List Mgmt. 2025 List Management Discussion - Part IV

[Hubnester]

2025 List Management Discussion - Part 4

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
​

 

[Joffaboy]

King, Phillipou and Henry are as good as new recruits. JSOS and Ryan fill holes. A heap of good youth like Hall, Nas, Owens and Windy still haven't peaked. Phillipou, Wilson, Garcia etc have more games under their belt.

I reckon we are starting to look like a very good list. Luck with injury, fixture and fast start and who knows how much better we'll be. It's almost time to start dreaming big again.

1st qtr killed us throughout the season. If we can halve 1st qtrs this coming season we will give ourselves a lot more chances

 

[Joffaboy]

Keeler and Boxshall are both players, we have drafted well. Can't wait to see Dodson push his way in to the side, kid has elite vibes

Then we have the likes of LOC and Hastie, and O'Sullivan's can be anything ( or nothing)

 

[SainterinSydney]

View attachment 2438205

 

[TheJackal]

King, Phillipou and Henry are as good as new recruits. JSOS and Ryan fill holes. A heap of good youth like Hall, Nas, Owens and Windy still haven't peaked. Phillipou, Wilson, Garcia etc have more games under their belt.

I reckon we are starting to look like a very good list. Luck with injury, fixture and fast start and who knows how much better we'll be. It's almost time to start dreaming big again.

King is easily our biggest barometer still. If he plays and plays well, we'll win more than we lose. Its as simple as that.

 

[Saints4ever]

I really love what the Saints are doing this off season.

I think it’s really exciting that lots of players are choosing us and shows we’re on the right path.

What I find slightly concerning for the future is a player can be halfway though a contract, Wilkie for example and another club can come and offer way overs what they’re currently on and this is seen as acceptable and potentially you have to up your contract offer when you already had the deal locked away.

I have no issue chasing contracted players if they express they want out, Ryan, Flanders etc but I do think it’s going to be a very slippery slope when it becomes acceptable to openly chase and throw money at contracted players that haven’t expressed any interest in leaving.

 

[Premium]

I don't really like to talk about excuses for the teams performances but this year like the last few we have had excuses.
This year leading players were missing - guys like Howard , King , Phillipou , Henry

Leading players you might say , well in the team structure they are.

Backline really had only Wilkie as the main defender for key big forward threats - they tried with Camanitti and even Keller at times.
A fit Howard would of helped a lot.

Forward line requires a standout big forward and we only have King who was not seen all year.

Our midfield has been our weakest point for years and the year before this season Phillipou showed some signs he could help in the area / well he was unsighted the whole year due to injury.

Henry showed in a couple games in his first season he had some x-factor that might just help and he suffered a injury and never really got it together once he came back.

This next season our team will certainly be strengthened with the incoming of TDK , Aleer and SOSJ.

It automatically gives us a top class ruckman with options because Marshall is no slouch and having Marshall and King in the same forward line is going to be hard to handle.
Both are good contested marks and no team can double team 2 bigs at once while having Higgins ,Owens , Henry ? , Phillipou , Ryan ? , Butler at there feet.

Our midfield to me we be better due to the development of the younger brigade , guys like Windhager , Hall , Garcia , Phillipou , Wilson , Boxshell , Travaglia and on top of this we might even see Nas thrust into the midfield which will only give us more potency.
And of course we still have Macrae , Steele , Clark.

Our backline will be a hell of a lot stronger with the addition of SOSJ , Aleer and hopefully a fit Howard which we have not seen for 2 yrs.
We now have players to take on the key forwards while allowing say a Wilkie to take the more attacking role.
It must be noted we have Sinclair who is still got plenty of life left in him I hope and with either Nas or some else on the opposite side of him we should have a strong backline.

Next season there is no reason we can't be playing finals and winning a few.

 

[Premium]

King is easily our biggest barometer still. If he plays and plays well, we'll win more than we lose. Its as simple as that.

Big factor to how well we go next season , we can't rely on Higgins being our top goal kicker every year.

 

[Banger9798]

Keeler, King, Ryan
Higgins, Sharman, Owens

That's a fun forward line

 

[austinnn]

Keeler, King, Ryan
Higgins, Sharman, Owens

That's a fun forward line

With Nas and Hall popping up from time to time

 

[Joffaboy]

I really love what the Saints are doing this off season.

I think it’s really exciting that lots of players are choosing us and shows we’re on the right path.

What I find slightly concerning for the future is a player can be halfway though a contract, Wilkie for example and another club can come and offer way overs what they’re currently on and this is seen as acceptable and potentially you have to up your contract offer when you already had the deal locked away.

I have no issue chasing contracted players if they express they want out, Ryan, Flanders etc but I do think it’s going to be a very slippery slope when it becomes acceptable to openly chase and throw money at contracted players that haven’t expressed any interest in leaving

Fair points. It will only become a problem if Carlton, Essendon and the Saints fold on contracted players and I don't mean by trading.
If they want a Wilkie they wont just have to pay in SC but with overs in capital. If we fold and take shit picks, and Essendon and Carlton fold, contracts will be worthless.
I know Saints wont fold, not sure with the other rabble.

 

[Dr Spaceman]

Keeler, King, Ryan
Higgins, Sharman, Owens

That's a fun forward line

 

[Saints4ever]

Fair points. It will only become a problem if Carlton, Essendon and the Saints fold on contracted players and I don't mean by trading.
If they want a Wilkie they wont just have to pay in SC but with overs in capital. If we fold and take shit picks, and Essendon and Carlton fold, contracts will be worthless.
I know Saints wont fold, not sure with the other rabble.

Agree clubs shouldn’t fold and just bend to the whim of contracted players.

The day this becomes the norm will be the day bigger clubs become more powerful while the smaller clubs continue to get picked off.

Sadly loyalty is no longer a thing and players are all about making bank while they can.

I guess you can’t blame them when it’s a fairly short career and you have to set yourself up for the future.

I miss the days of club loyalty and playing for the colours meant something.

 

[Tommy Wigs]

King, Phillipou and Henry are as good as new recruits. JSOS and Ryan fill holes. A heap of good youth like Hall, Nas, Owens and Windy still haven't peaked. Phillipou, Wilson, Garcia etc have more games under their belt.

I reckon we are starting to look like a very good list. Luck with injury, fixture and fast start and who knows how much better we'll be. It's almost time to start dreaming big again.

Can’t wait for the fixture next year. Play Cats and Lions x 11 and finish with our big rivalry round against Norf

 

[Anythings_sipposible]

King, Phillipou and Henry are as good as new recruits. JSOS and Ryan fill holes. A heap of good youth like Hall, Nas, Owens and Windy still haven't peaked. Phillipou, Wilson, Garcia etc have more games under their belt.

I reckon we are starting to look like a very good list. Luck with injury, fixture and fast start and who knows how much better we'll be. It's almost time to start dreaming big again.

Loooooong post incoming, cause the family has gone to bed and I'm a couple of beers deep. Apologise in advance

I agree with you that we have really build something to start getting excited about, but it is definitely still a potential thing, rather than the real deal. On paper, I think we're a 6th-12th team, but if a couple of players can take the next step, we could really shoot up.

For me, and respectively, the following players and the following questions are the most important in 2026:

King: Pretty obvious one, but can he play a full season, and can he start to take ownership of the forward line, and really put the fear of God into opposition teams? At his best King is an agile, high marking power forward who straightens us up and piles on goals in quick succession. With a full head of steam, he is pretty much unstoppable, and lifts the spirits of all and sundry, the crowd included. At his worst, Maxy drops his marks and mopes, and can actually be a negative all round.

Nas: Again an obvious and easy one. Can Nas replicate his late season form, and repay a monumental investment from the club? If he does, he will become not just a Stkilda legend, but will put himself in that top echelon of AFL players from throughout history.

Phillipou: We've seen glimpses of what Mattaes can do, but form and injury have stymied him. I do worry a bit about how much of a confidence player he is, and the way it seems to take him a while to find form. This isnt a great trait if he gets injured a bunch, as he risks being in a perpetual cycle of finding fitness and touch. That being said, he is still very young, and despite the fact that he is now entering his 4th preseason, he is still only 21.
I think for us to succeed, Pou needs to consistently impact games as a midfielder, and be that circuit breaker type player that shifts a match on its head and moves momentum our way. I don't necessarily see him as a 30 possession, 1 goal a game type mid, but more of a moment's man. So the question for Pou is can he become that player that steps up when we need him, because like it or not I think he'll become our barometer?

TDK: Not a young player per se, but I think TDK is still more potential than proven thing, which is pretty wild when you consider he is one of the top 5 (top 3?) paid players in the league. But that money will be worth it if he can find a way to do what he did for the first 3rd of the 2025 season, across the whole of the 2026 season and beyond. He was truly electric during this time; getting taps, taking species, kicking goals and acting as not just a brilliant tap ruckman, but as an extra midfielder and defender. I think at his best he is perfect for the way we want to play footy, and I also hope that the new ruck rules come in, as these could really suit his style of play. The question regarding TDK is can he become a top 2 or 3 ruck in the league for impact, to justify the price?

Owens and Windhager: I've put these guys together because I think they both at about the same level of skill, and they both need to do the same thing: take the step up from solid B graders who drift in and out of games, to A graders who take ownership of the team's performance. For Windy, this means impacting in an attacking way more often, and doing what he did in the latter parts of the season more consistently. For Owens, I think it means becoming more of a Hamill, latter-day Dangerfield type 3rd tall/utility who is a menace in the front half of the ground, both in the air and with regards to physical pressure/presence. Can these guys do these things to take that step?

Hall: Like Nas, an absolute revelation in 2025, and like Pou, not someone who needs a lot of it to impact a game. It's actually wild how important Hall has become to our game plan in such a short amount of time (probably best evidenced by his 10(?) score involvements in the Melbourne comeback), but I think this importance will only grown. And this importance is all due to Halls unique ability to find players in space, to execute creative possessions into and around the corridor, and to find the perfect kick inside 50. I'm really excited about seeing the Hall in combination with big Max, as I think the former will really allow the latter to reach his potential. The question for Hall will be whether he can continue to have the high level of scoreboard impact that he had in the second half of 2025 when the pressure is on, and when he inevitably receives more opposition attention in 2026?

Wilson: I have a soft spot for Darcy, and I think that he has as much potential as anyone on our list, bar Nas who, let's face it, shouldn't really be compared to anyone as it's not fair. Wilson I think is super important to our success as his speed, endurance, and ability to impact on the scoreboard compliments the rest of our mids. He is a spitting image of a younger Max Holmes, and if he can reach that level, then, in combination with Nas and Windy, we are well and truly on. The problem for Darcy in 2025 was he wasn't able to demonstrate these skills enough, which I think was a combination of 2nd year blues, being played out of position, and creeping frustration that he wasn't performing to the standard he sets himself. He seems a real competitive type does young Darcy, which is a great trait if it doesnt derail him.
At the very least, I think Wilson is an attacking winger in the early Brad Hill mold, but to reach his full potential, I think he needs to be a starting centre square mid. The question for Darcy is can he take a step up and demand that spot, and relegate guys like Steele and Macrae to rotation/depth players? If he does, we are significantly more dynamic.

I've obviously left a bunch of guys out of this little list, like the bountry of new recruits, and the younger guys like Trav, Box, and Tauru. I do this because I think that these guys 8 above in particular will really decide our fate next few years. If they can all take that next step, then maybe we will see a flag before the heat death of the universe.

 

[BilboJackins]

Can’t wait for the fixture next year. Play Cats and Lions x 11 and finish with our big rivalry round against Norf

Don’t forget the 10 interstate games

 

[L_W_P]

Any updates on some of the off Broadway guys we've been linked to? Do we still need to bring Tex Wanganeen to keep Nas happy?

In:
TDK
JSOS
Ryan
Aleer
Fincher
Flanders*
CMac*
Voss*
Tex*

Out:
Webster
Boyd
McLennan
Cordy
Heath
Byrnes*
Arie*
Carroll*
Jones*

Could all work out...

 

[SaintersUnite]

Then we have the likes of LOC and Hastie, and O'Sullivan's can be anything ( or nothing)

By O’Sullivan do you mean Eamonn Armstrong??

I reckon he could be a dashing half back like Connor McKenna was.

 

[Loading]

Just catching up on today’s comments. For what it’s worth, Flanders will be a saint I can guarantee that but that doesn’t mean much given that’s already been said. What I don’t get is the hesitation on this…. Pick 7 in an average draft, who cares?? He is a youngish AA calibre mid who will fit in perfectly to our age group. Curious on the doubt on this

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Gehrig was good at the eagles. But he was a superstar of the game and a massive icon from 2003-2006.

Gehrig was a star full-back with the Eagles.

 

[stavro#4]

Gehrig was a star full-back with the Eagles.

He played on the wing

 

[Mr_R0b0t]

Just catching up on today’s comments. For what it’s worth, Flanders will be a saint I can guarantee that but that doesn’t mean much given that’s already been said. What I don’t get is the hesitation on this…. Pick 7 in an average draft, who cares?? He is a youngish AA calibre mid who will fit in perfectly to our age group. Curious on the doubt on this

Thanks Loading! Any intel on CMac?

 

[kosifantutti]

Gehrig was a star full-back with the Eagles.

When did he play full back?
1996 was the only year he didn’t average more than one goal a game.

 

[Joffaboy]

By O’Sullivan do you mean Eamonn Armstrong??

I reckon he could be a dashing half back like Connor McKenna was.

Yeah that's him, the Irish guy with the ball head.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

When did he play full back?
1996 was the only year he didn’t average more than one goal a game.

1996 was when he mainly played at full-back
Yes, he could play F.B, F.F, H.F, F.P & Wing (classed as a utility with West Coast)
His speed was extraordinary
The fastest player over 30m in any ball sports at that time.
And held the record for being the strongest at the bench press
195cm-109kg, absolute monster & elite athlete.

 

[SaintlyHymns]

North Melbourne about to sign Charlie Spargo

9

Charlie Spargo

Age

26

Ht

172cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.7

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

5.3

4star

M

3.5

4star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.6

4star

D

8.0

2star

K

6.0

2star

HB

2.0

1star

M

1.0

1star

T

0.0

1star

G

0.0

1star

D

13.6

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

6.8

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.6

4star

G

1.2

4star

and maybe Tylar Young.

Couldn't be more excited of this side living in an aggressive space. It has granted us conversation on Opening Round 90k vs C'Wood and Carlton Rnd 2.

Great time to be a Saints fan.