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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[MrFoster]

We barely have a full midfield to choose from and most clubs don't only have a couple in reserve. He is a player who is super adaptable he isn't just an inside mid.

If it's effectively Flanders for Windy. Would you think that's an improvement to our midfield?

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

He looks a natural defender to me. He's got an amazing ability to come out of nowhere and get a first on the footy.

That tap out along the ground for the Hill? goal, tells me he's got natural nous to play forward too
As l said more fun for the fans to have him forward, leaping for marks & goal assisting
Altimate swing man let's say.

 

[Train12]

Interesting decision for Windy.

A lot of positivity around us at the minute.

He was given the number 2 and ‘face’ of spuds game.

Close mates at the club.

He leaves and could miss success ?

To leave for Melbourne and North would be an interesting decision..

 

[Joffaboy]

Wish we had of kept Gehrig in defence, no good forward
Trade period is a month off, we don't know who we will target next or who will be targetted.
Wild ride coming up.

 

[SG34]

Interesting decision for Windy.

A lot of positivity around us at the minute.

He was given the number 2 and ‘face’ of spuds game.

Close mates at the club.

He leaves and could miss success ?

To leave for Melbourne and North would be an interesting decision..

Yep.
And a coachless Melbourne!!

Maybe he doesn’t love Ross the boss so much?

I think he began the Ross mkII era in the seconds for the first month.

But it is a loss. A significant loss. Someone said Wilson can replace him in the wing and RTB does bang on about Wilson a fair bit, but Wilson had very disappointing season. (Last game aside)

We can’t afford to lose a Battle, or a Windy every season. Think of who else we could have trained. That said , we got good value out of Windy while he played.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

As for being injury riddled e.g JSOS
Joe Daniher's body was absolutely cooked in most people's eyes.
Goes to Brisbane & pretty much plays every game.
Sure, he retired early, but didn't need to push on after GF success.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Wish we had of kept Gehrig in defence, no good forward
Trade period is a month off, we don't know who we will target next or who will be targetted.
Wild ride coming up.

He was great in defence for WCE, speed to burn.
Then we turned him into a power forward
Smart us.
What a combo he & Hamill were, wow.

 

[heynow85]

I think some news coming up on Ch7 sport re a big name Saint being forced down the highway

 

[Sarcoidevo]

All those saying Windy is only B grade need to remember he's B grade already and only 22.

He will keep improving.

Maybe ... maybe not

Could be the club thinks he wont improve ... as in get faster or will never be a contested marking mid ... like Garcia has pace and Boxshall is a great contested mark

You cant fit them all in

Every year we need to delist players and it could be that the club thinks others in his position have more potential long term and therefore he might be on a list of possible players to be cut in a few years ...... if we keep improving our midfield group

He obviously thinks he is worth a bigger longer contract moreso than the club is prepared to pay for his current output and his development potential

 

[Yawkey way]

His work rate is exceptional. He's not a great player any more. By the end of the year he looked very old.

I’ve warmed to hill over the years but still can’t stand it when he won’t put his head over the ball or can’t split a contest overhead.

He’s been good despite that but he is getting old, I’m not sure how many years he has left maybe two. It’s funny but the same people who talk about his work and worth off the ground downplay winghangers.

Aleer on whatever it is $700k x 4 is a travesty when the club is arguing over $50k with home grown talent. I can only hope Enright can turn Aleer into a player because at present he has no clue with or without the ball. Thursday was actually one of his better games.

Oh well here we are again things are starting to go sideways, this is going to be a monumental fail if we don’t play finals and go on to contend. One things certain and that is everyone from the top down is going to come for us, so we’re neck deep now.

I’m assuming Windhager is gone now and the brains trust are rubbing their hands together thinking of what they’ll do with the pick. So for all the talk of happy, happy, happy it looks increasing like we’re loosing Windhager, Marshall, probably Steele and might need to pony up more cash for Wilkie.

Better not be for more meh players like Flanders and CMac. I know Flanders is a favourite of yours gringo but I followed him through 2 years with Vic country and wasn’t that impressed, I was shocked when he broke out last year and now he’s gone missing again. Half back to release Nas makes sense but what about our collection of you kids queuing up for the job.

I can only hope the finished product when the trade period ends looks better than this because at present it’s a real Jackson Pollock.

 

[SaintsofSteel]

We are hopelessly undersized in defence so I see Aleer as a good pick up. Howard’s body is so fragile that we can’t possibly bank on him playing every week and Barrett still looks miles off it. With Aleer, JSOS, Wilkie and Howard we have a much better look to the back 6. Also frees up Camineti and even Tauru to play forward if required. King Marshall, Camineti/Tauru and Sharman gives us some decent height in the front half. Add Higgo and Ryan and it looks genuinly threatening. This year it was Sharman and Higgo or bust.

I agree we need another tall defender but Aleer is not it. He is poor one on one and not quick enough to read the ball in flight or react.

There are much better options around I don't know why the club have chosen to go after Aleer.

 

[Yawkey way]

What happened to mowman ? I’d love to hear what he has to say and what he’s hearing.

 

[thekizzler]

I can't comprehend WTF the club see in Aleer. Of all the finals games I watched since last Thursday he is by far and away the most limited defensive footballer that ran around.

HTF do they think they can turn this loping slow skeleton into an intercept star. He can't read the play and is way too slow to make up for it and remain with his opponent.

Would you say that he is or isn't a twit though?

 

[Joffaboy]

What happened to mowman ? I’d love to hear what he has to say and what he’s hearing.

Was carded for a while. May have left?

 

[jwikked]

What happened to mowman ? I’d love to hear what he has to say and what he’s hearing.

They’ve finally succeeded in chasing him away

 

[Holy Hunter Clark]

Some supporters on here would complain if Byrnes left to another club

I can only dream

 

[Holy Hunter Clark]

I for one welcome our Sudanese overlord

Thoughts Dard Ball Get

 

[Geezington]

I think some news coming up on Ch7 sport re a big name Saint being forced down the highway

Marshall

 

[True Believer]

You don't have to match but you need to be with in the same range. Usually you get a -20% stay at home tax or something.

OK, so we should be capped at $680k then (according to reports of $850k)???

 

[Diehard Saint]

I've given plenty of suggestions of how to build through drafting and then attack FA and chase hole fillers when you get to the right point. We are going early before results come in so now have to overpay to attract guys who aren't fully developed in.

There are plenty of Max Hall and Wilkie types in state leagues. There are plenty of good rucks stuck behind others in the AFL system.

We can't lose players as quickly as we pick them up or we'll never move forward. If our youth don't make massive strides and then commit to stay we'll never go forward.

Making your existing players feel less valued doesn't build culture. Bringing in a bunch of B graders from toxic culture isn't my preferred model either.

We’ve drafted for 4 years.
We are attacking FA now while we have the cap.
Yes, things are possibly a little more accelerated than planned….
There’s a 3 -letter reason for that.
NAS.
And he’s given us two years.
So you grasp the opportunity using the cap we have so carefully gathered for years, and you go.

 

[Joffaboy]

They’ve finally succeeded in chasing him away

Who is they? The mods or someone else?

 

[SG34]

When Billings comes back, he’ll be a new man.

 

[Diehard Saint]

we swapped Battle for JSOS and Tarau. That's a good deal and one I'm very happy with

Honestly think Battle was going whatever we offered.
His head was completely turned by Mitchell and co.

 

[akaifu]

 

[austinnn]

We forget Windy was the one who came up with the final strategy to beat Melbourne in the comeback of the century. Must have a great football Frankie Laine. Give him the $50k.

That has been debunked plenty of times even by wendy himself