List Mgmt. Trade & Free Agency 2025 Part 2

[archibald]

Let’s review the timeline. Essendon leak information questioning Merrett's character (alleged AFLW incident), then come out saying how highly they value him and despite them being unable to present anything close to a coherent strategy, they get an offer that would benefit them in the long term and decline it out of spite. What a club

 

[Wacky Tiger]

Did you compare Petty and Merrett?

View attachment 2456340

More so the Crows were stupid for having offfered it and the Dees were twice as stupid for having knocked it back.

Same same Hawks offer, Dons knocking it back

 

[Wacky Tiger]

Essendon are so blindly arrogant it’s baffling.

Love to see it though. Long may it continue

Hawks should have just chased Petracca. I’ll take a goal kicking match winning midfielder over accumulator with little hurt factor any day of the week.

 

[Tackle Bag]

Pies have 1 more year to properly challenge IMO

All those players are a year older and less likely to get through uninjured and they’ve let Mihocek go who is their leading tall forward. They are very light on for key forwards. I reckon they drop off in 2026 and it all starts looking pretty grim.

 

[tiger_tough]

Have heard a few whispers that we're into Luke Parker from a reliable source

 

[Calcium Man]

All those players are a year older and less likely to get through uninjured and they’ve let Mihocek go who is their leading tall forward. They are very light on for key forwards. I reckon they drop off in 2026 and it all starts looking pretty grim.

Get their f1 for Lynch

 

[Maurice Mitchell]

More so the Crows were stupid for having offfered it and the Dees were twice as stupid for having knocked it back.

Same same Hawks offer, Dons knocking it back

Same as the first Bryce Gibbs offer

 

[Azzleberry]

In before bombers accept a deal for Merrett in October 2026 for Hawks first round pick of the 2026 draft (pick 14)

Dumb campaigners

 

[Maurice Mitchell]

My assumption would be the Hustwaite part of it killed the deal.

Bit of an insult. Handy player but not likely to be best 23 at either club. Had to offer someone they didn’t want to lose: Macdonald, Lewis, Dear, Ward, McKenzie etc.

I love it though. As we are seeing, all these players wanting to break long contracts is tempting clubs to sell the farm. 2 and 3 years of first and second rounders thrown away.

We need to prey on this.

Also, would it be fair to assume that Collingwood’s interest in pick 9 is to acquire Simpkin?

 

[Chunky09]

Hawks should move on, feels like essendon are cutting off their nose to spite their face. Pretty perplexing for the new president to be so steadfast when he'd have been afforded the grace to trade merret, then start fresh and get his tenure under way. Merret is already pretty pointy and blunt, imagine when is denied a trade and forced to lead the team through their 4th rebuild

Totally agree, wanting to make a big statement when he got there and no matter what he does now it’ll look stupid.

If he sticks to his guns, they’re missing out on cashing in on a 30 year old in a nowhere team, if he folds then everyone will rip him for not being a man of his word.

Classic Essendon stupidity, I used to think they were like us of the 90s and early 2000s but they’re actually much, much worse, absolute dog shit club that thinks they’re still relevant.

 

[The_Kraken]

Can we do that deal without having to take Hipwood?

Nope. You have to keep Short or take Hipwood. Who do you take?

 

[sregit]

I’m sorry but all this talk of Essendon’s refusal being dumb is shit. Their president had come out and made a stance that Merrit would not be traded. Not a good look if he went back on his word. I know Merrit is 30 but the Bombers already have quite a bit of collateral in this years draft and if the Hawks were serious they should have made an offer much earlier and included a player of note. Not Husswaite. Also an ultimatum from your most hated rival that they’ll remove pick 9 if their deadline is not met, is not how you deal, it would have got Essendon’s back up. F**k Hawthorn they have become draft bullies. They shat on WC last year by trading their first before Barass deal and are threatening Essendon with the same tactic.

Essendon has to make a stance. Short term pain. They know they have a rebuild on the way. However getting their culture right and backing their president is paramount. Getting the management right is more important than the pennies being thrown by Hawthorn.

 

[captain cotch 9]

Essendon are so blindly arrogant it’s baffling.

Love to see it though. Long may it continue

Hawks should have just chased Petracca. I’ll take a goal kicking match winning midfielder over accumulator with little hurt factor any day of the week.

Agree. Who stands up in finals and GF's? Goal kicking mids

 

[Barunga Bullet]

they need rebuild but dont want to kick start it

merrett is 30 not 25

Exactly! You'd think that after 20 years of being pathetic that they'd realise that they need a full rebuild. Not just the pathetic half arsed one they've been doing every few years

 

[beema limapep]

Remember they refused to deal on Houli and he walked to us for nothing? How did that work out and who was the only loser from that?

Essendons hard nosed trading tactics over the past 20 years has been part of the reason why they haven't been successful.

Yet the same hard nose approach has been taken here with Merret for what I can only imagine is for pride and false bravado.

It's unbelievable. Why would any club want to deal with them after this and why would any player want to go there.

 

[crackertiger]

Which team will give Taryn Thomas a lifeline? In my view at his best he is a top 30 player in the AFL so it's a fascinating situation.

Surely a club will take the risk with a 1 year deal?

Has he earned another chance?

Would we consider him as another redemption story?

 

[Boxo004]

Do people not understand that when picks move back you still get the same player anyway? Ie. Pick 9 will move back but it will still get 9th best player in the open pool.

But but but points

 

[captain cotch 9]

I wonder if the club sees Sam frost as a good wing option after hearing that news

We have CDT locked in for that wing role.

 

[Drunken Wookie]

I’m sorry but all this talk of Essendon’s refusal being dumb is shit. Their president had come out and made a stance that Merrit would not be traded. Not a good look if he went back on his word. I know Merrit is 30 but the Bombers already have quite a bit of collateral in this years draft and if the Hawks were serious they should have made an offer much earlier and included a player of note. Not Husswaite. Also an ultimatum from your most hated rival that they’ll remove pick 9 if their deadline is not met, is not how you deal, it would have got Essendon’s back up. F**k Hawthorn they have become draft bullies. They shat on WC last year by trading their first before Barass deal and are threatening Essendon with the same tactic.

Essendon has to make a stance. Short term pain. They know they have a rebuild on the way. However getting their culture right and backing their president is paramount. Getting the management right is more important than the pennies being thrown by Hawthorn.

You forgot the parts where he’s their captain, they leaked bad press about him and he vehemently wants out of the joint. Gonna be great for their culture forcing him to hang around to lead them.

 

[guruisatiger]

Only Footscray FC knows if Hagan was a distraction, but if we bring in Thomas and Hollands surely the media wouldn't ask Tigers players if they're both getting up to their old tricks again?

I'd gladly give them an opportunity to turn things around, because knowing this would be their last chance they just might, and if they did, how good would that be for the Tigers?

Has the potential to be a brilliant move bringing them both in
Or the worst move ever

 

[guruisatiger]

Did you compare Petty and Merrett?

View attachment 2456340

Ah Scotty the gift that never ends

 

[tigs2010]

My assumption would be the Hustwaite part of it killed the deal.

Bit of an insult. Handy player but not likely to be best 23 at either club. Had to offer someone they didn’t want to lose: Macdonald, Lewis, Dear, Ward, McKenzie etc.

I love it though. As we are seeing, all these players wanting to break long contracts is tempting clubs to sell the farm. 2 and 3 years of first and second rounders thrown away.

We need to prey on this.

Also, would it be fair to assume that Collingwood’s interest in pick 9 is to acquire Simpkin?

I think Essendons biggest issue has been sitting and waiting for Hawthorn to offer a player in it.

How did they not go out and sell Mackenzie on a good inside midfield role and valued best 23 member. Go and make shit happen yourself.

 

[RockJobster0312]

 

[tigs2010]

Only just saw Budarick went for pick 37, so GC have the 2 picks just before us now which will get absorbed, hopefully they don't trade them for more points.

 

[4tune8]

Only just saw Budarick went for pick 37, so GC have the 2 picks just before us now which will get absorbed, hopefully they don't trade them for more points.

Doubt they'll be able to manufacture a trade for 36 & 37 on their own. Maybe package them with 15 & 18 but I don't see anyone apart from the Dons with the collateral.

As it stands, GCS have 5 picks that will get consumed with bids on Uwland and Patterson so that should see pick 38 rise 3 spots, an early bid on Annable will gain 1 spot and a bid on Dean will see a rise of another spot. Pick 38 could be 33 or lower.

The Suns might have to do a bit more dealing to secure their Academy lads because they only have 2837pts (after losing 7 & 8). If bids come at 2 & 4 then they'll be in deficit to the tune of 1163pts, bearing in mind that 1167pts is the maximum allowed.