List Mgmt. 2025 List Management Discussion - Part V

[Hubnester]

2025 List Management Discussion - Part 5

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
​

 

[True Believer]

Diabolical content on trade radio today

As opposed to all the other days?

 

[Leap of Faith]

Not exactly wrong. It is against his will as he wants to leave.

I just don’t think Ross gives a feck

I hope so. He was happy to sign a contract finishing in 2027. He was happy to have it front loaded so he's received the bulk of the money already. Now he wants out. Sorry bro...... STKFC have every right to hold him to his contract and if Geelongsequences aren't willing to pay up then f*** 'em. And he can buckle up and fulfil his contract. If that's what the club wants. The only thing to weigh up apart from the requisite price is whether having him against his will is an issue with him and the playing group...i.e is he going to throw the toys out of the cot?

 

[Leap of Faith]

The fact that he is aware of this and still prefers to stay and fight just gives me some movement down south.

Too much information

 

[SainterinSydney]

Not exactly wrong. It is against his will as he wants to leave.

I just don’t think Ross gives a feck

The risk is not high on our end. Ro is a professional and will pull his finger out if he doesn't get traded. Papley is a good precedent--the mate i worked with was there when Papley had to awkwardly face the locker room after the Carlton trade failed.

There is also the factor that we may prefer holding onto Ro (though he isn't happy about it) just so we don't make Geelong better in a window we want to contend.

 

[St Neil]

This is funny AF... I've got Geelong supporting mates messaging accusing StK of holding Ro against his will.

The entitled inbreds are in panic mode.

Geelong are unbelievably self entitled. Their view when it comes to trading is unrealistic.

They are so used to screwing clubs in trades that they can’t accept that there are times when they have to pay up.

 

[St Neil]

Is the consensus that if we turn Ro into Cmac, we are happy? My personal feeling is yes.

I’m in the minority. I don’t rate Mackenzie.

Happy to be proven wrong.

 

[Lennylegs]

I'm coming around to the idea of trading Ro if it means we get Cmac.

But I'm also coming around to the idea of drinking 37 beers and ordering a family size hawaiian pizza after a particularly shit day at work today. And I don't even really like hawaiian.

So make of that what you will.

 

[St Neil]

I was just reading Saintsational and there is a poster over there Dieterixh who is inferring he has heard that Steele may be off to Essendon some how involved in the Merrett trade. Also we have offerred Cam McKenzie a decent 4 year deal, plus Im guessing an early pick to Hawthorn to assist in getting Merrett.

He also suggested Hunter Clark may get to North Melbourne.

Golly, a lot happening there.

It’s been reported that Steele has already rebuffed Essendon. Wants to stay at St Kilda.

 

[jumperfan]

As mentioned earlier, Goldstein is available as a delisted free agent. That represents better value IMO, and also effectively a ruck coach outside the soft cap.

He'd be excellent for Dodson. Similar sporting backgrounds would go a long way to teaching him a few tricks.

 

[Sully111]

F*ck Geelong... seriously.

Pay up or miss out.

Ro will live.

 

[St Neil]

I hope so. He was happy to sign a contract finishing in 2027. He was happy to have it front loaded so he's received the bulk of the money already. Now he wants out. Sorry bro...... STKFC have every right to hold him to his contract and if Geelongsequences aren't willing to pay up then f*** 'em. And he can buckle up and fulfil his contract. If that's what the club wants. The only thing to weigh up apart from the requisite price is whether having him against his will is an issue with him and the playing group...i.e is he going to throw the toys out of the cot?

If we start winning Marshall will be all-in if he wasn’t before.

It’s amazing the impact the smell of success has.

 

[Diehard Saint]

Not exactly wrong. It is against his will as he wants to leave.

I just don’t think Ross gives a feck

I mean Ross quoted Scott’s exact words about a serious club not letting a contracted player go….

 

[FraserGehrigsHair]

Not interested in CMac. Not in the Hawks' best 22 and I don't think he'd be in ours either. If we're recuriting a player who is mostly going to be in the VFL I'd much rather have Steele providing grunt and leadership for the next couple of years. Midfield could defintely use anohter a-grader, but I think we're actually fine for depth given the number of options we have to rotate through.

Don't want Soldo at all, although I understand the need for ruck depth. If Marshall does go I hope we get SDK as I think we are very short of a big tall backman. If that was the trade I would be prepared to go without ruck cover and give Dodson maximum exposure on the VFL. If we do trade Marshall for picks then maybe we do need a third ruck to help Dodson and/or cover for multiple injuries - but I'd rather other options than Soldo.

 

[westernsainter]

I really hope we keep Steele, even if he isn't good enough for the 1's and spends some time in the VFL.

The fact that he is aware of this and still prefers to stay and fight just gives me some movement down south.

The man is an animal and I love the determination

Might be rose-tinted glasses but I reckon getting the weight of captaincy off as well as being used as a mid-forward hybrid rather than a contested bull (which is what he was until his early 20s) could see him have a really good year for us in 2026.

 

[westernsainter]

Not interested in CMac. Not in the Hawks' best 22 and I don't think he'd be in ours either. If we're recuriting a player who is mostly going to be in the VFL I'd much rather have Steele providing grunt and leadership for the next couple of years. Midfield could defintely use anohter a-grader, but I think we're actually fine for depth given the number of options we have to rotate through.

Don't want Soldo at all, although I understand the need for ruck depth. If Marshall does go I hope we get SDK as I think we are very short of a big tall backman. If that was the trade I would be prepared to go without ruck cover and give Dodson maximum exposure on the VFL. If we do trade Marshall for picks then maybe we do need a third ruck to help Dodson and/or cover for multiple injuries - but I'd rather other options than Soldo.

With you re: CMac. If he wasn't a Saints NGA no-one would want a bar of this.

Soldo is a good upgrade on Boyd and that's how it should be interpreted. We got burnt a few years back when Paul Hunter was our main backup. Happy to pick up Soldo as cover.

 

[chris_h_11]

Is the consensus that if we turn Ro into Cmac, we are happy? My personal feeling is yes.

I'd say Cmac is certainly going to be better than Pick 25-ish in this years draft.

Less certain if he will be better than Pick 15-20 in next year's.

 

[Moral Decay]

Is the consensus that if we turn Ro into Cmac, we are happy? My personal feeling is yes.

Not for me, Frenchy isn't best 23 vs Ro coming 3rd, 3rd, 4th and 6th for the last 4 best and fairest years. Frenchy's value to us is potential only.

Hawks have lost Worpel and have question marks over Day, even if they get Merret, they're light on for depth in the midfield and have to get maximum value. They really, really need MacKenzie to step up as a full time mid. His problem is he lacks break away pace and his disposal under pressure is poor. Merrett is a no brainer to fill they're hole.

On the other side Ro without a leap isn't really a no1 ruck any more. Geelong might use his strengths as a big marking follower and contested clearance player.

In the short term, 2 years, Ro is a good player for us but Frenchy is a depth player for Hawks and Saints, not even best 23 for either team.

 

[phantom13]

With you re: CMac. If he wasn't a Saints NGA no-one would want a bar of this.

Soldo is a good upgrade on Boyd and that's how it should be interpreted. We got burnt a few years back when Paul Hunter was our main backup. Happy to pick up Soldo as cover.

I really dont see the point in Soldo.

Even if we assume Roma is gone is Soldo any better than Dodson and Keeler (with another year of development behind them) in that backup role?

Soldo to me would be backup to the backup and at some point you just need to accept if all your rucks go down your season is either ****ed or you could just make do with some state league player anyway.

He played 1 game this year off the back of less than 2 for the previous 2 years. Visentini is getting games ahead of him now and Dodson looks better than him.

 

[Nutsngum]

Has literally anyone else other then Morris even mentioned Ivan Soldo

13

Ivan Soldo

Age

29

Ht

204cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.0

2star

K

3.9

2star

HB

4.1

3star

CL

2.4

4star

HO

24.2

5star

D

7.3

2star

K

3.1

1star

HB

4.1

3star

CL

2.4

4star

HO

23.0

5star

D

6.4

2star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.4

3star

CL

1.6

4star

HO

21.4

5star

?

 

[westernsainter]

I really dont see the point in Soldo.

Even if we assume Roma is gone is Soldo any better than Dodson and Keeler (with another year of development behind them) in that backup role?

Soldo to me would be backup to the backup and at some point you just need to accept if all your rucks go down your season is either ****ed or you could just make do with some state league player anyway.

He played 1 game this year off the back of less than 2 for the previous 2 years. Visentini is getting games ahead of him now and Dodson looks better than him.

Dodson still needs to develop. Keeler is probably ahead of him at the moment but we had some games this year when we needed a proper fully developed body to sit in the middle and Keeler wasn't up to it.

Soldo isn't great but he's cheap and he's depth.

I'm happy to pick him up and I hope he never plays a game.

 

[BrutThough]

Hunter Clark to norf seems so random aha

Between the DeGoey report, the Soldo link and now Clark to North....

Some people need might be getting years old mail.

 

[SainterinSydney]

Between the DeGoey report, the Soldo link and now Clark to North....

Some people need might be getting years old mail.

I heard on the grapevine that Xerri will be requesting a trade to us.

 

[Sheepey]

I'm also on the no to McKenzie train. We'd be buying high on potential for a contracted player who can't make his side's best 22 (whose weakest line is thought to be their midfield). I'm not wavered by the sentimentality that he was previously our NGA.

Not sure when he's out of contract, but if we rate him, instead I'd be looking to get in his ear about a possible return to the club when he's out of contract next year or the year after.

 

[nikkig98]

With you re: CMac. If he wasn't a Saints NGA no-one would want a bar of this.

Soldo is a good upgrade on Boyd and that's how it should be interpreted. We got burnt a few years back when Paul Hunter was our main backup. Happy to pick up Soldo as cover.

Except he genuinely isn't an upgrade on harry boyd. There are snails out there that he would lose a footrace to. This is from firsthand watching him. Bloke struggles in the SANFL

And its worse because there are better options out there. Give me literally any of the best rucks in the VFL/SANFL as an SSP selection over Soldo. Ill take Brayden Crossley and Todd Goldstein over him without thinking twice

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

With you re: CMac. If he wasn't a Saints NGA no-one would want a bar of this.

Soldo is a good upgrade on Boyd and that's how it should be interpreted. We got burnt a few years back when Paul Hunter was our main backup. Happy to pick up Soldo as cover.

Cmac was best 22 all through Hawthorn's run last year.

Broke his hand & struggled to get going again.

Has loads of talent & is a midfield distributor that we don't really have.

NGA has nothing to do with it.

My only reservation is that it means Geelong have got Ro. And that sucks big ones.