List Mgmt. 2025 List Management Discussion - Part 3

[Hubnester]

2025 List Management Discussion - Part 3

Now that our season is over, and news is starting to break - it's time for a fresh thread.

This thread is to discuss all things list management - trades, draft, free agency, delistings and more.
As we are now officially in our off-season, we'll be wanting to keep this thread more strictly on-topic than the previous iterations.
Be respectful. You are allowed to disagree with someone - but play the ball, not the man. Repeat offenders will have their posting rights revoked.

Thanks to Lore once again for this incredibly useful spreadsheet.

2025 KEY DATES
Free Agency Period: Friday, October 3rd - Friday, October 10th
Trade Period: Monday, October 6th - Wednesday, October 15th
AFL Draft: Wednesday, November 19th - Thursday, November 20th

See Also:
2025 Year in Review Rumours & Confirmed Movements 2025 Draft Discussion
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[Joffaboy]

Media seems quite adamant it's going to get Carlton band 1. Will be interesting to see how that plays out. They need all the help they can get.

Might be end of the first round, but doubt they give them pick 7 and pick 8.

 

[Off Stump 89]

We are bouncing in a big way next year, the vibes are high.
All we need is luck with injury, I don’t see a reason why we can’t make a run like Adelaide has this year with some luck.

Ride this wave all the way to the 26 flag

 

[PJays]

But can we all agree we are making moves

Problem is these moves seem closer to madness than genius.

Silvagni has averaged 11 games a year over the last 6 years. 68 games since start of 2020.

Look how many AFL players have careers ended prematurely by injury.

Carlisle, Crouch and Hannebery are three recent, high profile Saints recruits whose bodies failed them.

If you're still playing good footy at 32 you're in the minority.

It feels incredibly unwise offering 5 year deals to players of Silvagni's age, especially ones with his injury history.

And the reported salary is too much. Unless Silvagni plays career best footy. Or unless the cap rises astronomically from 2028 with the new CBA. But why would that happen?

 

[draft guru]

What? No he doesn't?

He has played well in 2 or 3 games but against rich he got 4 goals and 30 on him by the Richmond fwd that just got delisted who also had about 30 hitouts

 

[Donflicted]

Really don't know what you are complaining about, you got Parish, Jackson Bird AND Gresham from the Carlisle trade.
That Dodoro always won a trade.

Man i just vomited everywhere you said his name Dodoro

 

[Yawkey way]

I know it sounds crazy but we’ve actually helped ourselves and Carlton although they don’t see it yet.

They still have a good goal to goal line, plus a very good midfield. The comp for TDK and Silvagni will be juicy. They just need to go out a pry a guy like moyle out to help in the ruck and Dean is going to be a gun.

Jagga Smith, Dean, whoever they get with the compo picks is likely to see then improve on this year. TDK played injured for most of the year and Silvagni only managed 13 games through injury.

Stop moaning campaigners.

 

[SaintBenny]

Imagine if you were TDK and you left Carlton because you couldn't stand jsos.

 

[Joffaboy]

No.

We have cap space in large part due to the amount of 1-3 year players on our list

We have cap space because
1. We banked 2 x 5% approx 1.8
2. We front loaded otherwise we were paying 85% in 2025, basically 3 x 5% going forward or 2.745
3. together that's about 4.7 mill.
That's what we can roughly work out. Then we have
4. A large amount of 1-3 year players on the list, AND
5. No salary cap increases are built into any contract. Apparently only us and Essendon have achieved this.

Who knows how much 4 and 5 are saving us but really even a superficial calculation of what is known numbers 1, 2, and 3) shows that the SC is not being blown up. Only lazy commentators who have agenda's and salty supporters of other clubs are spouting the maxed out SC trope.
Operators like McGuire can see what is happening.

 

[SaintWWodonga]

Im pretty sure JSOS + TDK are mates...

 

[jwikked]

Honestly, I hope we are doing dodgy stuff with the salary cap. It would be boring and vanilla to simply have an accountant work all this stuff out. Get some seedy businessmen on the side helping out.

 

[Minga]

Problem is these moves seem closer to madness than genius.

Silvagni has averaged 11 games a year over the last 6 years. 68 games since start of 2020.

Look how many AFL players have careers ended prematurely by injury.

Carlisle, Crouch and Hannebery are three recent, high profile Saints recruits whose bodies failed them.

If you're still playing good footy at 32 you're in the minority.

It feels incredibly unwise offering 5 year deals to players of Silvagni's age, especially ones with his injury history.

And the reported salary is too much. Unless Silvagni plays career best footy. Or unless the cap rises astronomically from 2028 with the new CBA. But why would that happen?

If I remember right, Wood had a tattered history with both form and injury before coming to the saints. Sometimes they come good.

I agree though, the concern is not unfounded but we are taking calculated risks against the investment of our good drafting for the last 4 years, and the retention of NAS.

 

[bird_man]

Still no Windy signing.

I think losing him so we could afford Silvagni would be a disaster. Fingers crossed that isn't the case.

 

[SaintWWodonga]

I still hope we get Fincher + Voss in the draft.

 

[projectv]

Imagine if you were TDK and you left Carlton because you couldn't stand jsos.

Would have to assume that us getting TDK was at least part of the reason why JSOS chose us.

Otherwise it could be a bit awkward.

 

[Diehard Saint]

We are stockpiling some serious talent on our list.

Right.
Windy, WTF are you waiting for?

 

[PJays]

I thought they said $4m over 5 years, presumably front-loaded so I doubt it's too silly by the end

I'd love to know how we could be managing that.

Supposedly paying Nas and TDK $3.7 or $3.8m.

Let's say $900k for JSOS front-loaded.

Total say $4.6mil using $1.7m TDK.

The entire cap is $19.2 million (Including the 5% excess).

That leaves $14.6mil for the rest of the list.

Keeping in mind St Kilda must have paid $16.9mil this year (95% of $17.8mil).

People have suggested the marketing fund, but the entire fund is $35 million distributed to 54 players by the end of 2027. Assuming even distribution that's less than $2mil per club and it includes AFLW.

I wonder if they're anticipating Marshall finds a new home either this year or next. According to the Herald Sun rich 100, he's our highest paid player.

 

[Diehard Saint]

Media seems quite adamant it's going to get Carlton band 1. Will be interesting to see how that plays out. They need all the help they can get.

Stuff that!

 

[LH7]

I know it sounds crazy but we’ve actually helped ourselves and Carlton although they don’t see it yet.

They still have a good goal to goal line, plus a very good midfield. The comp for TDK and Silvagni will be juicy. They just need to go out a pry a guy like moyle out to help in the ruck and Dean is going to be a gun.

Jagga Smith, Dean, whoever they get with the compo picks is likely to see then improve on this year. TDK played injured for most of the year and Silvagni only managed 13 games through injury.

Stop moaning campaigners.

Disagree, this is definitely bad for Carlton.
1. the TDK compo will be band 1 but they will most likely need to trade it out as it falls around the Dean bid - who knows what they will get back.
2. the JSOS compo is likely to be end of first round, which is like mid 20's in a shallow draft.
3. Multiple best 22 players leaving is really bad for morale.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Yeah you're right, i should have phrased it better. Fine with the speculation and im absolutely fine with people calling it a risky gamble (which it is), just hate oppo supporters who for some reason, are angry and malicious about us being making moves and signing players.

They only do it because theyre upset the small little poor club is starting to look good.

Bassat keeps getting proven right in when he said "we are expected to shut up and cop it"
Its a new St Kilda where neither happens

 

[bird_man]

Why would you even post this except to concern troll.
There has not been one report we can't afford the players we are landing or after.

Well I mean, like any other club we have a salary cap.

There has to be a point where it runs out.

 

[BigPowerForward]

FMD
If we keep bringing in players, this will be the only mystery mid we'll be seeing at the Saints

 

[SaintsofSteel]

If I remember right, Wood had a tattered history with both form and injury before coming to the saints. Sometimes they come good.

I agree though, the concern is not unfounded but we are taking calculated risks against the investment of our good drafting for the last 4 years, and the retention of NAS.

You would hope there are minimum game clauses in his contract... but lets hope he can have an injury free run at it. The same as Hunter Clark if he remains on the list.

 

[ThomasR]

Honestly, I hope we are doing dodgy stuff with the salary cap. It would be boring and vanilla to simply have an accountant work all this stuff out. Get some seedy businessmen on the side helping out.

I don't think the money men at the Bassat residence were there to pick up the takeaway

 

[Dr Spaceman]

 

[moirae42]

looks like 2026 is the new 2028.