mpal6
Brownlow Medallist
Top 2025 AFL free agent confident he will be staying put for the long-term
Listen to the full chat here.
Alright, sign him up !
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Nathan every time Keays name comes up you instantly go out of your way with the laughing emojis and generally derogatory comments to downplay his achievements.
We've heard the same thing 100 times.
After 8 or 10 years maybe it's time you got off his back.
Our huge list of players out of contract in 12 months is big with many that we need signed up yesterday:
Must re-signs - Lohmann, Ah Chee, Morris, Rayner, Andrews and Starcevich
Likely retirements - Zorko, Lester and McKenna
Retire or one more year: McCarthy, Gardiner, Fort and Joyce
Make or break seasons for: Robertson, Lloyd, Zakostelsky, Tunstill, Torrent and rookies McLachlan, Beecken and Craven
Time for DD and Dom Ambrogio to get to work on that top list.
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The year was right. BigFooty is a bit flaky if you're changing links on existing text - you'll see a few that may not have a link on the last character, which usually means the updated link didn't "stick" after I edited the year. Brain and Answerth are others, looking at them.Oh did he; I must've missed the announcement.
I was looking at dlanod's thread and the link only had him to 2025 https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/player-contract-status.1056345/
I did google it and find the HA extension from last month here
First time I'd been to BF in 2 days and there it was ,someone having a crack at Keays again out of the blue.You realise I find it funny because 1 person mentions Keays and lucky and there was a 100% chance you'd pipe in straight away
Our huge list of players out of contract in 12 months is big with many that we need signed up yesterday:
Must re-signs - Lohmann, Ah Chee, Morris, Rayner and Starcevich
Likely retirements - Zorko, Lester and McKenna
Retire or one more year: McCarthy, Gardiner, Fort and Joyce
Make or break seasons for: Robertson, Lloyd, Zakostelsky, Tunstill, Torrent and rookies McLachlan, Beecken and Craven
Time for DD and Dom Ambrogio to get to work on that top list.
I've always found the whole <insert player name> has bought a property back where they are from as a misnomer.
As someone has bought / invested in property's both here and interstate, I don't get why players when they know post career (they may return home) or may not (see Dan Rich acquiring property in Perth) or even as part of an investment strategy purchase property's anywhere how that could lead anyone to make such an assumption particularly for very cashed up young men who have half a brain and being advised when they also are no doubt renting the properties watching their equity grow. I honestly don't think one necessarily follows the other (acknowledging that you aren't saying that).
Zakostelsky will be safe for next year. Guy is the defender equivalent of Sharp and Lloyd - he'll take 3-4 years to show something. Would be silly to cut him next year with that in mind. Same with Lloyd.
Beecken will stay on if Zorks retires, Craven and McLachlan probably stay on too.
Tunstill and Robertson will be delists or trades, Lester and McKenna retire (plus Zorko), which leaves 5 lists spots next year, one gets taken by Annable, one by whatever forward is brought in, which then leaves spots for any other trades/free agents/etc. who get brought in.
Only question mark out of the OOC's would be Kai and Starce. If we keep the 3 tall structure, McCarthy, Kai and Bailey are all playing for the same spot in the team. Can only have 2 of them with 3 talls on the field, even with a 5-man bench
Starce is a name that keeps coming up as a name that's floated around (mainly by the Eagles board/supporters) as someone who could leave. Apparently, he has a property or two out Perth way. Could be covered by Answorth if he did leave, but you'd want to keep him.
I stood on the sidelines watching Ben Keays for many years in juniors as he and his older brother as they played in the same team with my son. 'Little Benny' as he was called had to play up a couple of years as his dad was coaching the older brother and going through a divorce so both boys had to play together logistically they couldn't be at separate grounds back then. Benny became tough and determined after being 'rag dolled' quite a bit as the littlest kid on the park. You would never meet a nicer bloke, when it didn't work at the Lions I always thought if he got another chance he would certainly be the one to make it work.Nathan every time Keays name comes up you instantly go out of your way with the laughing emojis and generally derogatory comments to downplay his achievements.
We've heard the same thing 100 times.
After 8 or 10 years maybe it's time you got off his back.
Starce's name came up because "theTradeGuru" or "theTradeTopHat" or whatever raised starce on twitter, the worst social media platform in the world. Maybe he goes, but there's not been one credible source at all.
I agree that's there's not been a good source for it. As I said, it's just the Eagles board/supporters that think it will happen due to the property ownership. There are others like True Footy who think he should just be a target for the Eagles.
The only reason why I brought it up is because, of that OOC group, the only players I see going anywhere out of it were Starce and Kai. Ah Chee and Morris are destined to resign, whereas I think Rayner will do a Bags/Berry and resign a lot later in the peace.
Kai is box office, loves the big stage.
I feel a club like Collingwood will come knocking.
I remember Des Hedland saying the same thing![]()
Top 2025 AFL free agent confident he will be staying put for the long-term
Listen to the full chat here.www.sen.com.au
View attachment 2150735
Alright, sign him up !

Does that mean Cameron Rayner to Fremantle is confirmed for 2026I remember Des Hedland saying the same thing![]()
And a years supply of MnMsDoes that mean Cameron Rayner to Fremantle is confirmed for 2026
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This, also ZZ was drafted because he's a freak athlete, not for his skills. Definitely a slow burn learning proper defender skills while he fills out into his body.Zakostelsky will be safe for next year. Guy is the defender equivalent of Sharp and Lloyd - he'll take 3-4 years to show something. Would be silly to cut him next year with that in mind. Same with Lloyd.
Easy fix, just get the stadium built and a couple more premiershipsKai is box office, loves the big stage.
I feel a club like Collingwood will come knocking.
He re-signed in December 2023, not earlier this year.I guess the other, I wouldn’t say cause for concern, but “odd” situation with Starce was that he re-signed earlier in the year but only for the additional year (next year). I think everyone would accept that’s a bit weird and I guess people can read into that different ways.
Pretty emphatic wasn't it Cam's statement..
We have to accept with everyone watching us win 4 finals games this year the price on many of our players has gone up.Maybe, but its obvious managers have a big hand to play with players that will obviously be career players (by that I mean, 12 + year players that will go from draft and through and past free agency) - Starc is now that - and try to game the system for themselves / agency and the player by being strategic with when contracts fall due to leverage and maximise the players pay. Thats what I think nowadays anyway although it does backfire or the player wants to stay (Dev) or go (numerous examples where players in hindsight have said they shouldnt have moved).
Not forgetting godfather offer and war chestThe dopamine hit I'm going to get when the story drops that "Cam Rayner has re-signed with the Lions despite heavy interest from St Kilda" is going to be so, so pure.
Depends on which kind of MnMs we are talking about though.And a years supply of MnMs