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
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[stavro#4]

What does it have to do with?

He wants to play for the cats and has since last year

 

[Hysteria]

I can't wait for the Marshall contract fallout at Geelong when all of their rucks realise they're stuck behind Marshall for the next three or four years and want out.

What ever happened to Toby Conway the young ruck that Cats supporters were hailing as the next big thing a couple of years ago?
How would he be feeling right now?

 

[Remboy]

I have loved Ro as a player and he still has a few high quality years left in him.
However it is clear this list is being built to contend when the current crop of younger players (NAS, Windhager, King, Owens, Pou etc.) start to reach their prime years.
TDK fits this build. Marshall does not.
As much as i'd love to see him stay, if the club does see fit to trade him to the Cats i'm not going to be losing any sleep over it.

This is exactly what Basset said when Ross came back.

 

[Sully111]

Wow. What a salty little man. Taking a swipe at the umps. Hope they make him pay next season.

(Not to be compared with Bassats comments about Viney as the entire room was stunned by that.)

Bassat's Viney comments were good humoured and most would agree.

All knowing guru mahat McRae is a whiney little grub.

 

[Diehard Saint]

What did Bassat say?

Something about Viney and the 3 votes but can’t remember 100% because I only watched it briefly after the event.
Someone on here will be able to give more detail.

 

[Remboy]

What ever happened to Toby Conway the young ruck that Cats supporters were hailing as the next big thing a couple of years ago?
How would he be feeling right now?

YEp. If Marshall is upset about TDK coming what are the young Cats rucks thinking? They thought Stanley was just about done and they'd get more opportunities, now they'll be behind Ro.

 

[True Believer]

Japanese apartments are small. 42 square inches is my entire living area.

Yes, like their hotel rooms. I was quite surprised the last time I was there, the hotel room was quite spacious. On the previous trip my hotel room was so small I had to go outside to change my mind......

Boom, boom, I'm here till Thursday, try the veal.......

 

[_Maximus_12]

Stav is correct.
Ro’s priorities have shifted since he met his partner and he wants to finish his football in Geelong where he can be closer to a) his brother who lives there & b) closer to Portland where his family is.
He’s a country lad, and wants to return to those roots. Geelong are leveraging one of the biggest advantages they have. They can offer a regional life no other club can.

The TDK thing is being used as leverage, but having known Ro for quite a while this was always on the cards.
Whether we actually support his wishes is another thing.

 

[Captain Paddy]

Is Goldy worth a look for 1 year as a back up?

Honestly just as a coach for Dodzilla it would be worth it

 

[seasonedsainter]

Ah yeah of course Viney got the 3 votes in that match

 

[Remboy]

What did Bassat say?

Mentioned the comeback in the Melbourne game and how we witnessed one of the great individual performances......by Jack Viney. Very tongue in cheek and got a good laugh.

 

[_Maximus_12]

For those upset that we front loaded Ro’s contract… who cares? It saved us overpaying GOPs and helped give us the flexibility to have the recruiting spree we are having now. Cant get upset for things we can control

 

[mad-saint-guy]

While it's true we would have elite ruck depth with TDK, Marshall, Dodson, Keeler, I don't think we really need to have it.

TDK, Dodson, Keeler is enough to get by. If there is ridiculous injuries, then Owens, Silvagni, Caminiti or Aleer can chop out - we do have plenty of tall defenders now.

Look at the current ruck divisions of the top four clubs:

Brisbane: Darcy Fort, Oscar McInerney, Henry Smith
Geelong: Rhys Stanley, Mark Blicavs, Sam De Koning, Mitch Edwards
Collingwood: Darcy Cameron, Mason Cox, Oscar Steene
Hawthorn: Lloyd Meek, Ned Reeves, Max Ramsden

Sure, maybe there is slightly more depth across these lines, but not by a huge amount.

Another bunch of games into Dodson and we could have a better no.1 and no.2 ruck pairing than all of the above by 2027-2028 as well.

Dodson is advanced for his age, but he's still a baby in ruck terms. We're clearly gearing up for immediate success, otherwise we wouldn't be going after 29 year old Ryan and fighting to keep 29 year old Wilkie.

Let's say we have a good start to next season and are sitting 6th just after the mid season draft, and then TDK gets a long term injury. Do you think we still make finals with Dodson and Keeler handling the ruck? They would be destroyed by any of McInerney, Blicavs, Cox or Reeves. Marshall can beat any of those players, and Moose could maybe compete manfully without being humiliated. Dodson and Keeler would be tossed aside.

 

[_Maximus_12]

2026 Ruckman

Number one rucks: TDK, Dodson
Ruck/FWD: Keeler
Capable if we get significant injuries: Caminitti, Aleer

Fallback plan:
Mid season draft

We don’t need a list full of back-up options for a role that only one person fills in the best 23.

Stop suggesting washed up hacks and state league footballers. It’s the waste of a list spot.

 

[heynow85]

 

[Captain Paddy]

I think what all us fans and the senior guys need to remember is that the current senior guys, the culture, the leadership etc hasn’t actually got us any success at all.

So it really is a case of, if you don’t like what we are doing, you can pack your bags and move on because you haven’t been part of the solution so far.

Would suggest that Ross and the leadership team had the same thoughts about Wilkie when he was exploring his option. He might be a great leader etc but at the end of the day, you’ve got us no success, so if the dogs want to overpay for you, pack ya bags champ

 

[Sully111]

Dodson is advanced for his age, but he's still a baby in ruck terms. We're clearly gearing up for immediate success, otherwise we wouldn't be going after 29 year old Ryan and fighting to keep 29 year old Wilkie.

Let's say we have a good start to next season and are sitting 6th just after the mid season draft, and then TDK gets a long term injury. Do you think we still make finals with Dodson and Keeler handling the ruck? They would be destroyed by any of McInerney, Blicavs, Cox or Reeves. Marshall can beat any of those players, and Moose could maybe compete manfully without being humiliated. Dodson and Keeler would be tossed aside.

Or what if we make the granny and we're up by 40 with 5 minutes to play and Jesus comes back and we all go to heaven and we're all sitting up there saying bugger we were so close and God says ya can't say bugger and rockets us straight to hell and we're surrounded by Hawthorn players and supporters except for Josh Battle cause he's in heaven doing Moses's laundry?

That would suck so bad

Bloody TDK

 

[dudeintheswamp]

 

[DT_35]

Flandersssss

 

[St Neil]

Marshall trade will be straight forward and will not involve any other players.

Geelong first rounder (pick 20-21 overall) plus Geelong's pick 38, with the saints trading back pick 47.

Quite possibly, with pick 38 possibly used in the Ryan trade.

What is interesting is what would we do if Flanders didn’t nominate Saints?

We would have picks 7/8 & 20/21 (two first rounders).

Would we pursue another player and go back to the draft?

EDIT - as soon as I hit the button Flanders nominated Saints. Murphy’s Law

 

[hangdog]

Wow, such win. So success.

 

[True Believer]

But, but, but I thought Essendon was "leading the charge".........

 

[beside the seaside]

 

[_Maximus_12]

 

[StPiper]