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

[year of the cat]

Assuming his knee presents no issues going forward we’ve likely picked a guy that will be rated one of the better players of this draft pool. He doesn’t exude x-factor (unlike Dempsey) but is a powerful type with a body ready for AFL. Excellent kick, very quick (2.8 20m) and with above average endurance.

 

[Two Planks]

Humpf. So GC traded picks 7, 8, and a F1 (and 37 for good measure) for Petracca and 24, 28...then still had enough collateral for first round picks? All in a year they second week of finals. That's crazy.

They also lost Ainsworth, Fiorini, Flanders, Rosas and Budurick

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Humpf. So GC traded picks 7, 8, and a F1 (and 37 for good measure) for Petracca and 24, 28...then still had enough collateral for FOUR first round Academy picks? All in a year they second week of finals. That's crazy.

EDIT: Just wanted to clarify FOUR.

Yes. Great irony they get the 4 r1s the year before the afl tighten the bidding points system.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

They also lost Ainsworth, Fiorini, Flanders, Rosas and Budurick

None of those players were best 22 except Flanders. They paid for first round bids with a bunch of average dross picks.

 

[BennyGan]

To be fair hotton would have been pick 1 or 2 if no acl. Barker is not quite at that level but I prefer him to a lot of guys ahead him due to the athletic profile and football brain (which is a good combo). The injury is a risk.

Taj was no chance of 1 or 2. He didn’t really slide at all. Maybe he gets into the top 10 if he plays the whole year but his draft stocks didn’t get hurt from where he was expected to go before the injury.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Still think there are some good prospects on the board and we have the 8th live selection tomorrow. Excluding academy kids, we could still get one of the below.

NHH
Thredgold
Onley
La Ray
Ludowycke
Phillipou
Emmett
Greaves

Plus king and Williams and Fred and whan and Evans.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Taj was no chance of 1 or 2. He didn’t really slide at all. Maybe he gets into the top 10 if he plays the whole year but his draft stocks didn’t get hurt from where he was expected to go before the injury.

Every draft is different but i would take hotton before duursma without a second thought.

 

[year of the cat]

Thoughts on Holmes with our next pick? Think there will be better options myself. Hopefully pick him up as a rookie.

 

[PzBlinky]

They also lost Ainsworth, Fiorini, Flanders, Rosas and Budurick

Fair, but Flanders looked to be the only one they got something decent for (Pick 7).

 

[MacStradbroke]

None of those players were best 22 except Flanders. They paid for first round bids with a bunch of average dross picks.

Fiorini, Ainsworth and Buderick (when fit) were all best 22. Fiorini got plenty of it on the wing back half of the year.

 

[MacStradbroke]

Every draft is different but i would take hotton before duursma without a second thought.

These Duursma kids must have been out of this world in juniors. AFL careers to date not quite living up to the hype (it is early).

 

[fpm84]

Side note - Harley Reid is completely unrecognisable. Is this what WA has done to him… ?

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Thoughts on Holmes with our next pick? Think there will be better options myself. Hopefully pick him up as a rookie.

Best available next then mellor and rongdit for me as rookies if they get through.

 

[The rabbi]

So has anyone seen Harley Barker play?
Is he a pure outside player, or could he also play in the midfield?

 

[year of the cat]

Best available next then mellor and rongdit for me as rookies if they get through.

Can we take one rookie pick in addition to Mellor and Rongdit?

 

[BennyGan]

Every draft is different but i would take hotton before duursma without a second thought.

I was just talking about his own draft. In this draft I think he would have gone to one of the tigers picks

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Can we take one rookie pick in addition to Mellor and Rongdit?

No. We have Burke as a cat b so we would have to go say mellor cat a and rongdit cat b which fills the rookie list.
the only except is if someone cuts our lunch and takes Stevens then we would get a rookie pick.
Im happy to do that and take more picks next year.

 

[joe444]

Well, I bid you all goodnight matched by Gold Coast.

 

[year of the cat]

With the way this draft is going, there should be at least a couple of Ludowyke, Thredgold, Greeves, Phillipou, Rodriguez, Emmett, and NHH available now.

The infamous draft slider is a bit of a poisoned chalice, but our pick certainly looks more exciting than it did a week ago.

Not sure really. I'd probably take most of those names ahead of Holmes too, with the exception of Greeves.

Not against Hunter at this pick though, and I think this is exactly why you and I were ambivalent on Mellor here.

Ideally I’d be taking Rodriguez or NHH or Phillipou next and Holmes with a rookie pick. Happy to let Mellor or Rongdit go.

 

[The rabbi]

The question came up on X as to when Barker would be able to resume playing again. I am unaware of when he had surgery. It is generally near a 12 month lay off after surgery. Does anyone know when we could expect Harley Barker to get on the park?

 

[Reg Hickey]

With the way this draft is going, there should be at least a couple of Ludowyke, Thredgold, Greeves, Phillipou, Rodriguez, Emmett, and NHH available now.

The infamous draft slider is a bit of a poisoned chalice, but our pick certainly looks more exciting than it did a week ago.

Not sure really. I'd probably take most of those names ahead of Holmes too, with the exception of Greeves.

Not against Hunter at this pick though, and I think this is exactly why you and I were ambivalent on Mellor here.

Could also consider King, Mikunda, Hetherton or Allen?

 

[Reg Hickey]

The question came up on X as to when Barker would be able to resume playing again. I am unaware of when he had surgery. It is generally near a 12 month lay off after surgery. Does anyone know when we could expect Harley Barker to get on the park?

Did the knee in July I believe. Assume surgery very soon after.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

The question came up on X as to when Barker would be able to resume playing again. I am unaware of when he had surgery. It is generally near a 12 month lay off after surgery. Does anyone know when we could expect Harley Barker to get on the park?

He'll be in full training about mid-late year.

He did the knee in July, so it wouldn't surprise me if we just wrapped him in cotton wool in terms of playing until 2027 to be honest, and just built him back up again physically over '26.

 

[Lana]

As a first round pick he'd also be on a 3 year contract

 

[thegerman]

So has anyone seen Harley Barker play?
Is he a pure outside player, or could he also play in the midfield?

The video of him is good. Someone posted a bunch of kids player profiles and videos a few pages ago, I instantly thought he was the best of them.