after that

I don’t begrudge the bloke if he is going for an offer he thinks is too hard to turn down.

But at the same token, I don’t see it as good management to match it.

 

[SaintJunior]

the Dees? Man i doubt this, Cal or more importantly, Tom Morris would have reported it. Tom pretty much has an inside source to the leaks at the club over there

Thought Melbourne were mentioned, as I was told weeks ago that Melbourne were the threat .

My take was no coach and who was he getting a game as a mid ahead of over there .

Although with a new coach maybe the current midfield players will not be gifted games .

 

[akaifu]

The same people who complain about the club's history of overpaying players are now complaining about us not matching 800k! for Windhager

Damned if you do, damned if you don't

The only aspect of Windy's game that I am worried about losing is the cultural impact. His on-field performance as a role player is something I think is replaceable, especially by someone who would be on much less than 800k without any complaints

 

[Teflon]

Disagree with this.
Club has been public about its ambitions to pull every leaver to improve. SOS is a top line defender at his best, and Ryan one of the most mercurial forwards in the competition.
Passing up on improving our list deficiencies because our 22 year old wingman/tagger wants $800k is where you regress.
Windy hasn’t proven he’s worth that.. yet. He may, but there are a number of young mids who’ve gone past him as stoppage mids on our list already.
Will be a shame if he goes but hardly undoes the good work the club is doing

Wasn’t Halls new deal less than 800?
If Windhager wants more than Hall…I’m sorry no

 

[akaifu]

 

[stavro#4]

If it’s true… it could very well be old news as it would make little sense to meet Bassat and Ross, but get nowhere over 50k

 

[The Again Redemption]

Don’t you reckon they have told Windhager that from 2028 and onwards he could earn more if he takes his performances to another level?

Maybe I’m a nuffie. But would expect that’s the basis for any of these convos with him.


I know who I’m paid by and it’s not a sporting organisation

Would be a pretty cool gig to be paid by the saints to break some news under the guise of a rumour every month.

But if that’s your logic that underpins the rest of the stuff you are saying. Then I think you need to revisit what the actual issue is here.

Such silly behaviour by an internet nothing, suggesting a poster is paid by a football club to discuss list management….

Again - you are closer to begging correct or logical than I hear. Maybe it’s all about money for Windhager? I like what he brings however yes, he is replacable

All flag teams have Windhagers in their lineups, but not at 800k annualised

 

[pebblesofsand]

Windhager didn't make Top 10 in the B&F last year, hasn't done enough to warrant a big pay day as yet.

So here's the deal -

4yrs 2 @$700K then 2 @ $1M if you finish Top 10 in the B&F at least twice in 2025, 2026 or 2027.

 

[The Again Redemption]

Windhager didn't make Top 10 in the B&F last year, hasn't done enough to warrant a big pay day as yet.

So here's the deal -

4yrs 2 @$700K then 2 @ $1M if you finish Top 10 in the B&F at least twice in 2025, 2026 or 2027.

Top 10 best and fairest earning 700k-1mill over the lifetime of the deal is concerning. I don’t present that contract.

 

[Verdun]

If Windy goes the mystery mid thing needs to be true.

 

[SaintJunior]

Back on Aleer.

I noticed in Caro's lates article:

On Saturday, the coach will be in the stands at Engie Stadium watching another defender, the Giants’ Leek Aleer, before making a final call on whether to pursue him.

https://archive.md/omP72#selection-3847.2-3847.168

So post Final's Game, if Caro was correct on this, do you think his game will have impressed RTB, or cooled his interested?


With JSOS on board now the need for Aleer is now less, even though they are different backs.

If Howard's medical progress has been good will the Saints still look to sign Aleer?

Would like to think that our recruitment team and Lyon will base their decision on a body of work rather than one game .

If they had concerns they shouldn’t have tabled a multiple year deal for him.

Personally I just don’t see what the attraction is , outside of his leap I don’t see much.

 

[stavro#4]

Would like to think that our recruitment team and Lyon will base their decision on a body of work rather than one game .

If they had concerns they shouldn’t have tabled a multiple year deal for him.

Personally I just don’t see what the attraction is , outside of his leap I don’t see much.

Nothing beats old fashioned scouting.

Ross could have the same reservations us people in here based on footage.

Maybe he wanted a second game live viewing.

 

[bird_man]

The same people who complain about the club's history of overpaying players are now complaining about us not matching 800k! for Windhager

Damned if you do, damned if you don't

The only aspect of Windy's game that I am worried about losing is the cultural impact. His on-field performance as a role player is something I think is replaceable, especially by someone who would be on much less than 800k without any complaints

No, I think most people presume that Windhager would sign for less to stay.

But it would have to be significantly higher than 500k. I'd love for the two parties to meet somewhere in the middle but I'm worried the damage might already be done.

 

[CursingFijian]

Add King and Ryan to the forward line with Higgins and I’m pretty sure we’ll be kicking a few more goals next year. I’m looking forward to Round 1 already. I’d better book my flights to Adelaide.

Blew straight past that great AFL tradition Round Zero.

 

[Joffaboy]

We've preferred Garcia (and now Nas) in the midfield rotations over him this yeyear.And

And Hall

 

[Yawkey way]

He’s not leaving for $50k, he’s probably asking for $50k to turn his back on $150k extra.

That’s a decent ask of any player over 4 years imo. Where was the loyalty discount from Nas ?. As I said at the time, everyone cheered but when they figured out he was eating his lunch and taking a bite out if theirs the warm fuzzy glow would fade fast.

Everyone talking Windhager down needs to go back and watch our games, ball butcher wow he’s silky smooth compared to many who posters love. One who can’t kick was likened to Dal Santo recently, you cant make this stuff up.

Anyway I hope we have the sense to retain him and those cheering for the gun mids Flanders and Mackenzie might want to take another look at just how good they are and where they play.

 

[stavro#4]

Interestingly that the only meaningful CBAs from Windy from rounds 16 onwards was when he tagged Pickett and Callaghan.

CBAs - DFS Australia

Centre Bounce Attendances are available from the 2020 season. Average refers to the percentage of CBAs each player has attended for the season (considering only those games they have played). Each round is denoted as percentage of CBAs attended for that round. Centre Bounce Attendance Percentage...

dfsaustralia.com

Similar theme earlier in the year. When not tagging. Wasn’t seen as a centre square mid.

 

[Joffaboy]

Might not be about money, might be about finding more midfield opportunities to try and make his next contract have an extra zero

Like we have said about Flanders.
Windy only doing what TDK and JSOS has done, moved for more cash.
Better he moves to Melbourne than North who have a tonne of mids, where Melbourne's are ageing.
Good luck to the lad.

 

[SaintJunior]

Not an A grader.

Very good 2 way runner.

Absolutely butchers the ball.

Spot on analysis, has little to no composure with the ball in his hands .

Hack kicks the ball forward .

Courageous, determined , disciplined , a foot soldier not an A grader.

Would love to keep him but not at all costs .

 

[From 45]

Do you really think he's just a tagger?

Mullin is a tagger, he plays for Geelong, he doesn't win any ball himself or provide anything other than locking down an opponent.

Windy even if we never play him in a tagging role again is still a really good player of value to us in his own right.

No I was responding to Birdman’s post. Mullins isn’t really a traditional tagger. But let’s say he is a ‘traditional’ tagger, one out of the top teams in the league doesn’t make it the norm.

The top teams go head to head with the opposition and back their structures/system

 

[BrutThough]

What was the limit for Aleer?
Poor man's Dawson at best!

I hope we dont bring in Aleer at all.

 

[OxSaint]

I would love to keep Windy but he is not an $800k player. Due to the roles he plays he could be on of the last 4 picked in the best 22 next year. If he doesn’t continue to improve we could be paying $800k+ for a bloke playing at Sandy and you all will be here criticising the club for this contact.

If this is the line the club is taking I’d imagine it has been a tough decision that has had a lot of thought put into it.

Losing Windhager is not the end of the world.

We are not getting a first for Windhager. We can park that chat. Uncontracted role player will get us a second rounder.