Mega Thread Non-Freo AFL Discussion 2025

[Madas]

St Kilda told their captain to GTFO despite him wanting to stay until days ago, their ruckman to stay, despite him wanting to GTFO and them getting a replacement for him and a defender they wooed for months to GTFO at the eleventh hour.

So much for player power being out of control.

Yes
Was happy to see the balance of power shifted back to the contract arrangement

In saying that I’m glad we got Bolton and Jackson over the line when we did

 

[purplerunsdeep2]

Wait and see a lot of noise from player managers

Rats claw when trapped

 

[largebus]

Yes
Was happy to see the balance of power shifted back to the contract arrangement

In saying that I’m glad we got Bolton and Jackson over the line when we did

There was never much of a power shift in the first place.
Players ask for trades and get refused every year. Dunkley twice, Harry Petty, Lobb with us before getting his wish a year later.

Many clubs do fine out of players that want out, and a lot of clubs regret not fulfilling trade requests sooner. E.g. Petracca would've got an even better return for melbourne 12 months ago when he asked to move.

St Kilda would've whined non stop if NWM didnt sign and went home (out of contract like McVeein this situation) yet they told their contracted captain to get lost.

Sydney told two contracted players they weren't wanted and they moved to a rebuilding Carlton. They also whinged when out of contract Dawson went to Adelaide for unders, under threat of the PSD.

Similar with Ah Chee, Brisbane stopped him going to Crows, even though he's not under contract any more and they now get nothing.

That players must be held to a contract is just a furphy. There are some obvious rogue managers but clubs just want all the control for themselves, to pick and choose when they can hold players to contract.

In all the trade system mostly works fine as it is (the draft is a much different story). We've lost some players this way but we'd be hypocrites to say we haven't taken advantage of other clubs by thr same measure

 

[Barnabus]

i reckon this has absolutely cooked hawthorn's premiership chance for next year. they will still make finals though.

but losing worpel, serong and jiath means they just lost a bunch of important wing, mid depth. making them even more reliant upon will day and newcombe.
The plan to beat the hawks will be simple next year. beat them in the midfield. see if they are capable of getting it out of D50 in the 4th quarter.

I think if your plan to beat Hawthorn is to win the midfield battle you are playing into their hands. They lose that battle most weeks but burn you with ball movement. Their backline is extremely dangerous and tend to play aggressively. They are still a premiership threat just not the favourite.

 

[FreoRicci]

I think if your plan to beat Hawthorn is to win the midfield battle you are playing into their hands. They lose that battle most weeks but burn you with ball movement. Their backline is extremely dangerous and tend to play aggressively. They are still a premiership threat just not the favourite.

Eventually it comes down to midfield. Hawthorn let a 35 year old Dangerfield dominate. Was pitiful in the end for their group. Ended up throwing in Watson and Moore.

Teams have taken or improved in this area- Hawthorn have gained nothing if anything have lost more. Worpel is a big loss with Day not quite 100%.

Relying on Gunston again. Expecting Calsher Dear to improve though

 

[theGav56]

Eventually it comes down to midfield. Hawthorn let a 35 year old Dangerfield dominate. Was pitiful in the end for their group. Ended up throwing in Watson and Moore.

Teams have taken or improved in this area- Hawthorn have gained nothing if anything have lost more. Worpel is a big loss with Day not quite 100%.

Relying on Gunston again. Expecting Calsher Dear to improve though

Worpel is just a bog average midfielder. He may be a minor loss, but they certainly have failed to address their glaring weakness.

 

[Madas]

I reckon we have as much riding on Young as they have on Day
Both with long injury histories
Will be a survival of the fittest

We have a better defence
They have a better forward line
Pretty evenly matched really

 

[s_wd6]

I reckon we have as much riding on Young as they have on Day
Both with long injury histories
Will be a survival of the fittest

We have a better defence
They have a better forward line
Pretty evenly matched really

Their forward line is held together by a 35 year old who somehow had a career best season. Don’t think they can rely on 70 goals from him again.

 

[Madas]

Their forward line is held together by a 35 year old who somehow had a career best season. Don’t think they can rely on 70 goals from him again.

 

[Madas]

Agree entirely but then Dear and Chol step right into his place
Amiss drags us down , needs to lift this year or get shown the door to Peel

If it wasn’t for some of Jackson’s Hurculean efforts drifting forward this year we would have been cooked

 

[s_wd6]

Agree entirely but then Dear and Chol step right into his place
Amiss drags us down , needs to lift this year or get shown the door to Peel

If it wasn’t for some of Jackson’s Hurculean efforts drifting forward this year we would have been cooked

Not sure how you can compare both of their careers and output so far and deduce that Dear is lifting up Hawks and Amiss, who's never given us less than 30 goals in a season, is dragging us down.

Funny thing is there's so much talk about Amiss recent form but in the last third of the season he kicked more goals than Treacy.

 

[Andy Brennan]

Agree entirely but then Dear and Chol step right into his place
Amiss drags us down , needs to lift this year or get shown the door to Peel

If it wasn’t for some of Jackson’s Hurculean efforts drifting forward this year we would have been cooked

Mabior chol is an absolute crab

 

[AstonSouffle]

Agree entirely but then Dear and Chol step right into his place
Amiss drags us down , needs to lift this year or get shown the door to Peel

If it wasn’t for some of Jackson’s Hurculean efforts drifting forward this year we would have been cooked

Man this comment is wild, entitled to your opinion of course.

But it's crazy when you read something and go 'hot damn, I don't agree with that even a little bit'

 

[Madas]

Man this comment is wild, entitled to your opinion of course.

But it's crazy when you read something and go 'hot damn, I don't agree with that even a little bit'

Yeh look
Let’s talk again 10 rounds into 2026 and see how this is all going

Love me a big piece of humble pie

 

[Madas]

Not sure how you can compare both of their careers and output so far and deduce that Dear is lifting up Hawks and Amiss, who's never given us less than 30 goals in a season, is dragging us down.

Funny thing is there's so much talk about Amiss recent form but in the last third of the season he kicked more goals than Treacy.

Yeh look
The potential is definitely there but there’s a lot he needs to work on

Never said the others improve Hawthorn , just stated that the Gunston position could be reasonably filled whereas we have pretty much 0.000 depth in our forward line and Amiss not pulling his weight regularly

 

[s_wd6]

Yeh look
The potential is definitely there but there’s a lot he needs to work on

Never said the others improve Hawthorn , just stated that the Gunston position could be reasonably filled whereas we have pretty much 0.000 depth in our forward line and Amiss not pulling his weight regularly

Well Chol is already a regular in the forward line so you’re really saying that Dear, who kicks 1 goal a game, is enough to replace Gunstons 70 this year.

On paper we’re better on pretty much every line.

 

[Madas]

Well Chol is already a regular in the forward line so you’re really saying that Dear, who kicks 1 goal a game, is enough to replace Gunstons 70 this year.

On paper we’re better on pretty much every line.

Nope
No I'm not
G’nite

 

[theGav56]

Yeh look
Let’s talk again 10 rounds into 2026 and see how this is all going

Love me a big piece of humble pie

Either way, it's gutter posting. Amiss is a young kpf who is clearly talented. It's early days for him and he's doing fine.

Sure, he may not make it, but suggesting he should be shown the door is ridiculous.

 

[masai tu]

Not sure how you can compare both of their careers and output so far and deduce that Dear is lifting up Hawks and Amiss, who's never given us less than 30 goals in a season, is dragging us down.

Funny thing is there's so much talk about Amiss recent form but in the last third of the season he kicked more goals than Treacy.

I look at our forward line as a team, not focusing on one player.

Yep I can see Amiss can improve, but he is a cog in our forward rotation.

 

[Spirit Level]

We bashing Amiss again?

FMD

 

[freo84]

Agree entirely but then Dear and Chol step right into his place
Amiss drags us down , needs to lift this year or get shown the door to Peel

If it wasn’t for some of Jackson’s Hurculean efforts drifting forward this year we would have been cooked

Amiss doesn't drag us down.

Cyclone Treacy, prancing pony Voss, and dead eye Jye form the trio of destruction.

 

[DragoDelph]

Amiss doesn't drag us down.

Cyclone Treacy, prancing pony Voss, and dead eye Jye form the trio of destruction.

Elements of harmony.

 

[Freo Jail]

Given his age I am happy with where Amiss is at, but, I feel he looked to have put on a lot of bulk last preseason. Did he do a Paul Medhurst and carry way too much bulk into the season which took away some speed, endurance, spring? The things that made him what he was the year before. To me he was tracking more to have a build like [PLAYERCARD]Jeremy Cameron[/PLAYERCARD] but now looks more like [PLAYERCARD]Tom Hawkins[/PLAYERCARD]? Should we trim him down to get him back to where he was?? Treacy and the Pony can be the brawn, no need for Amiss to be the Hulk as well???

Just an observation

 

[AFL Nut]

Not sure how you can compare both of their careers and output so far and deduce that Dear is lifting up Hawks and Amiss, who's never given us less than 30 goals in a season, is dragging us down.

Funny thing is there's so much talk about Amiss recent form but in the last third of the season he kicked more goals than Treacy.

Wouldn’t call 1 more goal in the last 8 games anything to write about

 

[oldgoat]

Agree entirely but then Dear and Chol step right into his place
Amiss drags us down , needs to lift this year or get shown the door to Peel

If it wasn’t for some of Jackson’s Hurculean efforts drifting forward this year we would have been cooked

are we watching the same team?