Rumour GFC 2026 Player Trading, Drafting FA, Rumours and Wish lists Pt 1

[Generalissimo]

Miers is able to kick longer now than when he was first drafted. I remember he used to strain for distance with 40m set shots. Now he's regularly hitting 50+

As for Blitz, he was affected by a lingering foot issue for all of 2024 that seriously hampered his ability to kick on the right. Having to kick all year on your left will naturally improve your skill at it.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

The Irish players seem to adjust well from the somewhat high and loopy kicks of Gaelic football to the more low and flat passes in AFL. Compare Mullin's kicking at the start of his career to now. Much less up and under.

I agree with that but I think premise there was a players kicking was set because habits are set.

The irish guys don't come in with any pre-existing habits

 

[Tony Barber]

Plenty of examples of players who significantly improved their field kicking over their careers.

A few who come to mind straight off the bat are:

Stevie J - I mean it was never a weakness as such, but early in his career he would try the impossible every time and more often than not miss the target. Then he improved and became an absolutely maestro with his field kicking.

Gryan Miers - As a draftee, field kicking wasn't really a stand-out feature of his game, but it became truly elite over the past few years.

Tom Hawkins - Late in his career, his field kicking had improved to such a high level that I sometimes felt that those skills were almost wasted having him play as a deep key forward. His field kicking was probably better than his goalkicking and I think that was a skill that came later in his career.

Wojcinski was the one for me.
Could not hit any target at pace. And he had pace. And he fixed it.

 

[catswhiskers]

I agree with that but I think premise there was a players kicking was set because habits are set.

The irish guys don't come in with any pre-existing habits

Just another 2bobs worth.
Young Irish footballers have been kicking the round ball since they could pick one up. I assume the nuances that make the round ball behave in flight are drilled before they change to the oval ball. Past habits have to be erased before they get senior games.
It looks to me that they're instructed to only attempt 20m kicks when clear.
Hence the long ramp (time) they tread before they are established.
If the kid we are talking about has other key attributes but is a poor kick then the club has a well trialled method of improving kicking.

As usual I expect GFC know what they are doing and nothing would surprise come draft night.

Did GFC employees go to the US for a look around? If they did it would not surprise me at all if the next foreigner cat b , is a 210 cm high jumping hard running athlete.

That's the fun following Geelong, they are not afraid to innovate.

Go Cats

 

[Vdubs]

Miers is able to kick longer now than when he was first drafted. I remember he used to strain for distance with 40m set shots. Now he's regularly hitting 50+

As for Blitz, he was affected by a lingering foot issue for all of 2024 that seriously hampered his ability to kick on the right. Having to kick all year on your left will naturally improve your skill at it.

He started kicking left footed well before that- maybe the 2nd year B&F 2018.

 

[Lingsface]

Pre-draft that trade would lose points for Brisbane.

Depending on the order of the bid matches they'll get better offers, they'd be hoping that Annabale is the 3rd player matched. The collapse of the picks in the 20s will raise the value of picks in the 30s and 40s which will make it easy for them to pick cycle. The loophole is still there hanging by a thread.

interesting, thanks for the info I am very unaware of the points system.

 

[Generalissimo]

He started kicking left footed well before that- maybe the 2nd year B&F 2018.

Sure, he was OK on his left foot before 2024, good enough to keep his spot in the team while playing through injury. But now I'd have trouble telling which is his preferred foot except when he's kicking for goal.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscr...ous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-2-NOSCORE

 

[Tony Barber]

I'm all for Murray. Wears a headband when he doesnt need one and doesnt bother with a mouth guard.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscr...ous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-2-NOSCORE

View attachment 2470824View attachment 2470825

Wouldn't mind it, just hope the suns spend all their chips on Uwland and Patterson

 

[Tony Barber]

When is this draft on BTW?

 

[cats_09]

When is this draft on BTW?

That info is available about 10 posts up

 

[Tony Barber]

That info is available about 10 posts up

Thanks. You know I spent 10 minutes here the other day looking through the important dates thread and saw zero.

 

[foxdog50]

So i know this has been asked. How many list spots Main/rookie we actually have

 

[Lingsface]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_MRE170_a&dest=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-phantom-draft-who-every-club-will-pick-in-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-2025-draft/news-story/6a2eb3e6c910d247ce77e4a76d8d3c79&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-2-NOSCORE

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Who wrote this article?

 

[calder_daddy]

2025 AFL Draft Guide View

Free To Access! The 2025 AFL Draft Guide is FREE, so share this page with all your family and friends, and most of all enjoy the guide which has had hundreds of hours of work put into it. If you have any queries or questions about the 2025 AFL Draft Guide, contact AFL Draft Editor […]

central.rookieme.com

 

[cats_09]

Who wrote this article?

Chris Cavanagh

 

[STPer18]

 

[jnrburger]

So i know this has been asked. How many list spots Main/rookie we actually have

2 main list, 1 rookie, 1 cat b rookie

(assuming nobody drafts Stevens in national draft before we can rookie list him, otherwise it will be two rookie spots).

 

[Geminicatz01]

2 main list, 1 rookie, 1 cat b rookie

(assuming nobody drafts Stevens in national draft before we can rookie list him, otherwise it will be two rookie spots).

I read somewhere we have 3 spots?

 

[jnrburger]

I would be looking at Greeves with our first pick (19) - more on the basis that none of Cumming, Lindsay or Farrow will be available to us by then, and he's a contested mid. I guess there is a tiny hint of romanticism given his linkage to the club as well.

Wouldn't mind the idea of trading 40 (plus a future swap or something) to then get into the 20s if Emmett is available - less about being a Cats man (which is obviously a bonus), more about his mobility in the middle when playing as a ruck - has a bit of a Blicavs (ish) sense as almost being an extra mid. His 2km results don't hurt, and not a bad left foot kick for goal as well. Blicavs likely in last year, so need to be thinking about succession, and especially if Conway can't get going and Edwards is then touted as our lead ruck in a couple of years.

Separate to that, Coulson (mid) may also be worth a bid in the 20s (another Suns academy).

If Mellor could slip through to a rookie pick - as NGA, we could put him into the open Cat B spot.

That would leave a rookie spot to be filled - would look for a key defender there - someone like Marron or Sanders from SA. Maybe Holmes if still on the board.

We should also be looking at using our VFL list a little more tactically - use it as a development list for positions of need in 2+ years time - key backs, speculative mids, maybe another small defender, etc. Particularly as some of this year's rookie / late players may be better after spending a couple of years in our VFL program compared to what could be available in the compromised Tassie drafts, etc. If they turn out no good in a couple of years, it hasn't really cost us anything more than time.

 

[cats_09]

Senior List Changes:​

#15 George Stevens - delisted*
#22 Mitch Duncan - retired
#29 Cam Guthrie - delisted
#31 Keighton Matofai-Forbes - delisted*

#34 Oisin Mullin - rookie list elevation
James Worpel

29

James Worpel

Age

27

Ht

186cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.5

5star

K

12.2

5star

HB

11.3

5star

M

2.9

3star

T

4.5

5star

CL

5.1

5star

No current season stats available

D

15.6

4star

K

6.2

3star

HB

9.4

5star

M

1.0

1star

T

3.2

5star

CL

1.8

4star

- FA acquisition

That equals 2 vacant senior list spots

Cat A Rookie List Changes:​

#25 Xavier Ivisic - delisted
#27 Patrick Retschko - traded to Richmond
#40 Ted Clohesy - delisted

*Stevens & Matofai-Forbes have been promised to be re-selected via the rookie draft

This equals 1 currently vacant Cat A rookie spot

Cat B Rookie List Changes:​

#34 Oisin Mullin - senior list upgrade

One Cat B Rookie spot available

 

[Vdubs]

Senior List Changes:​

#15 George Stevens - delisted*
#22 Mitch Duncan - retired
#29 Cam Guthrie - delisted
#31 Keighton Matofai-Forbes - delisted*

#34 Oisin Mullin - rookie list elevation
James Worpel - FA acquisition

That equals 2 vacant senior list spots

Cat A Rookie List Changes:​

#25 Xavier Ivisic - delisted
#27 Patrick Retschko - traded to Richmond
#40 Ted Clohesy - delisted

*Stevens & Matofai-Forbes have been promised to be re-selected via the rookie draft

This equals 1 currently vacant Cat A rookie spot

Cat B Rookie List Changes:​

#34 Oisin Mullin - senior list upgrade

One Cat B Rookie spot available

Any thoughts or predictions ?

 

[cats_09]

Any thoughts or predictions ?

50/50 to Stevens still being on in the hoops next season

Mellor to be selected but unsure if we'll commit to Rongdit - basing that on not hearing much about either of our NGAs in terms of draft speculated

 

[Kobe Gryant]

https://central.rookieme.com/afl/power-rankings/ed-pascoes-2025-phantom-afl-draft/

Has us taking Barker, Mikunda, Mellor, and Rongdit.

Swap out Mikunda for Oudshoorn-Bennier or Holmes and I'd personally be pretty happy with it. Not a huge fan of when we seem to go local for the sake of it, but happy to be proven wrong.

I don't know if he's across the Mullin upgrade, as he has us taking 3 at the national draft, but a pretty comprehensive effort nonetheless to cover every club in detail.