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
​

 

[AFaiL]

I'd love for Steele to stay, I get the Marshall trade and currency is there with Geelong, but I feel Steele is more valuable to us and this club than any trade we could get. Is anyone handing over a 1st round pick for him? I wouldn't think so. Even if he plays in the reserves for some games next year, that would be huge for our competitiveness and young kids to have him leading the way. Also, the additional man on the bench means we could potentially have him as a part-time forward and mid not on huge minutes.

Keep in mind with Steels body, a 12-15 game season at AFL level isnt the worst thing. He doesnt need to play VFL when not required at AFL, he can rest which he needs (highlighted by the sub game this season)

 

[saintmike65]

Then we switch the names with the same deal.

Future 2nd with f3 back may work..

 

[TassieSaint]

Random thought, but if we make finals next year (which we'd want to after going HAM in the trade period) I would want Steelo out there.

 

[AFaiL]

Random thought, but if we make finals next year (which we'd want to after going HAM in the trade period) I would want Steelo out there.

youd def want him and Ro as options if they arent auto best 23 thats for sure

 

[tristenlvm]

He was thrown in the deep end playing VFL after arriving in a foreign country and playing a foreign sport.
He has pace, kicks it pretty well but far too soon to get a handle on his potential.
I'll keep an eye on him when preseason training starts November 10.

I'm low key hyped on what he can bring

 

[chris_h_11]

It's such a balancing act with Dodson. We need to keep giving him exposure to the top level and continue his development in the VFL, but not so much that he gets overburdened and breaks down.

We obviously don't want him to have to be Number 1 in the AFL for a full year (it TDK goes down), but also can't have someone come in and is going to take away opportunities in the VFL.

Only hindsight will tell whether we make the right call. History says signing Boyd was a mistake, but at the time Marshall couldn't run, and Dodson, Keeler and Moose were a million miles away from being AFL-level ruckmen - a lot changed in a season.

 

[Flandersss]

Should we give Crossley a go gringo2011 ?

 

[SaintWrld]

Probably an unpopular opinion but if our main goal is to win as many games as possible as opposed to getting games into kids, then Steele is definitely still a better defensive mid in that Josh Dunkley

5

Josh Dunkley

Age

28

Ht

191cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.8

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

11.3

5star

M

4.3

4star

T

5.8

5star

CL

3.2

5star

D

20.7

5star

K

7.0

3star

HB

13.7

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

5.3

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

14.2

4star

K

7.2

3star

HB

7.0

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

4.0

5star

CL

1.4

4star

type role than both Garcia and boxshall.
My ideal midfield make up would be NAS Flanders and Steele, with Hall Windy and Garcia off the bench going through there, with Boxshall next man in from the VFL. Macrae is the one I would phase out.

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

Just on Dodson, did anyone else just feel so confident when watching his debut, especially that first quarter, that this is just a bloke that belongs. The strength and fitness will come with time, but this is clearly a high quality AFL player.

I don't get that feeling very often and it's usually only the generational talent, early picks.

Ross’ comments after the game re Dodzilla suggest that they know the special talent he is.

Along the lines of “getting that game is huge for Alex & will pay off massively for us next year”.

 

[malevu]

I'm in the keep Steele camp. I love Roma but understand him wanting to get to Geelong. The club would've been aware that was the likely outcome of recruiting TDK and planned it's trade/draft strategy accordingly.
Steele is a different proposition. Like others have said I still think he has at least a couple of good years left in him if fully fit. He remains our best tackler and is a good mentor to our young mids.
Clearly he wants to stay and I think we should support his wishes. Added to that he has little trade value, unlike Marshall.
If he was at another club already we'd probably be considering picking him up for a late pick.
Losing players of the calibre of Battle, Marshall and Steele in the space of 12 months wouldn't set a good tone either.
Let's at least hang onto Jack, who clearly still loves the club.

 

[heynow85]

Can’t be bothered listening to it all to find out details

 

[stavro#4]

 

[bird_man]

It's such a balancing act with Dodson. We need to keep giving him exposure to the top level and continue his development in the VFL, but not so much that he gets overburdened and breaks down.

We obviously don't want him to have to be Number 1 in the AFL for a full year (it TDK goes down), but also can't have someone come in and is going to take away opportunities in the VFL.

Only hindsight will tell whether we make the right call. History says signing Boyd was a mistake, but at the time Marshall couldn't run, and Dodson, Keeler and Moose were a million miles away from being AFL-level ruckmen - a lot changed in a season.

We can always have a top VFL ruckman playing for the seconds without putting one on our list.

Dodson looks better than any state league ruck that would come in. I'd back him in to be able to fill the void if TDK went down and then find a state league ruck to help out in the VFL

 

[SG34]

I’m happy to keep him but Flanders, Garcia and Windy are probably pushing him down the order. He’s too good to sit outside our best 22. If he wants to stay and fight it out I’m happy but understand if he wants to keep his career going.

Not sure. Windy’s star has been rising in a way surprising me. As for Garcia, well, I suppose it is about how fast Steel is falling. Perhaps, but right now, on a scale of 10, I’d say Steel 7, Windy 6.5 (with a bullet) and Garcia 5. As a back pocket/ orange boy under-15 credentialed peanut - that’s my take

 

[Rogue Warrior]

If we are chasing someone late in the trade period, then that’ll be the only leverage Geelong have to get us to pull the trigger on a deal for Marshall

If we’re not chasing anyone else in the period, or there’s not some quid pro quo with GC, I can’t fathom why we pulled the trigger with pick 7 so quick. Even if we thought 7 was unders for Flanders. There’s absolutely no downside to holding the trade up to try and extract something else back to use in one of our other trades.

 

[SaintsofSteel]

Every club has unintelligent supporters - equally spread.

Social media has given a voice to everyone, including these people sadly, but ultimately humorously.

It's a subconscious defensive mechanism for how they feel deep down about losing those players.

Sad Sainter troll of Bulldogs fans for the win - whether it was meant or not haha.

So you are the clubs spokes person, conscious and psychologost now - talk about make grandiose comments out of your knowledge base WOW!

 

[SaintsofSteel]

I'm in the keep Steele camp. I love Roma but understand him wanting to get to Geelong. The club would've been aware that was the likely outcome of recruiting TDK and planned it's trade/draft strategy accordingly.
Steele is a different proposition. Like others have said I still think he has at least a couple of good years left in him if fully fit. He remains our best tackler and is a good mentor to our young mids.
Clearly he wants to stay and I think we should support his wishes. Added to that he has little trade value, unlike Marshall.
If he was at another club already we'd probably be considering picking him up for a late pick.
Losing players of the calibre of Battle, Marshall and Steele in the space of 12 months wouldn't set a good tone either.
Let's at least hang onto Jack, who clearly still loves the club.

I would rather keep Marshall because of the Max King situation, but we dont get to chose.

 

[DT_35]

 

[Rogue Warrior]

I would rather keep Marshall because of the Max King situation, but we dont get to chose.

I suspect the club is keen to shed Steele for some Cap flexibility. Maybe not this year but next year. And you can only imagine his value will be lower next year, being 1 year older and after a year of less midfield time

 

[Yawkey way]

Should we give Crossley a go gringo2011 ?

View attachment 2450735

We could do worse, the big fella can play.

 

[pebblesofsand]

Since when has Keeler been delisted ? between TDK, Keeler & Dodson we will be fine Ro going doesn't mean the sky's falling.

Keeler is not a ruck - he's a 5 minute a qtr fill in at best - not someone you can rely on to give you 4 or 5 solid games in a row if your first ruck gets injured.

No way we win games if we have to rely he or Dodson to play as a first ruck for 4 or 5 games in a row.

If Marshall and Heath both go we will be looking for another short term back up ruckman for insurance purposes - and that's good list management not "list clogging".

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

I suspect the club is keen to shed Steele for some Cap flexibility. Maybe not this year but next year. And you can only imagine his value will be lower next year, being 1 year older and after a year of less midfield time

Dilena just denied that the club needs to move Steele on for TPP reasons.

 

[puppy_dog7]

Club (especially Ross) would rather keep Marshall so clearly would have to be a good deal to prize him out.

 

[akaifu]

Cal Wilkie added an extra couple of years onto his contract according to Dilena

 

[nikkig98]

I don't think Byrnes gets a game this year, don't mind keeping him but could we get anything for him?
Ross does like him a lot though