List Mgmt. 2025 List Management Discussion - Part IV

[Hubnester]

2025 List Management Discussion - Part 4

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
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[jwikked]

Risk vs reward though. Like it's a guaranteed $2m vs an outside chance of being a Saints premiership captain.

It’s not guaranteed, he’s contracted already. Bulldogs don’t have what it will take for a trade

 

[jumperfan]

I’ve seen alot of criticism of him for that pass. I don’t agree at all, it’s a smart option because in reality there’s no way for Starcevich to spoil without infringing it’s just a massive umpiring **** up.

Probably should have taken the shot himself but it’s not actually a terrible option.

If he missed the shot he'd have been torn to shreds for not passing to Elliott as well. Bit of a rock/hard place situation.

 

[Remboy]

Hope Wilkie is still a Saint a half an hour before close of Trade Period,and the Foxtel cameras are focused on Western Bulldogs List Management group,while ours have their feet up.

Given it took the dogs less than a week to come up with the pitch to Wilkie they should only need half an hour to work out a trade. How long does it take to say ‘will a future third get it done?’.

 

[Remboy]

I’m tipping the campaigner had a long chat with a fake house plant as his source tbh.

I can imagine the conversation ‘if you don’t deny that Wilkie is going to the dogs in the next ten seconds I’ll know it’s true’.

 

[CaptainRisky]

I watched Wood in quite a few games where he seemed out of legs by the middle of the last quarter, so maybe you're right.

Really , He played a different role this year player forward a bit more than he has in the past , not sure he was running out of legs

 

[Diehard Saint]

Or maybe Armooooo

However what he says is correct. As stav stated yesterday, he is weighing it up,the expectation is he stays, but not definitive.

What the puppies fail to realise that even if he did nominate them, that is the easiest part. Wilkie has been told that he will be traded only if it gets Saints its target in a trade. No draft picks, no scrappy but graders.
Are the Bulldogs a serious club? That is what they need to ask themselves.

By all accounts ( believe them or not) he was pissed at the way the club was handling the contracts of players like NAS and Windy, for the future of the club.

Now we’ve got them and he’s going to leave?
I’ll believe it when I see it.

I understand it’s big bucks, but surely the club can offer some further incentives.

 

[Mr Platinum]

If Marshall nominates Geelong and we are adamant we want players and not picks I think SDK stands out as the obvious one we’d target. Although if Marshall goes I’d still prefer to keep Heath. Keeler is still more of a forward at this stage and JSOS is no more a ruck than Owens.
Maybe if we get Acres back he can ruck (that’s a joke by the way).

Heath is gone, done and dusted.

 

[beside the seaside]

Heath is gone, done and dusted.

If we lose Heath and Marshall it will be interesting to see who we pick up.

 

[MOLTEN GANGLANDS]

I believe his father is half Macadamia.

macadamian*, as a greek man we deal with these imposters all the time

 

[jimmytigs]

Sooo you heard. He was influenced. By another guy. Who liked another guy's post.... okey dokey then...

not to hard to link it all up,just wondering the acres link in the pic,its been answered,its tdk not dempsey someone stated,thats good enough for me,nothing to get all emo about

 

[FQFjt]

How is the Wilkie situation any different to every other time a player has been offered a much larger contract to move clubs and knocked it back? Almost every star of the competition could ransom themselves to the highest bidder and make significantly more money, but that rarely happens. In fact, one of the reasons free agency has not worked as an equalisation measure is precisely because players are not willing to simply play for the highest bidder.

 

[Leap of Faith]

Yeah should have been a free kick but it was a ratshit loopy pass. Ball went almost as high as it did long. Even half a second earlier and Elliott would have marked it. Diff would have been 6 points but instead it went down the other end and the diff was 18. Then in the blink of an eye 24 and game over. Pivotal moment in the game.

 

[luca77]

Yeah should have been a free kick but it was a ratshit loopy pass. Ball went almost as high as it did long. Even half a second earlier and Elliott would have marked it. Diff would have been 6 points but instead it went down the other end and the diff was 18. Then in the blink of an eye 24 and game over. Pivotal moment in the game.

Was off one step, and one of those 50-50 situations where you have to make the call instantly.
It was only pivotal because it came late. Obviously in hindsight he should have taken the shot, but easy for us to say now.

When I've seen the Pies this year, he seems to get a fair bit of ball on the wrong side of goal for a right footer. He's generally a good kick even on that side, but not many players make the tighter ones on the wrong side very regularly and under pressure. Gunston is obviously one of the better ones at it.

 

[hayes]

Might keep Ro and TDK happy

Will the amount that’s going into TDK’s bank account I think we’ve done enough to make him happy.

 

[stfan]

Watching the DDF stream now. Lot of fun. I highly recommend it. Here are the notable tidbits (though most of the stream is just Ross cracking jokes);

- Ross mentioned the Bulldogs coming after Wilkie on the DDF stream and didn't seem upset or angry or concerned. He laughed it off, like he did with everything on the stream. Ross was very loose. Seemed like he'd had a few.

- Ross had a hip replacement last Monday. Pretty fair effort to have put Nas up on his shoulders mid-season.

- Also said that they learnt a lot after losing Battle about building stronger connections with players' families. Did a lot of extra functions with the players and their families this year, and with past players.

- Confirmed our interest in Flanders. Seemed to also subtly confirm our interest in Cam McKenzie.

- The Ross/TDK stuff is great. TDK said we should get Blake Acres back to St Kilda (they seem to be great mates) and Ross said we need a winger - and we wouldn't call him "steak knives". Nice little drive-by to the former management.

- When talking about Blake Acres, Ross mentioned he's very close to Rowan Marshall. Dan said "Apparently Rowan Marshall wants to leave" and Ross said "DOES HE???" and laughed. Ross said he's contracted. It was brought up again later and Ross laughed it off again. They asked TDK how he feels about potentially working with Marshall and was about to answer, but Gorringe said "I really think he's leaving". But before the interruption, TDK was talking like him and Marshall already know each other quite well (which makes sense if he's close mates with Acres).

- TDK said he loves Nas. When asked if Nas is Ross' favorite, he said Brad Hill is his favourite player. TDK said he was a huge Saints fan growing up. He'll also be relocating Bayside (from Brunswick) in the next few months.

- TDK played with an injured larynx for the second half of the year (sustained in the Saints game), and Rowan Marshall actually caused it, ironically.

- 16,000 of the 18,000 Nas memberships were brand new members.

View attachment 2432113

I wonder how many of the 16,000 were bought by opposition supporters as a cheap way to watch their away game against the Saints next year?

I have often bought Away games on the cheap when the other Club has had a deal going.

 

[The_Steadier]

It's taken 21 years- but we have been finally blessed with something more embarrassing than the streak video

 

[Marlo]

Will the amount that’s going into TDK’s bank account I think we’ve done enough to make him happy.

Thankfully he doesn't have a wife, or we would have had to win her over too

 

[Saints43]

View attachment 2432847

It's taken 21 years- but we have been finally blessed with something more embarrassing than the streak video

Why is The Streak box so embarrassing?
Name-a-Game dvds were on sale for any game.
Half of the drop kicks who go off on one about the ten wins set have probably bought a one-in-a-row replay.

And... the hok are allowed to be proud of a team that played in a prelim on Friday but not us....

 

[stfan]

From the puppies board:
‘Not true. I had it 100% from the horses mouth literally last night. Not over at all. Unlikely but not over. The longer it goes better our chances. Cant divulge how i know but my direct source is 100%. Anyone saying otherwise as of now doesn't know the true story’

Then goes on to say:
‘I can't divulge but its is absolute 100% direct info. No middle man. Not saying he is coming but not agreed new $$ with saints yet and may not either. The longer it goes the better for us’

• horses mouth
• direct source
• no middle man

So basically saying it’s Wilkie without saying it’s Wilkie lol dumb campaigner

The correct part is unlikely.

Wilkie is a gun. Elite.

Wilkie is contracted for 2 more years.

Him leaving would be a massive hole.

Dogs may have cash to splash, but they will not be willing to stump up the trade capital to get him. So hemce why ot is all unlikely.

Dogs could offer Wilkie $3million a year....but that only helps if he is OOC or FA, which is not.

 

[Train12]

View attachment 2432847

It's taken 21 years- but we have been finally blessed with something more embarrassing than the streak video

Merrett has pulled out of it. Heppel is standing in!

 

[Armoooo]

Merrett has pulled out of it. Heppel is standing in!

I'd actually be really keen to check this out. I'm a bit of a history buff and the fall of empires is a particular area of interest.

 

[stfan]

If we lose Heath and Marshall it will be interesting to see who we pick up.

Well Heath will just be a late pick. We need licks for trade and possibly a match for Fincher.

Marshall would need to be for a player.

If you meant another ruck, I would just go with TDK, Dodson and Keeler as a forward ruck.

If we do gain SDK, which seems unlikely then he would be a ruck back up too.

Personally I favour another decent mid over another ruck.

 

[Moquo]

I'd actually be really keen to check this out. I'm a bit of a history buff and the fall of empires is a particular area of interest.

This would be the sequel to the fall of the empire

 

[Pardon me]

Merrett has pulled out of it. Heppel is standing in!

At least Hepp has won a final recently.

 

[L_W_P]

I’m not talking about a hypothetical value of the dream of being a premiership captain

I’m just saying if that were to occur ( he captains saints to 2nd premiership ) I think it will be worth a lot more to Wilkies post football earning capacity than $2m
That’s why I said in the first place it would be a gamble for him- but it also to me demonstrates that it’s not as cut and dry as saying it’s a $2m difference in the offer

I mean... We sort of are.

Take $6mil over 4 years from the Dogs or $4mil over 4 years from the Saints BUT you'll be named captain and have a shot at going down in the club's history as only the 2nd Premiership Captain ever.

What could he do with the extra $2mil to increase his earning capacity post football? That's some pretty decent coin to invest...

Unfortunately the era of total club loyalty is dead.

Clubs have to be able to sell themselves on a combo of success, environment/lifestyle & cash.

I don't think we have enough selling points vs the Dogs to make up the sort of money that's being thrown at Cal.

I'm confident that the club is gonna do some quick math to make sure he's getting looked after but we need to start building those other aspects so that we don't have to keep topping players up every time and offer comes in.