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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[stavro#4]

Vic, who many say has good info, posted on Twitter that it's all done, Windy in NZ, just minor stuff to be signed off with the manager

Maybe stavro#4 can find the tweet, I can't

We do if you are willing to wave goodbye to a senior listed player and the only 2 with noise and are “gettable” is Marshall (who is accounted for) and Steele

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Would Moose to the Dees mean we're keeping Roma?

A few people thought that the signing of Tom Campbell meant that Heath was unlikely to go there.

 

[stavro#4]

Jeez the Merret thing is about to go off

players want him gone it seems, Redman's comment dropped his trade value by 1/2, others speaking out. Essendon look they are about to have a line in the sand moment

Agree with all of this but the value part.

He ain’t going unless Essendon can sell this as a win.

2 firsts is where this starts at.

 

[Mat Mann]

Agree with all of this but the value part.

He ain’t going unless Essendon can sell this as a win.

2 firsts is where this starts at.

might have been an exaggeration, but certainly doesn't help Essendon's bargaining position

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Jeez the Merret thing is about to go off

players want him gone it seems, Redman's comment dropped his trade value by 1/2, others speaking out. Essendon look they are about to have a line in the sand moment

If i was Mr Essendon, and unless i had someone i wanted to use the cap on, I'd be inclined to say, "You're still getting paid Zach, but unless we get crazy offers for you, you can take a couple of years off. whilst showing him my middle finger." I'm sure Essendon weren't the ones pushing him into that long term deal he's locked into. And a contract IS legally binding.

 

[dudeintheswamp]

Just had a look and the Essendon b & f is on Thursday October 2, the week before trade period begins on Monday October 6. They have three weeks of deep shit to wade through until then.

 

[snails13]

Agree with all of this but the value part.

He ain’t going unless Essendon can sell this as a win.

2 firsts is where this starts at.

F... Hawthorn,they should ask for 2 top players
Bombers will already have 4 picks in top 25,

 

[Moquo]

Just had a look and the Essendon b & f is on Thursday October 2, the week before trade period begins on Monday October 6. They have three weeks of deep shit to wade through until then.

Is it televised?

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

I think Merrett is GONE
You can't have your captain not wanting to be there & why would he
The fact that he's actually had a chat with the Hawks indicates that.
They will come up with adequate compensation
He enhances their chance at another premiership in the next 3 years

 

[Yawkey way]

Despite all this, I hope they refuse to trade him

They won’t sadly this is the new normal.

He’s taken the money and the captaincy now he wants to walk away. Sam Mitchell must have some routine, maybe he’s like that running Guru off man down with the giant arse and has them hypnotised.

 

[Bill Crouse]

Is it televised?

There is probably a live stream like for ours. Will be pretty awkward when he wins and isn't there.

 

[Yawkey way]

I think Merrett is GONE
You can't have your captain not wanting to be there & why would he
The fact that he's actually had a chat with the Hawks indicates that.
They will come up with adequate compensation
He enhances their chance at another premiership in the next 3 years

Just as long as we don’t give up anything too tasty if they want to move Cmac on, late first is generous.

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

Just as long as we don’t give up anything too tasty if they want to move Cmac on, late first is generous.

It's a great opportunity to cash in on a desperate Hawthorn & a pathetic Essendope. As much as I hate the thought of helping flipping Hawthorn get closer to another damn flag... if it helps us get top end talent in, especially as we now entering a period when loading up on draft night will be challenging.

If we can snag McKenzie for an F1 (or even a late 1st thanks to Marshall trade) then that would be a great result. CMac adds class to our midfield that has a lot of other pieces already in place.

 

[SainterinSydney]

Just had a look and the Essendon b & f is on Thursday October 2, the week before trade period begins on Monday October 6. They have three weeks of deep shit to wade through until then.

I wonder if they will publicly delist Gresham at the bnf

 

[tassiesaint2024]

Just as long as we don’t give up anything too tasty if they want to move Cmac on, late first is generous.

Don’t reckon it is generous. If we had a 3rd year player drafted at 7, who had played a heap of games in his first two years, finally cracked the midfield with 30 possessions in his third and then got injured. Would we be happy with a pick in the 15-20 range? I’m not sure we would.

 

[Leap of Faith]

I think Merrett is GONE
You can't have your captain not wanting to be there & why would he
The fact that he's actually had a chat with the Hawks indicates that.
They will come up with adequate compensation
He enhances their chance at another premiership in the next 3 years

Amazing how what's acceptable has changed. Not so long ago just for an opposition coach to meet with a player of another team would have been outrageous, even more so without advising that player's club he was going to do so. Let alone it happening whilst the season is still progressing and that player is the other club's captain.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Poor ol' Redman had those offers to go home to SA a year or two ago and turned them down to stay loyal. Since then, Ridley, Draper and Merrett have cashed out to try and chase some kind - any kind - of success. Its enough to make you see red, man.

Has enhanced his chances of being captain next year though, with a pay upgrade.

 

[SainterinSydney]

Interesting.

Tom Morris reporting that Essendon will need minimum 2 first rounders + other things to trade Merrett.

One needs to be next year.

Hawks pick 8 and our F1

Yes, yes, I like. Future first for Cmac which ends up being in the 20s next year when we are minor premiers

 

[Remboy]

As stavro#4 pointed out 40 pages ago, we don't have the list space for Ugle-Hagan.

We’ll have list spaces to burn when the exodus happens. Should be any day now.

 

[gringo2011]

Call me nuts, but I foresee a rise akin to Adelaide 2025.

• In a way our results and ladder position the last 2 seasons give a misleading sense of our current state for two reasons:

1. The injuries to key personnel in Max, Howard, Crouch, Phillipou and Mashall playing injured for much of this season.
2. Horrible 2025 fixture - my belief is that good teams should be able to roll with whatever cards they are dealt, and while I still do believe that, I've now seen how decent but vulnerable teams can have their season derailed if all the tough matches are bunched together at the start and all the cakewalks are loaded at the end of the season when there's no chance of getting into finals.

• We have cleared out most of our dead wood from the fallow Richo-Ratts eras and are now trading in a higher class of player.
• There is a momentum going into the next season that can be capitalised on, hopefully more Saints fans and footy fans in general will be thrilled seeing players like Nas, Mitchito the St Kilda Samurai, TDK, Flyin' Ryan, the flying Viking and flying whoever else take to the skies with speckie after speckie, we could be box office.
• We have strengthened in our weakest area, midfield: our ruck should be more potent at centre clearances, our next generation mids now have the experience to dominate the centre without slower older players needing to run the show. Specifically: Nas, Hall, Garcia, Windhager, Boxshall, Wilson and Phillipou.
• Max King has a point to prove and no time to waste. Looking for a Thrillthorpe-esque rise from him, a more knowledgeable and savvy continuation of Hammer's progress up top and for young Keeler to start strutting round making the F50 his own. The task for Bolton or whoever next year's fwd coach will be, is to stop the tall forwards from leading to the same spots.
• Wilkie can't possibly be denied the captaincy any longer, I feel leadership was missing for a large part of the early games this season.
• Likewise, I'm hoping the coaches noticed our inability to stick tackles and play through tackles and our basics skills plummet under pressure and will work specifically on this in our off-season.
• A lot of our players have been inexperienced in the last three seasons, now we will look to capitalise on the blooding we have given them.
• It seems as if since the Nas negotiations have concluded the clock has started ticking: we have two years to show our best players we are the real deal: year one pass mark must be one winning final, year two pass mark should be getting into PFs and not being embarrassed. I think the coaches and players now feel this.
• The competition is more even than ever atm, Adelaide showed us the difference between 15th and 1st and its nothing extraordinary. We can do this.

Adelaide probably a bit different in that so many of their kids are men now. Definitely true though, the competition is even as it's ever been.

We probably need injury luck more than anything. As soon as our depth gets tested we struggle to compete and we really look a bit light on through the midfield still.

Finals doesn't look like an unrealistic expectation. Anything beyond that will come down to luck and internal development going better than expected.

 

[thekizzler]

Don’t reckon it is generous. If we had a 3rd year player drafted at 7, who had played a heap of games in his first two years, finally cracked the midfield with 30 possessions in his third and then got injured. Would we be happy with a pick in the 15-20 range? I’m not sure we would.

That is certainly one way of looking at Cmac's 2025.

You could also say that he clearly isn't rated by Sam Mitchell.

Played in the VFL for a large part of the season including the current finals.

Wasn't selected for a large portion of Will Day's absence and even when James Worpel was injured and sub.

Has had players such as Henry Hustwaite, Sam Butler, Seamus Mitchell and Finn Maginness all preferred to him when he was fit.

The club is actively looking to bring in more players in his position while he is already being treated as a fringe player.

The way Hawthorn have dealt with him this year, his value is probably less than first round pick.

But it will require one to prise him out of contract and for his 'potential'.

 

[gringo2011]

Composure, poise and can kick. I thought I was watching Zac Merrett for most of that video. Down to the way he moved.

Fair bit taller than Merrett I think. He's quite tall from memory. That highlight video made him look exceptional. He doesn't look as stand out most games.

 

[MightySaintas]

Adelaide probably a bit different in that so many of their kids are men now. Definitely true though, the competition is Evan as it's ever been.

We probably need injury luck more than anything. As soon as our depth gets tested we struggle to compete and we really look a bit light on through the midfield still.

Finals doesn't look like an unrealistic expectation. Anything beyond that will come down to luck and internal development going better than expected.

We just look too young.
Couple of years in the gym will sort that out

 

[gringo2011]

get major Sam Mitchell vibes

Quicker than Mitchell. SM was a plodder who used smarts to overcome deficiencies. CMac looked quick on the burst but with good skills in that.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Fair bit taller than Merrett I think. He's quite tall from memory. That highlight video made him look exceptional. He doesn't look as stand out most games.

188 cm v 179 cm
Only 3 inches taller