2026/2027 Draft & Trade Periods

[Iva Bigun]

Well good to see us plugging holes by drafting 3 midfielders and a small running defender.

Zeke and Patto likely to be on the wings, the other 2 I struggle to see how they fit in but I do love that we are keeping the local talent

 

[Iva Bigun]

WC certainly made us pay a heavy price ,hopefully we can return the favour at some point

 

[Mini GF]

My mail was that we would get all 5 and it’s going to happen

 

[CommittedSuns]

West Coasts bidding was as successful as there season this year

 

[Jirik13]

Haha, according to FoxSports, Suns have picks 48 and 49 in 2nd round tomorrow (188 points).

 

[Jirik13]

Realistically, not much opportunities for Addinsall and Murray and very likely Coulson in next 3 years.

But then injuries can hit, some players will probably leave (Humphrey, Davies). Who knows what Rowell will do in 2 years. In 3 years Miller and Petracca will be 33.

Good to have home grown talent supporting club, supporting each other. I noticed Gulbin was also there with Zeke team.

Hopefully, playing VFL will not change their mind and they make it. It does take usually min 3 years to develop as midfielder.

Good luck to them.

 

[Jirik13]

Lastly, I do enjoy Eagles melts to be honest. It was fun watching their room when we matched bid on Addinsall while team looked relaxed.

 

[T__Y]

Haha, according to FoxSports, Suns have picks 48 and 49 in 2nd round tomorrow (188 points).

Good for a bid from about pick 40 down?

 

[Jirik13]

Good for a bid from about pick 40 down?

Pick 43 is 184.

It would not surprise me if we draft Coulson with one of those picks.

 

[Jirik13]

If this is implemented next year it will change draft bidding completely.

But while teams were notably aggressive on Wednesday night, the bidding system changes are far from finished.

There is a growing expectation that from next year, clubs will only be able to match father-son or academy bids using two selections.

Such a move would go a further way to ensuring clubs are spending premium selections — not just a combination of run-of-the-mill picks — to rebuff rivals.

Further, while it was confirmed there’d be no bidding lockout in the early stages of in this year’s draft, from 2026 onwards, clubs are set to have varying degrees of bid-matching access depending on their ladder position.

 

[KaySwizzle]

If this is implemented next year it will change draft bidding completely.

I get what they mean to do. But clubs usually give up premium picks to get those picks later picks anyway (like, we gave up first rounders to get those second rounders, and gave up former 1st round players for 2nd and 3rd round picks. And we also traded more first rounders for bonus later picks in swaps, even today)

It will definitely see a lot of these Melb clubs stop being able to move up the board by bundling. They cry foul, but clubs (e.g Bulldogs) have gotten a first round pick from us by trading in more points than the single pick is worth.

Teams with academy/FS players will also be more demanding on outgoing trades, since now they will rely upon those picks being better to get their draft linked player. So expect more bargaining there. We may be less likely to let players go for 3rd round picks as much. And 2nd and 3rd round picks overall become very limited in their value now.

On the flip side, teams may need to offload more players to get the picks points they need.

Obviously it impacts us immensely, but there are ripple effects on how a lot of clubs, even those without an academy or FS, will manoeuvre next year.

 

[TheSunGod]

Realistically, not much opportunities for Addinsall and Murray and very likely Coulson in next 3 years.

But then injuries can hit, some players will probably leave (Humphrey, Davies). Who knows what Rowell will do in 2 years. In 3 years Miller and Petracca will be 33.

Good to have home grown talent supporting club, supporting each other. I noticed Gulbin was also there with Zeke team.

Hopefully, playing VFL will not change their mind and they make it. It does take usually min 3 years to develop as midfielder.

Good luck to them.

Geelong and other successful clubs frequently have their players develop in the twos for several years before earning their chances at senior level. If we reach that point then we’ll be OK.

 

[thurls64]

Well good to see us plugging holes by drafting 3 midfielders and a small running defender.

you bring up a good point so if we take Coulson tonight how many list spots do we have left to take mature age talent for the positions we need to fill now

 

[CommittedSuns]

you bring up a good point so if we take Coulson tonight how many list spots do we have left to take mature age talent for the positions we need to fill now

One… as we have committed to redrafting Jepson

 

[House of Sticks]

The melts by the Vico's this morning on talk back are fuelling me

 

[Jirik13]

The melts by the Vico's this morning on talk back are fuelling me

Enjoyable.

They are usually completely ignoring how we got all those picks to match. Those picks did not come from nowhere. We off-loaded players, accumulated basically 4 first round picks. We did a lot of picks trades. Several years process.

I guess funny thing is that we loaded up and benefited greatly from academy the last 3 years (9 1st round home-grown talent) and now from the next year all clubs will probably have to pay through the roof for F/S, NGA, Northern academies kids in the first round, especially early picks.

If Carlton Walker goes pick 1, to match they will have to come up with 3000 points (or even possibly more with new rules) with only 2 picks. Port similar situation.

 

[House of Sticks]

Enjoyable.

They are usually completely ignoring how we got all those picks to match. Those picks did not come from nowhere. We off-loaded players, accumulated basically 4 first round picks. We did a lot of picks trades. Several years process.

I guess funny thing is that we loaded up and benefited greatly from academy the last 3 years (9 1st round home-grown talent) and now from the next year all clubs will probably have to pay through the roof for F/S, NGA in the first round, especially early picks.

If Carlton Walker goes pick 1, to match they will have to come up with 3000 points (or even possibly more with new rules) with only 2 picks. Port similar situation.

It was always going to happen. It was fine when we were used as the farm system for the big clubs, but as soon as we start to produce our own talent, the system is unfair? To be fair most in the media are defending our position and even congratulating how well we have done out of it. Its just the uneducated ones who only tune when it impacts their club.

 

[House of Sticks]

It was always going to happen. It was fine when we were used as the farm system for the big clubs, but as soon as we start to produce our own talent, the system is unfair? To be fair most in the media are defending our position and even congratulating how well we have done out of it. Its just the uneducated ones who only tune when it impacts their club.

For example, some guy called in on SEN this morning and suggested that its unfair we can access talent from outside QLD and we should only be allowed to draft locals....

 

[TheSunGod]

Enjoyable.

They are usually completely ignoring how we got all those picks to match. Those picks did not come from nowhere. We off-loaded players, accumulated basically 4 first round picks. We did a lot of picks trades. Several years process.

I guess funny thing is that we loaded up and benefited greatly from academy the last 3 years (9 1st round home-grown talent) and now from the next year all clubs will probably have to pay through the roof for F/S, NGA, Northern academies in the first round, especially early picks.

If Carlton Walker goes pick 1, to match they will have to come up with 3000 points (or even possibly more with new rules) with only 2 picks. Port similar situation.

Some are arguing the players we traded out bar Flanders are all non best 22. Stats would disagree. Both Ainsworth and Fiorini played the majority of games last season. Neither are list cloggers.

 

[Young_Guns]

For example, some guy called in on SEN this morning and suggested that its unfair we can access talent from outside QLD and we should only be allowed to draft locals....

We literally offered this to the AFL years ago and was told no.

Can’t win with them unless it means goes back to the status quo of us being a revolving door for clubs to pick up cheap, high-end talent.

 

[TheGoldPersons]

For example, some guy called in on SEN this morning and suggested that its unfair we can access talent from outside QLD and we should only be allowed to draft locals....

SUNS STOP LOSING PLAYERS

NOOOOOOOO NOT LIKE THAT

 

[eighties]

I dont follow the draft too closely but the video highlights of Dylan Patterson got me pretty bloody excited. Looks a jet. Nearly as good as the Mckenzie Willis highlights reel

Also just love everyone hating us. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside haha.

 

[Mini GF]

Are we certainties to get Coulson? Are we all good for points?

 

[Young_Guns]

Speaking of drafting for needs, if Coulson manages to slip through and we can get him with a single pick, hopefully Wes Walley is still there for the taking at our other pick in the 40’s.

Unless West Coast take him with #29 or #34, they win’t have the list spots to match. Would be kinda funny after last night if we end up with a West Coast NGA.

 

[rusted on]

"The Suns will still have roughly 300 points to play with on Thursday – worth roughly pick 35 after the 10 per cent academy discount – before hitting the 1167 points deficit limit." - Callum Dick in the Australian

Am I correct in reading this that we have already gone into deficit...?