Strategy Trade and List Management Thread Part 8 (opposition supporters - READ posting rules before posting)

[_Mike_]

Opposition supporters coming to troll , you have been warned

 

[dergert]

I think absolute best case scenario will be we pay Jamarra’s 900k in full and then look for something like;

JUH + pick 10 for Buderick and 6. I still don’t see them even going close to saying yes to that but they’ve done crazier things.

We missed out on the crazy GCS list management gravy train. Absolutely fleeced with the Sanders trade.

 

[RWnBluey]

Bont has a job for life at the dogs. Coach, Head of Football, President, Director. Whichever path he feels suited to.

Probably would have said the same about Chris Grant once upon a time.

 

[Golden_6]

Still incredibly worried about our lack of KPD stocks.
Do not buy for a second this ''we back JOD / Buss'' talk when I have heard our coaches say the complete opposite sitting on the sidelines of VFL games.

I mean Bevo literally said it himself at his press conference after round 24 and spent the next minute trying to backtrack on the comment.

Who knows, both Buss & JOD might actually improve enough in 2026 to hold down the backline with Lobb but we aren't a developing team, we can't afford to wait and hope.

 

[JohnnySteel]

I’ve got no doubt we would love to add a best 22 key defender to the side that can contribute from day 1. But if there’s none available then there really isn’t anything we can do bar back the development in.

If we go down the may track we might as well of given Jones another year.

 

[Ash1337]

Fiorini to dons

 

[TheSportingEyes]

Still incredibly worried about our lack of KPD stocks.
Do not buy for a second this ''we back JOD / Buss'' talk when I have heard our coaches say the complete opposite sitting on the sidelines of VFL games.

Yeh. Lobb was horrific against Fremantle in that final game of 2025, JOD has some potential but looks more like a 2nd/3rd tall and Buss is still developing and who really knows how good he will be. Lobb at his best is an interceptor so to unlock that we have to get in a proper key back. I still reckon May is on the cards if nothing else gets done. Maybe Frost too. I think May is culture cancer and Frost is probably washed but we can't enter 2026 with Lobb, JOD, Buss and Gardner and expect to be any different of a side.

 

[Bulldogs85]

Fiorini to dons

Apparently on a 4 year deal Fiorini has done well

 

[BulldogMuscle]

I’ve got no doubt we would love to add a best 22 key defender to the side that can contribute from day 1. But if there’s none available then there really isn’t anything we can do bar back the development in.

If we go down the may track we might as well of given Jones another year.

I’d still be making offers on Butts.

 

[Marsy]

Zak Jones could be heading to the kennel

Your best breaking news since Bramble... Oh sorry, wrong person.

 

[Bonty4]

I’d still be making offers on Butts.

Buttsers?

 

[DannyB4]

Fully agree with you. Can’t see much incentive for Port to trade him this year. He’s a restricted free agent and you’d presumably have enough cap space to match any offers, so a trade can be forced next year.

Unless there’s a very good pick involved this year, or a very good player, I imagine the preference would be the extra year of Butters and the monster trade haul next year.

Steak knives like Riley Garcia aren’t getting this deal over the line. Aside from the limited number of players I’d consider “untouchable”, I imagine it would have to involve a quality player. Weightman (assuming injuries are done), Sanders (assuming he signed long term so no Tassie threat), English, etc. are probably the “worst” players on our list that would help a deal. And I’d rather not lose any.

We wouldn’t get away with a Butters trade this year without losing a quality player in the process imo

You say that Port would have the cap space to match offers. But hypothetically, if the club were to offer him say a $5 million dollar, 1 year contract how would Port possible match that.

Of course we can then smooth the contract out after he signs similar to what other clubs have done (notably Brisbane with Joe Daniher).

 

[The Inbetweener]

You say that Port would have the cap space to match offers. But hypothetically, if the club were to offer him say a $5 million dollar, 1 year contract how would Port possible match that.

Of course we can then smooth the contract out after he signs similar to what other clubs have done (notably Brisbane with Joe Daniher).

Port aren’t going to match it. No club is investing millions into a player for 8 years that doesn’t want to be there. In saying that they’ll absolutely threaten to match to force a trade which is their right.

 

[adogsfan5]

Does Butts move the needle for us? Is he an upgrade?

I say yes.

Means Busslinger plays vfl though.

 

[manutd/dogs]

Your best breaking news since Bramble... Oh sorry, wrong person.

I miss Mucat and his Impressionist take on spelling. Absolute artistry.

 

[Pencil case]

I’d still be making offers on Butts.

Can’t see how Butts is an upgrade on JOD & Buss, apart from being a bit older.

I’m happy to back in those two as I think they’ll be very, very good defenders in time. Lobb’s game against Freo was worrying though, shades of the Jones 2024 elim disaster.

 

[Marsy]

Remember the news when Collingwood was having a Garage Sale and getting rid of Grundy and Treloar.

Melbourne - crickets.

 

[Marsy]

I miss Mucat and his Impressionist take on spelling. Absolute artistry.

He can't help if he is lexdysic

 

[adogsfan5]

Remember the news when Collingwood was having a Garage Sale and getting rid of Grundy and Treloar.

Melbourne - crickets.

I think people are just over the Trac/Oliver circus lol

 

[Bulldogs85]

Port deny Butters trade request, Victorian rivals 'keeping close tabs'

The future of Zak Butters was a hot topic on the opening day of trade period

www.afl.com.au

Butters grew up a Dogs supporter in Melbourne's western suburbs.

"You do take that extra interest and admire what he's been able to do," Bulldogs men's football manager Sam Power

Sam Power

Age

42

Ht

190cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.7

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

6.9

4star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.0

4star

No current season stats available

D

7.8

2star

K

3.8

2star

HB

4.0

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.6

4star

said. "If Zak had a wish to return to Victoria I think he'd have every Victorian club looking at that.

"But at this stage he's contracted and we haven't heard anything different to that."

 

[DannyB4]

Our cap doesn't need the Bont to take less money to fit the Butters offer in - I believe that Bont needs to be comfortable that Butters is offered significantly more than him. I suspect that conversation has already been had between the Bont and other senior players and the club.

That conversation has definitely already happened considering Bont used his contract re-signing press interview to pitch Zak Butters to move to the Whitten Oval...

 

[PressredforEd]

Port aren’t going to match it. No club is investing millions into a player for 8 years that doesn’t want to be there. In saying that they’ll absolutely threaten to match to force a trade which is their right.

They have to formally match though to force a trade don’t they?

I may not understand the process fully but I assume we submit an offer, say 1.7mil over 8. Port then formally match with a legally binding contract and Butters is now contracted to Port for 8 years, otherwise he moves as a free agent.

Can you really bluff that?

 

[DannyB4]

Our midfield is a position of need. Libba and Treloar are ancient and Bont is old. I wouldnt be counting Sanders as part of our long term midfield either.

Draft picks and salary are just a means to an end - we threw 2 first rounders at Sanders - an unproven quantity with a strong possibility of defecting to tassie. Butters is a proven elite player who wants to come here and thats not worth 3?

Guys please stop with the "Bont is old". He is only 4 years older than me and I'm not ready for this yet.

 

[DannyB4]

If you put the 2025 version of Steven May into our side this year, I think we would have gone deep into finals and potentially have held up the premiership cup. The same could happen next year and we wouldn't have to risk\give up much to get him.

You're delusional mate.

 

[flipper83]

They have to formally match though to force a trade don’t they?

I may not understand the process fully but I assume we submit an offer, say 1.7mil over 8. Port then formally match with a legally binding contract and Butters is now contracted to Port for 8 years, otherwise he moves as a free agent.

Can you really bluff that?

I think the AFL has now got some restrictions around signing a player on a short contract for free agency purposes and then the contract being restructured to be longer but we could potentially offer a 1 year 5 million contract that is then spread out after he comes across. If Port do match that then the following year he is a free agent again and we offer the same contract. Port isn't going to be matching that too many times before they let him go.

 

[Bald Headed Flog]

Weightman didn’t play this year and is coming back in 2026. Dolan looks very promising at VFL level and should play 15+ games this year. We were the highest scoring team in 2025.

Small forward is probably the 4th biggest list need, after key defender, small defender and midfield (given Treloar and Libba are nearly done)