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
​

 

[maanco]

Yep. Fincher + Byrnes + Caminiti as our compulsory 3 'additions' to the primary list

Looks like we're gonna be totally invested in the rookie draft

There is More flexibility salary and list spot wise this way.

Instead of ND players getting min 2 year contracts on $135k on average, rookie draft 1 year contracts on about $120k.

 

[SaintJunior]

Pretty sure you can have more cat B rookies, but after 2 it subtracts from the number of cat A rookies.
Since cat B's salary sits outside the cap there would be no reason to move LOC to cat A.
However it might explain why Monty is apparently being redrafted to the main list as it would avoid filling all the rookie spots.

If my maffs is right it basically says we only intend to take the 1 draftee which will obvs be Fincher.
I'll believe it when it happens though. Monty would surely have been told he may end up a rookie.

Found an AFL Draft document for this year and apparently you can have 3 cat B rookies .

 

[BrutThough]

I'd be surprised if we drafted anyone in the actual rookie draft.

Being able to have them train with the squad first gives much more flexibility in who we get and protects us from any preseason injuries someone might pick up.

 

[maanco]

Ralph corrected his original report. ND for Byrnes.

How is that assured though? Could he be pinched from us?

I don't think we would mind

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

There is More flexibility salary and list spot wise this way.

Instead of ND players getting min 2 year contracts on $135k on average, rookie draft 1 year contracts on about $120k.

Does this mean Ronny would be getting a 2 year extension in effect too?

 

[CursingFijian]

To fulfil the mandatory quota of minimum 3 'additions' to the primary list I believe

I reckon the AFL will interpret it as another middle finger from the Saints.

Delisting someone from the primary list to put him back on the primary list is against the spirit of the draft.

Has it been done before?

 

[BrutThough]

I reckon the AFL will interpret it as another middle finger from the Saints.

Delisting someone from the primary list to put him back on the primary list is against the spirit of the draft.

Has it been done before?

Port arent planning to draft anyone. The AFL doesnt care.

 

[saintscott]

I don't know how to link it, but afl.com au has an interesting piece from Ollie Florent and Will Hayward

9

Will Hayward

Age

27

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.8

4star

G

1.1

4star

D

9.0

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

4.7

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.7

4star

D

9.4

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.4

5star

. They made a pact to go to the same club. And Hayward said please don't tell me you're going to St Kilda. Interesting. Would have thought we ranked okay in terms of preferences. Poor form to say that publicly but then again, suspect he's finishing his career at Carlton so not much risk on his side. Hope we stick a lock down on him when we play though and make hime regret that comment

 

[CursingFijian]

Port arent planning to draft anyone. The AFL doesnt care.

I’ll bet it does.

The draft is a very important mechanism for motivating multi-talented juniors to choose AFL over other sports. If the gateway to an AFL career loses it’s sparkle it will have consequences.

 

[BrutThough]

I’ll bet it does.

The draft is a very important mechanism for motivating multi-talented juniors to choose AFL over other sports. If the gateway to an AFL career loses it’s sparkle it will have consequences.

Again, they dont care. If they did, they wouldnt set up the system to allow clubs to manipulate their list by re-drafting players. This system is not new and we arent the first club to do things like this.

We dont need to make ourselves a victim in every situation and act like the big, mean, evil AFL is always out to get us.

 

[akaifu]

I don't know how to link it, but afl.com au has an interesting piece from Ollie Florent and Will Hayward. They made a pact to go to the same club. And Hayward said please don't tell me you're going to St Kilda. Interesting. Would have thought we ranked okay in terms of preferences. Poor form to say that publicly but then again, suspect he's finishing his career at Carlton so not much risk on his side. Hope we stick a lock down on him when we play though and make hime regret that comment

I think the context is more that Hayward was already settled on Carlton and he didn't want to be betrayed by Ollie or have his mind changed again for their pact

St Kilda is just an arbitrary name he threw up - probably because of our recruiting spree

On the morning of deadline day, rival Victorian clubs still believed Florent could be swayed and wasn't entirely settled on joining Carlton. Word of that got out. For his good mate, who thought they had a deal together, it was rather unsettling.

I was thinking, 'Mate, we are in this together, do not tell me you're going to St Kilda' or wherever it was."

 

[saintscott]

I think the context is more that Hayward was already settled on Carlton and he didn't want to be betrayed by Ollie or have his mind changed again for their pact

St Kilda is just an arbitrary name he threw up - probably because of our recruiting spree

On the morning of deadline day, rival Victorian clubs still believed Florent could be swayed and wasn't entirely settled on joining Carlton. Word of that got out. For his good mate, who thought they had a deal together, it was rather unsettling.

I was thinking, 'Mate, we are in this together, do not tell me you're going to St Kilda' or wherever it was."

I just wonder why he chose to name St kilda. If he'd said north or west coast, would have made more sense. Hopefully nothing to do with nervousness around the Aleer deal. I'm probably over thinking it Don't really give a toss what the media say but hoping we are in the group of clubs players want to come to, not used in a throw away line context.

 

[SaintSteele9]

I just wonder why he chose to name St kilda. If he'd said north or west coast, would have made more sense. Hopefully nothing to do with nervousness around the Aleer deal. I'm probably over thinking it Don't really give a toss what the media say but hoping we are in the group of clubs players want to come to, not used in a throw away line context.

Probably because we were leading most trade period stories with links to multiple targets etc etc so it would be an easy assumption by Hayward to think we were into Florent.

 

[cowboy18]

I read that article very much as them wanting to play together, Hayward being bound to Carlton because of the Curnow deal, and not wanting to be split at the last minute if better/different offers came in for Florent. I don't see it as a slight.

 

[LH7]

Probably because we were leading most trade period stories with links to multiple targets etc etc so it would be an easy assumption by Hayward to think we were into Florent.

or maybe we had spoken to Florent and Hayward knew that, so he thought Florent might have chosen Saints. Either way, I don't find what Hayward said offensive.

 

[saxond74]

Port arent planning to draft anyone. The AFL doesnt care.

Port are planning on elevating rookies to cover their 3 changes, they want picks next year & 2027, especially if the AFL grants them access to Dougie Cocheran next year. They have Zemes Pilot in 2027 who is an absolute gun!!

 

[Joffaboy]

I think the context is more that Hayward was already settled on Carlton and he didn't want to be betrayed by Ollie or have his mind changed again for their pact

St Kilda is just an arbitrary name he threw up - probably because of our recruiting spree

On the morning of deadline day, rival Victorian clubs still believed Florent could be swayed and wasn't entirely settled on joining Carlton. Word of that got out. For his good mate, who thought they had a deal together, it was rather unsettling.

I was thinking, 'Mate, we are in this together, do not tell me you're going to St Kilda' or wherever it was."

They sound like children. It's a professional sport, but they think they are so special they can make a pact and dictate where they go.
FFS we have identical twins who have never played together, lots of brothers etc.
Both are B- players anyway. Sound like they have the entitled Carlton mindset as well.

 

[Broski]

They sound like children. It's a professional sport, but they think they are so special they can make a pact and dictate where they go.
FFS we have identical twins who have never played together, lots of brothers etc.
Both are B- players anyway. Sound like they have the entitled Carlton mindset as well.

I heard they pinky promised that they would go to the same club. Can't break that rock solid agreement.

 

[SainterinSydney]

I think the context is more that Hayward was already settled on Carlton and he didn't want to be betrayed by Ollie or have his mind changed again for their pact

St Kilda is just an arbitrary name he threw up - probably because of our recruiting spree

On the morning of deadline day, rival Victorian clubs still believed Florent could be swayed and wasn't entirely settled on joining Carlton. Word of that got out. For his good mate, who thought they had a deal together, it was rather unsettling.

I was thinking, 'Mate, we are in this together, do not tell me you're going to St Kilda' or wherever it was."

Do you think Hayward said to Florent, "think of all the fun we could have at Carlton".

 

[MrFoster]

I think the context is more that Hayward was already settled on Carlton and he didn't want to be betrayed by Ollie or have his mind changed again for their pact

St Kilda is just an arbitrary name he threw up - probably because of our recruiting spree

On the morning of deadline day, rival Victorian clubs still believed Florent could be swayed and wasn't entirely settled on joining Carlton. Word of that got out. For his good mate, who thought they had a deal together, it was rather unsettling.

I was thinking, 'Mate, we are in this together, do not tell me you're going to St Kilda' or wherever it was."

I didn't realise they are both 28 years old, Add Ainsworth who's also 28 next year. Florent is a bit part player, Haywood a half forward with 29 goals this season, Higgins kicked 46 goals in 2025 as a reference. So Carlton really just got 3 mature foot soldiers that will be there for 3-4 seasons as a stop gap. I see Voss losing his job at the end of next year.

As a comparison:

• TDK - 26yo and potentially top 5 ruckman in the league
• Flanders - 24yo and already had most possessions in the league in 2024
• JSOS - 28yo, considered elite as a key back early 2025
• Ryan - 29yo, elite small forward

Planned for both now and future (TDK, Flanders will be here for the next 6+ years). More focused and all elite or potentially elite in their individual positions.

 

[True Believer]

I didn't realise they are both 28 years old, Add Ainsworth who's also 28 next year. Florent is a bit part player, Haywood a half forward with 29 goals this season, Higgins kicked 46 goals in 2026 as a reference. So Carlton really just got 3 mature foot soldiers that will be there for 3-4 seasons as a stop gap. I see Voss losing his job at the end of next year.

How solid are you on the goal numbers for Higgins? If you are certain he will kick that, then I want to get on Sportsbet and get on Higgo for next season........

 

[akaifu]

I didn't realise they are both 28 years old, Add Ainsworth who's also 28 next year. Florent is a bit part player, Haywood a half forward with 29 goals this season, Higgins kicked 46 goals in 2025 as a reference. So Carlton really just got 3 mature foot soldiers that will be there for 3-4 seasons as a stop gap. I see Voss losing his job at the end of next year.

As a comparison:

• TDK - 26yo and potentially top 5 ruckman in the league
• Flanders - 24yo and already had most possessions in the league in 2024
• JSOS - 28yo, considered elite as a key back early 2025
• Ryan - 29yo, elite small forward

Planned for both now and future (TDK, Flanders will be here for the next 6+ years). More focused and all elite or potentially elite in their individual positions.

Just means that when Walsh requests a move to us next year they'll accept Byrnes in return

But yeah I'm really happy with our recruits. JSOS bridges the gap to Tauru/Barrat; Ryan bridges the gap to Collard. TDK & Flanders fill a major hole in our age demographic and honestly wouldn't be surprised to see them in the leadership group within the next 3-4 years

 

[StFly]

Found an AFL Draft document for this year and apparently you can have 3 cat B rookies .

And today is the date for international nominations for draft instances re rookies.

 

[SainterinSydney]

View attachment 2467832

And today is the date for international nominations for draft instances re rookies.

I think someone mentioned on here a little while ago that we are nabbing another Irish boy.

 

[ScrappyDo]

I didn't realise they are both 28 years old, Add Ainsworth who's also 28 next year. Florent is a bit part player, Haywood a half forward with 29 goals this season, Higgins kicked 46 goals in 2025 as a reference. So Carlton really just got 3 mature foot soldiers that will be there for 3-4 seasons as a stop gap. I see Voss losing his job at the end of next year.

As a comparison:

• TDK - 26yo and potentially top 5 ruckman in the league
• Flanders - 24yo and already had most possessions in the league in 2024
• JSOS - 28yo, considered elite as a key back early 2025
• Ryan - 29yo, elite small forward

Planned for both now and future (TDK, Flanders will be here for the next 6+ years). More focused and all elite or potentially elite in their individual positions.

Thing is Carlton are a dumpster fire ATM and the executives (the ones that blocked RTB) have backed Voss out of what can only be cowardice. They've just lost TDK, Jsos, Charlie and others over the last 2 years and will be desperate to be competitive or or have political coverage that they have done something. It's glorious.