List Mgmt. 2025 Draft/Trade/FA Thread – everything must go!

[Scythe]

Just pinning this, as per previous years. Thanks as always to Lore.

Final trade/FA period results
Out:

• Charlie Spargo
• Judd McVee
• Christian Petracca
• Clayton Oliver
• Picks 28, 42 and 61
• Melbourne Second-Rounder (2026)
• Melbourne Third-Rounder (2026)
• Melbourne Fourth-Rounder (2026)
• Melbourne Fourth-Rounder (2027)

In:

• Jack Steele
• Changkuoth Jiath
• Brody Mihocek
• Max Heath
• Oscar Berry (Rookie)
• Picks 7, 8, 37 and 71 (2025)
• GC First-Rounder (2026)
• GWS Third-Rounder (2026)
• GC Third-Rounder (2027)

 

[schmuttt]

All joking aside, I am glad that somebody isn't toeing the "MFC NEEDS A KPF!" line. Sharp or Greeves would be sensational in the first pick and maybe Pickett, Dovaston or Grlj for the second pick.

Pickett isn't going anywhere near that high I wouldn't have thought.

 

[MarcMaverick]

Pickett isn't going anywhere near that high I wouldn't have thought.

Well we do need a small forward.

 

[schmuttt]

Well we do need a small forward.

We do, but haven't you learnt from when we needed a KPF and took Jefferson?

 

[SugarHealey]

Just following on from my previous post with a summary of the next batch from Twomey's phantom form guide:

10. Josh Lindsay
11. Jevan Phillipou
12. Oliver Greeves
13. Mitch Marsh
14. Lachy Dovaston
15. Oskar Taylor
16. Noah Hibbins Hargreaves
17. Harley Barker

Lindsay, I don't mind but I think he looks better than he is, at least in my view of the champs games. The commentators constantly talked him up, but I never really saw anything that made me take notice. Wouldn't be excited but wouldn't melt either.

Phillipou didn't play the champs so I actually haven't seen him at all. And since I'm not actually a recruiter and none of this means jack shit, I won't be watching any of Jevan. Because Jevan. Jevan.

Greeves is one I can't make up my mind on. His inside stuff is consistently very good, and he has some forward half skills. There are obvious similarities between he and Langford, but Langford has a very good tank and I'm not sure Greeves does.

Marsh I'm a fan of and would be happy if we picked him. Good hands, smart, and a nice set shot.

Dovaston I'm a big fan of. Ultra consistent, 53 goals in a season is great from a small forward and has every skill (including great pressure) that a modern small forward needs. Very keen.

Oskar Taylor is a no from me. Great combine but had no impact in the games against quality opposition at the champs.
*Edit: Didn't play champs apparently LOL. Not named Jevan so will check out some videos.

NHH has great skills but is very soft to my eye. No.

I'm a huge Harley Barker fan. If he didn't do his ACL I've got no doubt he would be pushing the top 10. All damage per disposal. Hard runner both into attack and back in defense. Finds space and has great vision and execution with his kicking. Another I'm very keen on.

The guys who come after I wouldn't consider with our current picks but will do another summary in a bit just to round things out.

I agree KK.

If any show some soft traits, it should be a straight-out no, from before we look any further. We are in a re-culture and reformat time with this young list.

No questionable types at all please... and the carlton player can go u k h**-s**f, elsewhere.

Our selections all ought to be potential future leaders, for starters.

I think we go with an inside-mid with a touch of class and toughness... but has to have that old fashioned quality... Footy IQ.
And please, no one dimensional mids.

I think we need to add class to our defence, and is why I like xTaylor.
Also as I said, another classy mid, with toughness.

Are there any lHodges out there.?

 

[mrmonkey]

Pretty sure Dyson Sharp was the vacuum I bought a couple years back.

Nah that was the Tom Dyson model

 

[SugarHealey]

Schubert talk is literally the same as when everyone had us locked in for Harry Armstrong last year.

So called draft experts think we dont score enough so they think we automatically need another young key forward.

Besides, Schubert is just another puss Harry Lemmey.

I'll stick my neck out... and say i don't think we'll draft any tall forwards with our two 1st Rnd picks.

Could be looking at 5 retirements next year before we even delist one guy. You're right, we are going to see a ton of list change. The 2027 list will be our youngest since probably like 2016.

And so next year will be about our best, to bring in a big name player. a Humphrey or a King.?

Both Lions and Suns are going to soon have too many key forwards, and will likely have to swap out one or two.?

I remember phantom drafts had us taking Harley Balic with our first pick in 2015. They love linking us to trash so good players slip through to there clubs.

Probably a west coast supporter trying to squeeze CDT through to them at 13 doing that draft having us take Schubert and Phillipou ahead of him.

I'm hoping young Duursma goes to the Eagles... because there will be a strong chance We bring him back to Melbourne in the future.

it wouldn't surprise me if that's who we take either. Sharp has midfield leader written all over him for when Viney and Steele move out of the way, and we definitely need another good small forward.

Or IF he (Sharp) moves them on.

Pretty sure Dyson Sharp was the vacuum I bought a couple years back.

I like it... Dyson vacuuming up the footy inside, for the Demons.

 

[SugarHealey]

Given Brisbane’s forward line on GF day I’m over the ‘Dees need a KPF’ propaganda. All it did was distract from changing the game plan for four seasons which would have been much more productive. The Pies barely had a key forward in 2023.

We should have at least tried the Pies/Cats run and gun/corridor surge/roll up and roll back outnumber creation/trust going forward game plan in 2024 when we still had Trac and Oliver instead of trying to **** around with the forward line but sticking to the same ‘defensive perfection/dominate territory before considering attack/repeat stoppage repeat entries doesn’t matter if we turn it over because May and Lever will pick it off’ ethos.

We almost had to continue with Goody's long up the boundary line game-style, because with Oliver & Lever, and others Salem et al... we were very much one dimensional in our skill sets. Oli didn't defend nor chase with any real gut run...

and Lever is next to useless as a one on one defender, so he likes to take his time deciding to use the footy, and then goes safe, out wide to the boundary.
And when the ball comes flooding back, he doesn't have time to slowly decide what to do. He doesn't have the foot skills to hit a target, so he goes safe and wide again.
... with these players in our back-half, we can't really put speed on the footy.
.

Play through risk and not around it. Became so choreographed and predictable that it didn’t matter how talented the team was, everyone knew how to beat us, system purity when everyone else understood that you need some volatility.

Now the talent is decimated but hopefully at least King can do what Goody held us back from and evolve the culture around to the hybrid chaos model that has won the last 4 premierships ie structured defence with instinctive ball movement and draft players who can live up to that. Front half pressure and rolling ball movement/overlap run based on trust and defensive buy-in (which we also just lacked the fitness to do). If a KPF is the best available go for it but we don’t need to reach for one because it’s not the most important piece

I like your thinking.

 

[SugarHealey]

All joking aside, I am glad that somebody isn't toeing the "MFC NEEDS A KPF!" line. Sharp or Greeves would be sensational in the first pick and maybe Pickett, Dovaston or Grlj for the second pick.

I think our trade period pretty-much shut down this argument, of us desperately needing tall forwards... And re-focused us on needing to rebuild our midfield insiders.

Well we do need a small forward.

This is the icing of a premiership cake.

 

[Proper Gander]

I agree KK.

If any show some soft traits, it should be a straight-out no, from before we look any further. We are in a re-culture and reformat time with this young list.

No questionable types at all please... and the carton player can go u* h**_s**f elsewhere.

Our selections all ought to be potential future leaders, for starters.

I think we go with an inside-mid with a touch of class and toughness... but has to have that old fashioned quality... Footy IQ.
And please, no one dimensional mids.

I think we need to add class to our defence, and is why I like xTaylor.
Also as I said, another classy mid, with toughness.

Are there any lHodges out there.?

Hi Sugar. Interesting ideas as always, but what does u* h**_s**f mean?

Also, if we only draft potential leaders, how do we keep them without making everyone captain once they are older?

 

[dylan93]

Early days I'm leaning towards Josh Lindsay (need some leadership for the coming years).

Then probably one of Grlj or Greeves.

Basically just best available at this point. Although we defo need more quality mids, foot skills and small crafty forwards.

 

[stEdy]

Nah that was the Tom Dyson model

This was the special model specifically made for hair

 

[SugarHealey]

Hi Sugar. Interesting ideas as always, but what does u* h**_s**f mean?

Also, if we only draft potential leaders, how do we keep them without making everyone captain once they are older?

typos PG.

No questionable types at all please... and the carlton player can go #u@k h*m-s**f, elsewhere.

whats going on with the miss quoting of our site.?

 

[Proper Gander]

typos PG.

No questionable types at all please... and the carlton player can go u k h*m-s**f, elsewhere.

We are going to get a lot of Sparrow types in the team by your assessment process though sugar

 

[SugarHealey]

Early days I'm leaning towards Josh Lindsay (need some leadership for the coming years).

Then probably one of Grlj or Greeves.

Basically just best available at this point. Although we defo need more quality mids, foot skills and small crafty forwards.

Steven May
Tom Mcdonald
Jake Lever

Christian Salem

There is 3 of our tall defenders... who need to play with physical strength in a one-on-one duels. Well... two of them do.
One is just a traffic cop, who waves arms about and gets out on his own... in a bygone era.
We are short on for strong tall-defenders atmo.

And Salem is too slow with decisions and with leg speed, and not so reliable be foot these days.

We have a LOT of work to do to get our defence in order, for the, 'quick-exit-with-ball' style.

 

[Proper Gander]

This was the special model specifically made for hair

Dyson have a great line in hair dryers (I’ve got one)

 

[SugarHealey]

We are going to get a lot of Sparrow types in the team by your assessment process though sugar

I would quite happily payout McAdam, and going on results, 'laser' Laurie, this season... to make some space for newcomers.

Melbourne Demons Football Club Player List

Melbourne Demons full AFL playing list and stats.

www.footywire.com

 

[Proper Gander]

I would quite happily payout McAdam, and going on results, 'laser' Laurie, this season... to make some space for newcomers.

Melbourne Demons Football Club Player List

Melbourne Demons full AFL playing list and stats.

www.footywire.com

Me too.

But I don’t quite see the connection between this idea and my post that you responded to?

 

[wingersclub]

I think I’m sold on
Grlj and Dovaston and that’s who I’ve locked in for my two picks.

 

[SugarHealey]

Me too.

But I don’t quite see the connection between this idea and my post that you responded to?

Making list spots available for this rookie/preseason drafts.
.............

I still like Farrow as a potential draftee... a replacement for McVee.?

‘Love collecting them’: AFL draft gem Jacob Farrow’s collection hobby… and how he surged into top-10 mix

‘Love collecting them’: AFL draft gem’s epic hobby… and how he surged into top-10 mix

www.foxsports.com.au

As for his ball skills, Farrow said his kicking is a strength he’s had essentially since he first picked up a footy — and it shows out on the field as a trusted distributor exiting the defensive half.

“I’ve always had a footy in my hand growing up,” he said.

“I kicked at the park from when I was four years old, almost every day walking the dog, and I suppose as I got older, it’s become a real weapon of mine and now I really try and hone in on that and before training, getting in as many kicks (as I can), as well as touch as well. But yeah, that’s what I really utilised in my game.”

Asked to describe himself as a player to someone who hadn’t seen him play before, Farrow said: “A really versatile player that can play multiple positions, as I’ve shown this year. Really good by foot; my kicking is my best attribute to the game. Composure, decision-making, and then executing my skills by foot is my biggest strength.”

...............................

And we need 'imv', a tough player who we can rely on... someone in the mold of a Jetta or Whelan type, as a small defender.
.....

I see Bowey as a player off the HFF or Wing, pushing back with the footy and adding run bringing the ball up thru midfield.
I think Bowser is too slight, and wide, to play a tough shutdown, and then rebound back pocket.

 

[Proper Gander]

Making list spots available for this rookie/preseason drafts.

For candidates like Tommy Sparrow?

 

[mrmonkey]

Here's the other thing with Sharp is he could easily take Sparrow's spot, I reckon he'd have way more impact on games in that role (whatever it was). Looks like he could go forward and take a decent grab. Eventually Viney and Steele will make way for him, sooner rather than later. I'm really warming to a Langford/Sharp combination.

On Schubert I don't think he's the right fit but I don't think he's as bad as some are suggesting. I think he'll be a decent forward, seems more competitive then say a Jefferson or something. He won't be a bust imo.

 

[The Dr]

For candidates like Tommy Sparrow?

I’d suggest a few bFritz and jLever types.

 

[I Love Lamb]

Farrow looking like a bolter in latest guides, compared to [PLAYERCARD]Hayden Young[/PLAYERCARD] / [PLAYERCARD]Jordan Dawson[/PLAYERCARD] type off half back.

Could have a high ceiling so I wouldn’t be saying no to him. Dovestan/Farrow combo could work.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

View attachment 2463761
Schuberts head is far too small for AFL footy to be honest

 

[SugarHealey]

View attachment 2465934

Far too kind looking for afl... as a guess.

Has he a killer instinct.? anyone.?