List Mgmt. 2026 List Management

[WilloTree]

Harsh on Bolton and McVee hasn’t played yet.
Clark the clear standout trade, the one true indisputable A+ effort. I might be wrong but he’s in a very small and select group of freo players that were traded into the club and won an all Australian for freo. McPharlin and Peter bell the only others I can remember, which is a pretty miserable stat over 30 years of existence.

The hogan trade will still be making lists of top 10 trade blunders ever by AFL clubs in 2050 unfortunately.

Yeah agree. I didn't rate McVee, as he hasn't played a game, but the pick trade to get him was horrific. Maybe a bit harsh on Bolton, but we forked over a Kings ransom. Honestly thought he'd get back to his 2022 form. Had his worst season for hitting the scoreboard for 5 years.

 

[WilloTree]

Bolton D?

Yeah nahhhhh

We sent 3 1st rounders out and got picks back and Bolton.

Geelong sent 3 1st rounders and got picks back...you know who they got?...

....Jeremy Cameron.

 

[King Huskii]

We sent 3 1st rounders out and got picks back and Bolton.

Geelong sent 3 1st rounders and got picks back...you know who they got?...

....Jeremy Cameron.

We effectively got Reid and Bolton
Ill take that
Reid has at least 12 years of footy left and Bolton had injuries throughout the year that he played through

If he's 100% fit he'll burn teams and Reid even 10% better is God mode

 

[Jezzitizle]

Yeah agree. I didn't rate McVee, as he hasn't played a game, but the pick trade to get him was horrific. Maybe a bit harsh on Bolton, but we forked over a Kings ransom. Honestly thought he'd get back to his 2022 form. Had his worst season for hitting the scoreboard for 5 years.

It’ll be a while before we can properly evaluate that trade - for example if McVee plays in a premiership or makes an AA team, trade may be seen as a big win. And you should extend that to Sweidy and Murray.

Honestly feel like both Sweidy and Murray were our draft targets from a way out, and the list management team correctly calculated that we would get them + McVee with the trade we made, and that it was the best way to address our list needs.

Often people melt about trading picks, then 3 years down the line the players taken with the picks traded out aren’t even on an afl list anymore.

 

[Purple Suit]

We effectively got Reid and Bolton
Ill take that
Reid has at least 12 years of footy left and Bolton had injuries throughout the year that he played through

If he's 100% fit he'll burn teams and Reid even 10% better is God mode

We also traded Shultz, Liam Henry plus our 2nd rounder for the extra currency for that deal on top of our first rounder. Bargain.

 

[Sully90]

We sent 3 1st rounders out and got picks back and Bolton.

Geelong sent 3 1st rounders and got picks back...you know who they got?...

....Jeremy Cameron.

Cameron's first season at geelong was his second worst season for goalkicking in 5 years, and his 4th worst overall.

 

[rgauci]

We also traded Shultz, Liam Henry plus our 2nd rounder for the extra currency for that deal on top of our first rounder. Bargain.

The IN’s and OUT’s of 2023 and 2024 outlined above. Henry was not part of the Bolton currency. We got Nicholls and Carr for Henry.

You can see the mechanisms we used to get Bolton listed above. He is well worth the spend.

Essentially:

OUT: Schultz, pick 23 (2023), 1st and 2nd round picks (2024)

IN: Bolton (2024), Reid (2024), Simpson (2023)

Plus some fringe stuff around the outside both in and out (rd 3 and rd 4 stuff).

If you assume we select Reid anyway:

It’s Shultz, pick 23 (2023) and 2nd round pick (2024) for Bolton and Simpson.

 

[Sherriff Incorporated]

Yeah agree. I didn't rate McVee, as he hasn't played a game, but the pick trade to get him was horrific. Maybe a bit harsh on Bolton, but we forked over a Kings ransom. Honestly thought he'd get back to his 2022 form. Had his worst season for hitting the scoreboard for 5 years.

Walls Is on record saying he rated Sweid much higher than other teams and was very confident Essendon was passing hence why the Mcveigh trade made sense. ive seen Mcveigh in around 8 match sims. He's a fantastic pick up and exactly what we needed. Highly likely we would have selected Sweid if we kept the original pick. Unlike at Melbourne in 2025 he'll be playing in his best position as an attacking half back. The last time he played that role he was top 7 in the best and fairest in a top 4 team on the ladder. He is exactly what our half back line needed.

Bolton was way better than most think here if you take into account he battled injuries for most of the year. After a delayed start to the year he suffered a very significant lower leg injury in the last third of the year.. The consistency of his kicking was greatly effected by that injury as was his ability to jump. His form outside of the injuries was good particularly when midfield. For a decent part of last year he led the afl in terms of centre clearances per centre square attendance. Either way Im wrapt we have him. His preseason form has been fantastic and he looks dynamic at centre clearances as he is back to full fitness. Really think he'll be a major weapon for us in 2026 and very happy with how the trade is shaping up long term.

Overall Im rrally happy with Walls work the last two trade periods to be honest. In 2025 getting Bolton while still being able to pick up Reid is fantastic work In 2026 we targeted McVeigh and Sweid while also bringing in Murray who shapes as a terrific pick up.

 

[WilloTree]

It’ll be a while before we can properly evaluate that trade - for example if McVee plays in a premiership or makes an AA team, trade may be seen as a big win. And you should extend that to Sweidy and Murray.

Honestly feel like both Sweidy and Murray were our draft targets from a way out, and the list management team correctly calculated that we would get them + McVee with the trade we made, and that it was the best way to address our list needs.

Often people melt about trading picks, then 3 years down the line the players taken with the picks traded out aren’t even on an afl list anymore.

Oh I agree with all of that, but if we're looking at that trade at that time, as it stands it's in there with the top 3 worst trades in our history. If McVee is the next Clark it breaks even.

 

[Jezzitizle]

Oh I agree with all of that, but if we're looking at that trade at that time, as it stands it's in there with the top 3 worst trades in our history. If McVee is the next Clark it breaks even.

Top 3 is a high bar at Freo!

 

[Duz97]

Oh I agree with all of that, but if we're looking at that trade at that time, as it stands it's in there with the top 3 worst trades in our history. If McVee is the next Clark it breaks even.

Ah yes it’s defs worse then trading Luke hodge or getting hogan or trading for McCarthy instead of drafting mccluggage
What about Harley Bennell
Chris Tarrant?

But nah moving back from a pick which ended up being 20? To 25 and securing a best 22 player and a kid we were high on is a top 3 worst trade?

 

[Purple Suit]

View attachment 2520690

The IN’s and OUT’s of 2023 and 2024 outlined above. Henry was not part of the Bolton currency. We got Nicholls and Carr for Henry.

You can see the mechanisms we used to get Bolton listed above. He is well worth the spend.

Essentially:

OUT: Schultz, pick 23 (2023), 1st and 2nd round picks (2024)

IN: Bolton (2024), Reid (2024), Simpson (2023)

Plus some fringe stuff around the outside both in and out (rd 3 and rd 4 stuff).

If you assume we select Reid anyway:

It’s Shultz, pick 23 (2023) and 2nd round pick (2024) for Bolton and Simpson.

I know it wasn't the same pick but Henry was a future 2nd rounder, we traded a 2nd rounder plus our own for one of the 1st we used on Bolton so I was basically just outlining what it cost us in player value around the time.

We might have gotten stiffed in a few deals but we really cleaned up a lot more than we lost.

 

[Alfonz]

Oh I agree with all of that, but if we're looking at that trade at that time, as it stands it's in there with the top 3 worst trades in our history. If McVee is the next Clark it breaks even.

That's an impressive overreaction. Nice to melt about at the time as it did indeed seem perplexing, but it was simply the going rate to shuffle picks in what was viewed as a horrible draft. Hawthorn did a pick swap slightly worse than ours towards the end of trade period.

McVee being the next Clark does not make it break even, it makes it an absolute screaming A+ trade. I'd rate it a B right now based on McVee's exposed form, but expect it to be an A or A+ as he develops and elevates his game.

 

[Docker82]

Oh I agree with all of that, but if we're looking at that trade at that time, as it stands it's in there with the top 3 worst trades in our history. If McVee is the next Clark it breaks even.

Wouldn't be in the top 20 worst trades Freo has done.

Fair dinkum if we considered the pick swap and acquisition of McVee as the same trade it is isn’t even in the bottom half IMO.

Of course the pick swap itself doesn't look great but the risk/reward doesn't really stack up compared to about 20-odd trades we've done in our history.

 

[Docker82]

Ah yes it’s defs worse then trading Luke hodge or getting hogan or trading for McCarthy instead of drafting mccluggage
What about Harley Bennell
Chris Tarrant?

But nah moving back from a pick which ended up being 20? To 25 and securing a best 22 player and a kid we were high on is a top 3 worst trade?

McLeod
Delaney (or whoever we traded for pick 4)
Trading away Farmer
Clement
Bond
Hedland (for pick 3)
Tarrant/Medhurst
Matera
Hogan
Kersten
Croad
Bennell
Trades involving our F2 to GC
Palmer compensation for pick 20 in a heavily compromised and sh** draft
JOM/Meek
Acres for a 4th

Lots of stuff here way worse than losing a couple of mid-range draft picks we probably weren't going to use and downgrading our first rounder in a sh** draft.

 

[theGav56]

That's an impressive overreaction. Nice to melt about at the time as it did indeed seem perplexing, but it was simply the going rate to shuffle picks in what was viewed as a horrible draft. Hawthorn did a pick swap slightly worse than ours towards the end of trade period.

McVee being the next Clark does not make it break even, it makes it an absolute screaming A+ trade. I'd rate it a B right now based on McVee's exposed form, but expect it to be an A or A+ as he develops and elevates his game.

It was pretty clear last season that tagging Clark is an effective strategy. McVee's value has a multiplier effect due to what he can free Clark up to become.

 

[Docker82]

It was pretty clear last season that tagging Clark is an effective strategy. McVee's value has a multiplier effect due to what he can free Clark up to become.

This and I think people are underestimating just how good McVee is.

Not saying he'll be the best HBF in the comp this season or anything but people are going on like he's some fringe plauer that's a slight upgrade on Worner or Banfield. A pick in 20s would've turned to be unders in a decent draft and last year's draft was dogsh**.

And he's 22. Could easily play for us for ten years.

Also - such an overreaction in trading away picks we were never going to use. It was always going to be two picks in last year's draft.

 

[MemberSince02]

This and I think people are underestimating just how good McVee is.

Not saying he'll be the best HFF in the comp this season or anything but people are going on like he's some fringe plauer that's a slight upgrade on Worner or Banfield. A pick in 20s would've turned to be unders in a decent draft and last year's draft was dogsh**.

And he's 22. Could easily play for us for ten years.

Also - such an overreaction in trading away picks we were never going to use. It was always going to be two picks in last year's draft.

I'll swap you an F for a B

 

[theGav56]

This and I think people are underestimating just how good McVee is.

Not saying he'll be the best HFF in the comp this season or anything but people are going on like he's some fringe plauer that's a slight upgrade on Worner or Banfield. A pick in 20s would've turned to be unders in a decent draft and last year's draft was dogsh**.

And he's 22. Could easily play for us for ten years.

Also - such an overreaction in trading away picks we were never going to use. It was always going to be two picks in last year's draft.

I'm not interested in revisiting the trading away of those picks apart from make the point that I think for us to win a premiership we need get virtually everything right.

We are in an unequal competition, and I think we sit towards the bottom of the ladder in terms of advantages. To me it looked flippant. That is more what I see as the negative, and it doesn't fit with how our list management has been performing.

 

[Cesoir]

That's an impressive overreaction.

Pfft, not even in the top 20 overreactions.

 

[WilloTree]

Wouldn't be in the top 20 worst trades Freo has done.

Fair dinkum if we considered the pick swap and acquisition of McVee as the same trade it is isn’t even in the bottom half IMO.

Of course the pick swap itself doesn't look great but the risk/reward doesn't really stack up compared to about 20-odd trades we've done in our history.

Wait - are there people on here actually defending that trade?

We already had a 2nd rounder suffiicient for the McVee trade, so the pick swap (if it was to get a pick for McVee) was just being bent over. We got screwed by Melbourne. Yes, we paid less for Clark!

If the pick swap was for draft handshake deal, ie we wanted Evans/Williams, we were screwed at Draft time by Brisbane and West Coast.

We got screwed by Brisbane giving them free picks so they could get pick 20 off West Coast for a Free Agent, we essentally facilitated that trade helping West Coast keep pick 2! What on earth were we thinking there?!?

We got screwed again by West Coast giving them a signifcant 1st round upgrade essentially for free. It pushed our 1st rounder so far back we had to take an Essendon NGA even Essendon didn't want.

Why?

All we did was help Eagles and Brisbane for free.

It's embarrassing people are defending it. Sure, it's nice to be everyone's best friend but check out last year's Grand Finalists and how they trade. Chalk and cheese.

 

[WilloTree]

McLeod
Delaney (or whoever we traded for pick 4)
Trading away Farmer
Clement
Bond
Hedland (for pick 3)
Tarrant/Medhurst
Matera
Hogan
Kersten
Croad
Bennell
Trades involving our F2 to GC
Palmer compensation for pick 20 in a heavily compromised and sh** draft
JOM/Meek
Acres for a 4th

Lots of stuff here way worse than losing a couple of mid-range draft picks we probably weren't going to use and downgrading our first rounder in a sh** draft.

Are these good trades or bad trades?

What was bad about the Matera f4 or 20 for a critically injured Palmer? And others..

p.s. love how you omitted McFarlin from the Croad trade. Not like he's arguably our 3rd greatest player ever. lol

 

[Docker82]

Are these good trades or bad trades?

What was bad about the Matera f4 or 20 for a critically injured Palmer? And others..

p.s. love how you omitted McFarlin from the Croad trade. Not like he's arguably our 3rd greatest player ever. lol

FWIW I've pointed out many times on here that McPharlin was a much better player than opposition fans think. Does that trade belong in discussions for the worst trade ever? IMO, Absolutely not. But McPharlin at best cancels out Hodge or Mitchell - the rest of trade was a disaster. Is it worse than the McVee - Yes and it isnt even close.

The Palmer compensation was given to us by the AFL. That isn’t part of a trade where we traded a F1 for pick 20 in a draft where GWS had removed 7-8 of the top 20 odd before using their no.1 selection.

I was strongly against bringing Matera anywhere near the club. He was traded for a F3 which is the type of value picks we 'lost' in the McVee trade.

I said at the time McVee was worth a pick in the teens and stand by that statement. A mid second rounder was never going to cut it despite player on here pretending it would.

I remember saying the Clark trade was unders for us despite this board thinking it was overs at the time. McVee is a best 23 for 8-10 years. Well worth puck 25 or whatever it was.

 

[Alfonz]

Wait - are there people on here actually defending that trade?

We already had a 2nd rounder suffiicient for the McVee trade, so the pick swap (if it was to get a pick for McVee) was just being bent over. We got screwed by Melbourne. Yes, we paid less for Clark!

If the pick swap was for draft handshake deal, ie we wanted Evans/Williams, we were screwed at Draft time by Brisbane and West Coast.

We got screwed by Hawthorn giving them free picks so they could get pick 20 off West Coast for a Free Agent, we essentally facilitated that trade helping West Coast keep pick 2! What on earth were we thinking there?!?

We got screwed again by West Coast giving them a signifcant 1st round upgrade essentially for free. It pushed our 1st rounder so far back we had to take an Essendon NGA even Essendon didn't want.

Why?

All we did was help Eagles, Hawthorn and Brisbane for free.

It's embarrassing people are defending it. Sure, it's nice to be everyone's best friend but check out last year's Grand Finalists and how they trade. Chalk and cheese.

What's embarrassing is the reasons you list are basically all completely wrong.

Our 2nd rounder was nowhere near sufficient for McVee. Even pick 23 in a weak draft was a bargain and Melbourne are the ones who got screwed over. And we did not play less for Clark. Geelong ended up with a better pick in a stronger draft.

We had nothing to do with Hawthorn in any trades last year.

We also didn't really give WC anything for free. We helped them trade for Starcevich so they could keep pick 2 for Allen, but that was always going to happen one way or another and we used it to get McVee. The freebie we handed out was a pick in the 40's to Brisbane, and this was a pick we never intended to use.

And it seems pretty clear we rated Sweid so highly that we would have taken him even if we had kept our original 1st rounder. And Essendon did want him, but didn't have the points.

The trade is pretty easy to defend when it enabled us to land our trade target and still draft the two players we would have most likely drafted with our original first 2 picks (12 and 33) anyway.

 

[mattis117]