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)

 

[Lampers]

Toumpas problem wasn't his hip though he was just soft as shit.

That’s true, but apparently Toumpas did have good pace and agility at one stage as a junior, but then his hips started playing up which made him a slow, soft player. Not a very appealing proposition.

 

[TheBoss]

Toumpas was long regarded as the #2 prospect behind Whitfield until he tore the cartilage off his hip in his draft year.

But the Dees thought we could fix him and took him at #4. The football department were in the "moneyball" era.

But looking at our draft that year, we would have just picked another dud anyway (Terlich, Matt Jones

Matt Jones

Age

38

Ht

188cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.1

4star

K

9.4

4star

HB

8.6

5star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.8

4star

G

0.2

2star

No current season stats available

D

20.0

5star

K

9.4

4star

HB

10.6

5star

M

4.6

5star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.0

1star

). Jack Viney

7

Jack Viney

Age

32

Ht

179cm

Wt

93kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.1

5star

K

9.4

4star

HB

12.6

5star

M

2.8

3star

T

5.7

5star

CL

5.0

5star

D

21.8

5star

K

10.3

4star

HB

11.5

5star

M

2.5

3star

T

4.5

5star

CL

5.0

5star

D

13.4

4star

K

8.6

4star

HB

4.8

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

3.6

5star

redeemed that draft class for us.

 

[dazzledavey36]

King: " You want a brand that people come and watch and thats what he brings" re Pickett.

Music to my ears...

 

[Lampers]

King: " You want a brand that people come and watch and thats what he brings" re Pickett.

Music to my ears...

I know they edit this stuff after the fact to make it nice fluff content - but I really like this “behind the scenes” stuff.

The activity is before the fact and reveals some of the rationale which is encouraging. It really seems the club knows where it’s lacking and is going after resolving those deficiencies.

 

[Daemon]

Onley spoke very well.

 

[TheBoss]

I know they’d never publish this because of the optics, but this sort of content would be far better if they also did deep dives into the players we didn’t select. They identified a small forward as a position of need, yet didn’t mention Dovaston once even though he was one of the best small-forward prospects in the draft pool. It’d just be interesting to hear their insight on why they rated Pickett ahead of him.

 

[Lampers]

I know they’d never publish this because of the optics, but this sort of content would be far better if they also did deep dives into the players we didn’t select. They identified a small forward as a position of need, yet didn’t mention Dovaston once even though he was one of the best small-forward prospects in the draft pool. It’d just be interesting to hear their insight on why they rated Pickett ahead of him.

I’d read a memoir of a head AFL recruiter if they published one once they’ve retired. Wouldn’t even need to be a Melbourne recruiter’s memoir.

It would be really interesting to know the perceptions held and rationale for going one way over another, with the knowledge of how it eventually panned out.

 

[mrmonkey]

I know they’d never publish this because of the optics, but this sort of content would be far better if they also did deep dives into the players we didn’t select. They identified a small forward as a position of need, yet didn’t mention Dovaston once even though he was one of the best small-forward prospects in the draft pool. It’d just be interesting to hear their insight on why they rated Pickett ahead of him.

Must admit I was slightly disappointed they didn't have a deeper dive. No mention of Nairn who we were hugely linked to. Would have been good to see who we had at that pick 30 and possibly players we may have missed. Pretty sure they did this with Holmes. Also would have liked more on Riley Onley selection and what they thought of him.

 

[Duke of Windso]

I know they edit this stuff after the fact to make it nice fluff content - but I really like this “behind the scenes” stuff.

The activity is before the fact and reveals some of the rationale which is encouraging. It really seems the club knows where it’s lacking and is going after resolving those deficiencies.

The most interesting part was "If Essendon take Dyson Sharp now, we'll be taking Taylor and Pickett". In other words we had both Taylor and Pickett ahead of Farrow. Assuming it's true that we weren't keen on Grlj, Taylor and Pickett were at worst our 5th and 6th preference in the open draft.

 

[Demon Attack]

JVR will be good. Bookmark it.

I TOLD YOU ALL TO BOOKMARK IT

 

[Topkent]

I TOLD YOU ALL TO BOOKMARK IT

You're doing it wrong, you've gotta call all the doubters idiots and tell them to use their eyes

 

[Bluelegs]

Word is we’ll take a deal for Steele ONLY if it’s overs for us. Apparently Richo is keen.

Surely Heath to Steele to [insert forward] is an exciting vision to pitch to members? I mean S King was a St Kilda coach for a good while too! You guys are slaying it.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Had that bookmarked didnt you Legs.

 

[Bluelegs]

Had that bookmarked didnt you Legs.

Only in my brain. Many thanks to Demon Attack for bumping this thread and reminding me though.

 

[wingersclub]

Cal Twomey reporting we are in the market for Zac Bailey

33

Zac Bailey

Age

26

Ht

181cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.9

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

CL

0.9

3star

D

12.9

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

5.6

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.4

3star

CL

0.7

3star

D

13.4

4star

K

6.6

3star

HB

6.8

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

2.8

5star

CL

0.6

3star

as a free agent

 

[MarcMaverick]

Cal Twomey reporting we are in the market for Zac Bailey as a free agent

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/2026-trade-fa-draft-thread.1404933/page-4

Belongs right there thanks.

 

[Lord Nev]

Completely shit attitude this year, on field and off. Biggest name at our club, aside from mayyyybe Gawn, but how much media do you remember him doing? How much did he show leadership on field?

And you surely can't be as naive as to think the trade was just an 'open relationship'? He desperately wanted out, and the players inside the club are happy to see the back of him.

Absolute star for us, and at one stage I thought he'd be next captain, but this last 12 months he has been pretty clearly checked out from the club.

“Like, he wasn’t the only problem last year, but he was a bit of a misery guts around the footy club. He didn’t want to be there.

“The locker room nickname, I’m told, was ‘The Consultant’, because that was how he behaved at the footy club last year.

“He was professional. He turned up. He trained. But he didn’t give as much of himself as he had in the past.

Melbourne’s locker room nickname for departed star revealed

The Demons are now thriving after the much-needed ‘break-up’ in the off-season.

7news.com.au

 

[MarcMaverick]

“Like, he wasn’t the only problem last year, but he was a bit of a misery guts around the footy club. He didn’t want to be there.

“The locker room nickname, I’m told, was ‘The Consultant’, because that was how he behaved at the footy club last year.

“He was professional. He turned up. He trained. But he didn’t give as much of himself as he had in the past.

Melbourne’s locker room nickname for departed star revealed

The Demons are now thriving after the much-needed ‘break-up’ in the off-season.

7news.com.au

You really need to change your username to The Oracle or something.

 

[The Dr]

The Consultant is such a funny nickname

 

[Lord Nev]

The Consultant is such a funny nickname

Has a few letters I'd take out, but yeah, not behd...

 

[MarcMaverick]

The Consultant is such a funny nickname

Has a few letters I'd take out, but yeah, not behd...

I could so easily see that as a nickname in one of The Godfather movies.

 

[Bluelegs]

The Consultant is such a funny nickname

Gold. Who do we reckon came up with that.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Gold. Who do we reckon came up with that.

Definitely Gawn or Lever imo.

 

[MarcMaverick]

🕵‍ Sherlock Holmes lets serch for clues.

 

[Proper Gander]

Definitely Gawn or Lever imo.

That’s my guess.

If it had been a few years back I would have said Angus Brayshaw.