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
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[phantom13]

I hate them but they are on the cusp of a flag.

I think they’ll beat Adelaide which puts them within reach. Add nother player like Merrett and a fit Will Day and they’d be hard to beat.

Im not sure about that, the Giants played 12 minutes of footy and still should have won that game.

They probably should beat Adelaide TBH but im not sold on the crows either and the Hawks timing seems to be perfect with the illness running through them.

The hawks are exciting and i might be wrong but if you need two a grade mids to make it to a flag then youre further away than the cusp to me.

 

[Klaatu]

They are playing whack-a-mole at the moment using their picks to fill areas of issue.

I actually think their forward line is miles off being a contender. Gunston is in career best form but is a soft tissue injury away from retirement.

Chol/Lewis/Dear haven’t demonstrated they’re capable of being a number 1 forward.

If they don’t win it next year while Gunston is playing the football he is, I’m not sure they can with the talls they have.

Watch out for Ben King at the end on next year as a F/A to Hawthorn

 

[SaintsofSteel]

So from all the posting it looks like it will be down to us possiby losing Marshall to get Flanders or McKenzie. Rowan will be 30 this year but remember he started late and has shown no signs of aging so could perhaps play for another 5 years. If he does stay with us he will be spending more time rucking, which should also help extend his career.

If we are going to keep our pick #7 at the draft surely we would be looking at a young midielder, does that lesson the need to trade in another mid.

Personally if we do intend to take another mid at the draft, I would prefer to keep Marshall.

 

[phantom13]

Don’t need a gun big up forward you just need an honest 40 plus guy who gives you a contest and brings the ball to the ground.

Who have Brisbane got, who have Collingwood got ?.

Brisbane have Logan Morris, he looks an absolute jet, they also have a midfield that would let me kick 40 goals a year.

Collingwood is a bit more apt (although Mihocek is criminally underrated with spreading defenses)

 

[Leap of Faith]

I hate them but they are on the cusp of a flag.

I think they’ll beat Adelaide which puts them within reach. Add nother player like Merrett and a fit Will Day and they’d be hard to beat.

For me they've taken the mantle of the team with the most punchable heads. Can't stand em. Hope the Crows eviscerate them.

 

[Saintos The ITK]

Watch out for Ben King at the end on next year as a F/A to Hawthorn

Hope we’re in his ear.

 

[Anythings_sipposible]

What's with this either or malarkey regarding Flanders and Mackenzie? Get them both! I reckon if we can turn Marshall, pick 7, and next years first into Ryan, Aleer, Flanders and Mackenzie then we've had an amazing trade period, and coupled with JSOS and TDK, have really set ourselves up in both the short, medium and long term.

 

[SaintSteele9]

Im not sure about that, the Giants played 12 minutes of footy and still should have won that game.

They probably should beat Adelaide TBH but im not sold on the crows either and the Hawks timing seems to be perfect with the illness running through them.

The hawks are exciting and i might be wrong but if you need two a grade mids to make it to a flag then youre further away than the cusp to me.

Glad I’m not the only one feeling like the Crows aren’t all that. Million bucks when it’s on their terms but feel very gettable for a minor premier somehow. Very intriguing semi

 

[phantom13]

What's with this either or malarkey regarding Flanders and Mackenzie? Get them both! I reckon if we can turn Marshall, pick 7, and next years first into Ryan, Aleer, Flanders and Mackenzie then we've had an amazing trade period, and coupled with JSOS and TDK, have really set ourselves up in both the short, medium and long term.

Im not against it but i think we have to be realistic about the squeeze at that point.

6 FA/Trades coming in would all be taking a starting 22 spot. Guys like Wood, Hill, Steele and co might be palatable but Garcia, Boxshall, Wilson, Travag might not be.

Hard to see how we keep everything weve got if we just keep pushing them back down the line.

Again, im not against it, but weve got people bleating about losing Marshall when were bringing in his high priced replacement, that principle still applies.

 

[phantom13]

Glad I’m not the only one feeling like the Crows aren’t all that. Million bucks when it’s on their terms but feel very gettable for a minor premier somehow. Very intriguing semi

I said to some people during the year that i didnt see a final brand of footy in the way they played and if the three talls dont fire their forward line looks very meek.

Without Rankine or Rachele to ignite them and with the virus rumors they look very beatable.

 

[phantom13]

The downside to this is that a Geelong/Collingwood granny looks almost certain now.

 

[Remboy]

What's with this either or malarkey regarding Flanders and Mackenzie? Get them both! I reckon if we can turn Marshall, pick 7, and next years first into Ryan, Aleer, Flanders and Mackenzie then we've had an amazing trade period, and coupled with JSOS and TDK, have really set ourselves up in both the short, medium and long term.

We should be able to do all of that and hang on to next year's first.

 

[SainterinSydney]

They are playing whack-a-mole at the moment using their picks to fill areas of issue.

I actually think their forward line is miles off being a contender. Gunston is in career best form but is a soft tissue injury away from retirement.

Chol/Lewis/Dear haven’t demonstrated they’re capable of being a number 1 forward.

If they don’t win it next year while Gunston is playing the football he is, I’m not sure they can with the talls they have.

Totally agree with this. They should have thrown more $ at Oscar Allen.

 

[phantom13]

We should be able to do all of that and hang on to next year's first.

Given we really should be playing finals next year is it worth keeping this years first, trading the Roma pick and next years.

If were not pushing past pick 12 next year we may as well pack it in TBH.

 

[Armoooo]

I'm open to trading Marshall, but Geelongs first doesn't tempt me at all.

If we're going all out in the next 2 years, we should be moving picks to secure guys like Flanders, not gun players.

Marshall is a gun player that addresses Geelongs biggest list weakness and is on a team friendly contract.

If Marshall is happy either way, I'd be asking for SDK or two first round picks. I wouldn't be settling for a pick that will fall back to the mid 20s.

If Marshall really wants out, its different and we take what we can get from what is hopefully a list of suitors.

I'd definitely rather keep Marshall than take 25 to the draft and I reckon we can get all our targets with what we've got.

 

[nikkig98]

Would it be crackpot of us to make a push for zach merrett? I mean if he wants out for a finals push, we did just sign a bunch of free agents, have our key forward (hopefully), coming back and looking to push for deep finals runs in 2 years. Maybe the dons don't want to do business with the hawks after their bad faith tactics?
Gets to play with Nas in the midfield, a superstar who would cop most of the tag threat as well, taking that burden off him

Probably not great for the cap but he'll be a free agent soon anyway
Would be more palatable for their fanbase as well

 

[Sully111]

Would it be crackpot of us to make a push for zach merrett? I mean if he wants out for a finals push, we did just sign a bunch of free agents, have our key forward (hopefully), coming back and looking to push for deep finals runs in 2 years and maybe the dons don't want to do business with the hawks after their bad faith tactics?
Gets to play with Nas in the midfield, a superstar who would cop most of the tag threat as well

Probably not great for the cap but he'll be a free agent soon anyway
Would be more palatable for their fanbase as well

We did earlier.

Right now Essendon would want too much in return.

 

[nikkig98]

We did earlier.

Right now Essendon would want too much in return.

oh yeah, him and his wife had talks didnt they. Maybe we can hire Sam Mitchell's missus to moonlight for the recruitment team

 

[gubby88]

I'm open to trading Marshall, but Geelongs first doesn't tempt me at all.

If we're going all out in the next 2 years, we should be moving picks to secure guys like Flanders, not gun players.

Marshall is a gun player that addresses Geelongs biggest list weakness and is on a team friendly contract.

If Marshall is happy either way, I'd be asking for SDK or two first round picks. I wouldn't be settling for a pick that will fall back to the mid 20s.

If Marshall really wants out, its different and we take what we can get from what is hopefully a list of suitors.

I'd definitely rather keep Marshall than take 25 to the draft and I reckon we can get all our targets with what we've got.

orrr...we don't get what we want and we hold him to his contract...none of this "he wants out too bad so sad" you pony up or he stays

 

[hayes]

Merrett would be mad to stay there and Essendon would be mad not to trade him. He’s never going to see any success there and by the time they’re ready to contend he’ll be way past it. They’ll trade him IMO it just makes too much sense not to. Makes their trade period from a couple of years ago totally pointless but that is what it is.

 

[Anythings_sipposible]

We should be able to do all of that and hang on to next year's first.

Look if we can, that's be great, but I'm also not too fussed if we don't hang on to next years first. If we brought in all of those players, we might just have to accept that we'd over pay on some deals, and get underpaid on other deals. But if we walked away with a totally reinvigorated list, I think it would be worth it.

You've also got to think of the hype it would build, internally and externally. The positive media would be great for memberships and potentially our 2026 fixture, and the players would get a huge morale boost. It could really motivated players like Steele, Sinclair, Wilkie and Macrae as well, as they'd see a realistic path to a flag that maybe wasn't there earlier in the year.

I don't think the admin will die wondering this trade period. We've clearly marked this as our acceleration point, and we're going to go hell for leather from here on. This obviously adds an element of pressure as well, as if it doesn't work, people will lose their jobs and we'll have to go in to another rebuild. But **** it, I'm sick of us pussyfooting around

 

[Remboy]

Given we really should be playing finals next year is it worth keeping this years first, trading the Roma pick and next years.

If were not pushing past pick 12 next year we may as well pack it in TBH.

Fair enough. I was just saying we shouldn't have to give two firsts to get the players we're after.
I don't think many people will expect next year's first to be as low as seven, so it won't hold as much value at the trade table.

 

[Saintos The ITK]

Our young fellas have been given plenty of opportunity over the last few years. That will tend to dry up a bit starting next year I think. It’s actually a great time to be getting our own vfl side.

 

[Saintos The ITK]

Would you give Corey the vfl side next year as a step in his apprenticeship or is he too valuable for that???

 

[akaifu]

You are crapping on about disposal efficiency and meters gained like there isn’t a dual brownlow medalist running around that has an almost identical career to Flanders best season.

If we are actually running datasets to see the value of the players we are bringing in. Flanders is a clone of Neale and looks very close to his Fremantle trend - ie ready to to pop

You're comparing a 5th year prime Flanders to the entire career of Neale which is skewed by his average of 18 disposals over his first three seasons as well as recent years where he's been copping tags week in week out

Despite this, Neale pretty much has double the clearances of Flanders, more than double his centre clearances, and averages 4 more contested possessions

So if ur trying to compare midfield quality, Flanders still gets blown out the water despite being favoured by bias

Add on the fact that 2024 Flanders was played majority off half back in a seagull distributing role whilst Neale has been 100% midfield his entire career - the comparison isn't even valid statistically

If you want to compare Flanders to 'brownlow medallist' Neale, then compare him to a year where he won the Brownlow

Can also compare both at the same age (25)