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
​

 

[CursingFijian]

Yep it is akin to selling your house and then the market moves over 2 years and you go back demanding more from your sale lol

Not quite, because the player is the asset and they retain ownership.

 

[botts]

the bigger news IMO is that ross see's marshall as required with moose leaving

marshall and tdk combo will be interesting

Cal made a good point on gettable. We are still unsure if king will return. So holding onto marshal is an insurance policy on that.

 

[StCicatriz]

Cal made a good point on gettable. We are still unsure if king will return. So holding onto marshal is an insurance policy on that.

100%

something i mentioned earlier in the year too


realty is the fwd line has suffered from a lack of a genuine tall down there. was pretty much higgins or bust.

 

[FQFjt]

The worry is the precedent. What happens if we roll over and give Wilkie a nice pay rise and then King kicks 70 goals next year (on a modest long term contract).

 

[TheNewEnsign]

Cal made a good point on gettable. We are still unsure if king will return. So holding onto marshal is an insurance policy on that.

Seems prudent tbh. I still have high hopes for Keeler but he definitely needs a bit more time, I doubt next year is the break out year.

We can't rely on Doogs or King being fit so may need to keep Hammer in defence (since I don't think either JSoS or Aleer can play a lock down KPD role).

After years of having way too few AFL standard talls I wouldn't actually mind having a surplus for once.

 

[MrFoster]

That's not the issue though, I agree there is zero chance we trade him but from what that ARMOO blokes been saying there seems like there is genuine bad blood between Wilkie's camp and the club, which must include Cal himself. We can't get anywhere with the new group we are putting together on field if we don't have everyone buying in. If given the opportunity he would actually leave I would go so far as to say he cant be captain.

In the unlikely event that Wilkie wants out, then we would like 2 first round picks and JUH with dogs paying half of his salary.

 

[Bob Butter]

Wilkie a 30 year old undersized back for Sanders a future A-grade mid that we've been crying out for. A no brainer. Would easily give up our 1st for him.

Future A grade midfielder? Based on what? He’s been disappointing so far. And Wilkie has been arguably the best defender in the comp the last few years while being as you described undersized. So you’d think he’ll be even better with SOS jr, Aleer and hopefully a health Howard in the team where he’ll be able to float off a bit more and play his natural role.

 

[_Maximus_12]

Remember - we want to be a serious football club. We won't lose anyone that is critical to our onfield success that's under contract

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Gee, Tom Blamires & Jackson Voss got duped in the JJ Liston.
Frankston finished 4th on the ladder
Blamires 8 votes= 20 votes behind Jacob Dawson

45

Jacob Dawson

Age

26

Ht

182cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.4

4star

K

8.3

3star

HB

8.1

5star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.1

4star

No current season stats available

D

15.0

4star

K

5.8

3star

HB

9.2

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.0

4star

the winner.
Voss- 7 votes
At least Blamires got the best young player award.

 

[MrFoster]

Not sure it is greediness but it is short sightendness from the player and manager, to a degree. Some want security of long term deal, others (Nas) back themselves to improve and obtain more $. both ways carry risk

The ONYL way this trade demand/renegotiate contract stuff stops is if/when clubs start holding players to their deals full stop. Somebody has to win the staring contest, the clubs keep folding.

IMO, if Cal asked to walk, I would use him as a case to say no, and hold him to it. His value will have deminished in two years time so onlyk he will lose out. If you liked 750k for 4 years, two years ago, then that is life. Nas has taken the risk of a short term dela - Cal could have done the same.

To be honest, Nas was only worth $2M because he was out of contract and the 2 adelaide sides were splashing huge sums about with projected salary front loaded, we had no choice but to match. So Nas would have been on $1.3M there about at most, TDK’s deal is front loaded (should be about $1.3M on average). But the headline numbers definitely would turn heads..

 

[CaptainRisky]

Love Tassie, but my undying loyalty is to the Saints. I don't endorse anything that will potentially hurt the club.

You need to get out more , think of the footy trips you could do to Tassie instead of being on here 24/7 , The only ones who bag the joint have never been there

 

[Dard Ball Get]

Not quite, because the player is the asset and they retain ownership.

Yes was a flimsy analogy but trying to match the audience

The club owns the player under contract in my opinion, I agree with Gringo, there needs to be a threshold that clubs can also enact trades without player input. I’d put it at $1M and above.

 

[MrFoster]

come on wilks. St.Kilda’s second premiership skipper will earn you a fortune post footy

If you listen to Wilks. Like Steele, he doesn’t seem to be a natural leader either, a little reserved and like to quietly go about his business.

 

[Bob Butter]

The whole point of contracts in general are that players and their managers want to get paid as much as possible, and teams want to pay as little as possible and get a team friendly deal. The current climate due to the PA that is empowering players to sign long term deals (usually front ended) and then demand trades to a specific club (which doesn’t even allow clubs to maximise their trade potential) is an absolute joke.

Wilkie is contracted. He was happy with $750k when he signed the deal. If you improve under your current deal then you can’t expect to be paid (significantly) more before your deal expires. This is the whole point of being a list manager/running a football club, attempting to sign players to team friendly deals, spotting talent early and signing them up so you’re paying below market rate for the next few years which allows you to bring in more talent.

You don’t see players handing back money and reducing their income when they’re not performing well. Teams need to stand firm and refuse to trade contracted players because constantly paying players more who are under contract just because they’re better than another player on more money simply isn’t a viable business model for success, especially with the rising wages due to the new CBA. If we’re not careful this will turn into the NFL where players simply refuse to train or play if they don’t get a new contract.

 

[MrFoster]

We don’t have the list spots.

I’d demand a blue chip in exchange for a blue chip. That’s reasonable. A short list of 2-3 players.

Then watch them squirm as they try to back away while telling the media that so and so player is up for trade.

Play them at their own game.

We can definitely free up spots by releasing / trading Jones, Brynes, Clarke, Butler, Heath, Marshall, Steele.

 

[_Maximus_12]

We can definitely free up spots by releasing / trading Jones, Brynes, Clarke, Butler, Heath, Marshall, Steele.

Would be surprised if the bolded had any interest beyond a DFA.

 

[MrFoster]

He’d be at Moorabbin for the next two years on not a penny more if I was negotiating with him.

The same with Merrett, did we have a gun to his head when he signed his current contract ?. I understand clubs are going to ask and usually no is enough.

Wilkie is contracted, there are rules and laws that deal with what the bulldogs and Beverage have supposedly done, we should use them.

Bulldogs just wanted to trade for Wilkie and pay him more, nothing wrong with that. What’s wrong is Wilkie’s head is obviously turned by the large sums, it’s understandable and will continue to happen for clubs. AFL is now becoming the American sports, where money is all that matters.

 

[TheJackal]

Wilkie shouldn't surprise anyone. He wont go, he also shouldn't get a revised contract for his existing years. I am however comfortable for the club to give him the C and add 2 years on for good coin.

Its what happens when you throw money at new players, its impossible not to have existing guys wanting their cut.

 

[CaptainRisky]

I would be asking for Naughton and this years first.

They would be asking you for a blood sample

 

[_Maximus_12]

Wilkie shouldn't surprise anyone. He wont go, he also shouldn't get a revised contract for his existing years. I am however comfortable for the club to give him the C and add 2 years on for good coin.

Its what happens when you throw money at new players, its impossible not to have existing guys wanting their cut.

This is my view as well. I'd prefer to just hold players to their contract and say, bad luck you can ask the question again when you're OOC.

The contract is designed to protect the club, not be used as leverage to get a revised offer.

 

[SainterinSydney]

You need to get out more , think of the footy trips you could do to Tassie instead of being on here 24/7 , The only ones who bag the joint have never been there

As I said, I love Tassie the State. However, Tassie Football team will not benefit the Saints at all and, if anything, will be looking to poach our players. My preference is the team doesn't get off the ground.

 

[_Maximus_12]

They would be asking you for a blood sample

They wouldn't want the results

 

[MrFoster]

Wilkie shouldn't surprise anyone. He wont go, he also shouldn't get a revised contract for his existing years. I am however comfortable for the club to give him the C and add 2 years on for good coin.

It’s what happens when you throw money at new players, its impossible not to have existing guys wanting their cut.

When will it end? Sinclair, Higgins, King could do the same next

 

[_Maximus_12]

As I said, I love Tassie the State. However, Tassie Football team will not benefit the Saints at all and, if anything, will be looking to poach our players. My preference is the team doesn't get off the ground.

Agree with this - I think the AFL owes it to the existing clubs to rectify the many issues caused by inequity before then compromising the competition even further for an additional 5 years. I think we should be revisiting Tasmania from 2030 onwards

 

[thekizzler]

Gee, Tom Blamires & Jackson Voss got duped in the JJ Liston.
Frankston finished 4th on the ladder
Blamires 8 votes= 20 votes behind Jacob Dawson the winner.
Voss- 7 votes
At least Blamires got the best young player award.

Tbh, the young player award (Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal) means more than the JJ Liston.

The last 18 Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal winners have been drafted into the AFL at some stage.

It's an extraordinary stat.