Unofficial Preview 2025 Hawk's Hypothetical Trade Discussion...now with added DFA spitballing!

[Strapping Young Lad]

This thread is becoming increasingly popular, and to keep some sort of order, we will have some….

Rules of engagement:

1. Bring valid news or links to Twitter posts from notable sources. Don’t post screenshots or “some bloke just said on SEN” or what some “trade whisperer” has posted on a Facebook page.

2. Ignore what other team boards are putting up as trade offers. Don’t quote or bring them here either.

3. Don’t post “buckle up” for the lols.

4. If you can’t say anything nice about Worpel or CJ, don’t say anything at all. The continued slaps and backhanders are just going to be deleted.

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

funny that Rosa is parroting the line that Cal has been going with for the last few hours about the 'late' offer.

Really makes you think....

 

[Rob R]

More game time for McKenzie who will be a star, two decent picks to bring in good kids and scum continue to be an irrelevant bottom 6 team. sounds like a win

 

[Dewwwww]

Surely Moore plays 80% mid next year now

 

[Yummy5454]

Let’s go nail this draft baby!

 

[Nick the Pig]

Bombers won't know what hits them in R1. We will be breathing fire. Cant wait.

Forget about the media puffs, they will have burned quite a few industry bridges with this. And I see lots of further internal turmoil coming their way.

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

Surely Moore plays 80% mid next year now

I reckon Croc gets more minutes now

 

[Judd2Sewell]

FFS! Do you think this will be Sam Mitchell’s take? Hell NO!

He empowers the players to be the best they can and place no ceiling on what they can achieve.

I for one believe our youthful midfield has another couple of gears yet they can go up.

Mackenzie started well, injury derailed his season and confidence. He will learn from this ….

Mitchell knows the weaknesses in the side better than anyone, hence why he was very keen for us to try and lure two class midfielders across. He even mentioned the midfield issues himself.

No doubt he's very disappointed we couldn't get a deal done - through no fault of MM and his crew of course, this is on Rosa and co.

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

Look to delisted free agents…. Sound like Deven Robertson

40

Deven Robertson

Age

24

Ht

185cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.0

2star

K

3.0

1star

HB

4.0

3star

M

0.0

1star

T

3.0

5star

CL

0.0

1star

D

7.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

4.0

3star

M

0.0

1star

T

3.0

4star

CL

0.0

1star

D

7.0

2star

K

3.0

1star

HB

4.0

3star

M

0.0

1star

T

3.0

5star

CL

0.0

1star

and Elijah Holland will be DFA, worth looking at acquiring for free.

Holland would need 100% commitment and a contract full of clauses and triggers based on performance. If he wants it bad enough he could make it at AFL level.

 

[onthemoney]

Surely Moore plays 80% mid next year now

Not sure he's built for it?

 

[Buckemenico]

Re midfield: don’t forget how good our lower tier mids were versus Adelaide in hit final: esp Ward and butler . There is plenty upside

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

Re midfield: don’t forget how good our lower tier mids were versus Adelaide in hit final: esp Ward and butler . There is plenty upside

the issue is that adelaide's midfield is even worse than ours

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

Mitchell knows the weaknesses in the side better than anyone, hence why he was very keen for us to try and lure two class midfielders across. He even mentioned the midfield issues himself.

No doubt he's very disappointed we couldn't get a deal done - through no fault of MM and his crew of course, this is on Rosa and co.

Mitchell is aware, but his not giving up because of this fail.

It will spur him on to improve what we have and look to DFA and the draft in 2025.

 

[Del236379]

I'll get over it in a day or so. But throughout I never cared on picks so long as we landed Merrett.

Would never have traded Mackenzie. But it was discussed constantly here we have too much depth in certain positions.

The fact we never addressed our biggest and only weakness, even if losing a best 23 player we can replace without great impact, is just not the "ruthless" rhetoric we championed. We are no closer to a flag at all post trade period. We told the country our mission statement to get a quality mid.

Merrett and I think we're playing in grand-finals next 2 years. Now I think we're just stuck in that top 6 needing absolutely everything to go right.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Bombers won't know what hits them in R1. We will be breathing fire. Cant wait.

Forget about the media puffs, they will have burned quite a few industry bridges with this. And I see lots of further internal turmoil coming their way.

Oh trust me everyone was watching.

 

[MC_9]

Essendon won trade week.

Managed to keep their 30 year old disgruntled captain, to aim for another bottom 4 finish. Instead of using 3 first round draft picks to get some more youth into the club and rebuild their culture.

Having a disgruntled Merrett there to request a trade out next year, will be toxic for the culture.

I think we will now look to move pick 10 and 22 into the next year's draft. Also gives Ward and McKenzie a real opportunity to have some midfield minutes.

 

[StackedHunch]

Anyone in the cheersquad in this thread? I hope they come up with some clever banners about Zach being held hostage for round 1.

 

[Ashman23]

We can still trade picks.

It was more getting our picks back from Carlton as the via the draft index we basically gave them pick 43 for free.

 

[Roddy]

Gotta get Frenchie fully up to speed, that’s a massive priority I reckon.

 

[barbster]

2 fringe players, one who didn’t play a senior game in 2025 and a B grade midfielder who can easily be replaced. We’ll be fine.

Who’s replacing them that wasn’t on our list this year?

 

[Maybloomer]

More game time for McKenzie who will be a star, two decent picks to bring in good kids and scum continue to be an irrelevant bottom 6 team. sounds like a win

Biggest win will be to see Essendon go through 2026 without Draper and a thoroughly pissed off captain and a few others. How they think that next year will improve on this year is beyond me.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

I dont' mind not getting Merrett the asking price was historically high and we're not that dumb.

Bummed out we didn't close that door sooner and pursue something else but here we are.

Essendon taking the same approach as they did with Daniher - so they've got Merrett on a one year extension while we go and do the best we can with what we've got.

 

[cyrilweatherby]

Not sure he's built for it?

He's not

 

[RoughysMullet]

I always had the gut feeling our fortunes would depend on how Ward and Mackenzie develop as midfielders- guess we’ll find out- I’m backing them in…

 

[badgrill]

Neither is Zach Merrett

Sorry dude, this discussion is for the grownups whose club has actually achieved something of note

 

[Dipper]

Could you imagine if we took Zach Merret back in 2013 over Billy Hartung. Then bombers could have had Billys Dad to and we wouldn't of had to go through today

Now that's a sliding doors

Billy Hartung's dad and Essendon would have been a match made in heaven.