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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[CursingFijian]

In hindsight, its lowkey hilarious that the captain of the club was making such statements before the season started. Even funnier after the season they ended up having. Wonder how his ego will go at a club like hawthorn, who very much have the opposite philosophy to this

Essendon should get on the front foot and just make shit up.

Say that CMAC & Hustwaite have been offered up.

Or say that they've knocked back an offer of Mitch Lewis & Ginnivan.

Hell even come out and say that it looks like Will Day will be involved in the trade.

But they owe Hawthorn nothing. Force Sam Mitchell to get out there and defend while they're deep in finals. If they lose fans will feel like the season got derailed.

 

[gringo2011]

And you guys are obsessed with misleading stats

View attachment 2423754

Why is it misleading? One is using the ball a lot more and using it to break lines. It's there regardless. You can't make it up. For how he plays Nas is above average. KPDs are usually very high efficiency because they pass it off to players like Nas, Hammer is worse than most of his peers in that regard.

Flanders plays with in his means but he's still a very good user of the ball. He's not Fiorini who racks up stats but a lot miss a target. CMac seems to be quite good at picking out kicks but it doesn't mean Flanders disposal is bad.

 

[gringo2011]

Keeler and Dodson don't have the tank to ruck a whole game.

It's a risk but if we have Marshall go down and rely on Boyd this year we are going to struggle to compete in the ruck.

Dodson and Keeler will be another year older and should be getting fitter. Probably have to ruck the full year in the VFL regardless.

 

[gringo2011]

Interesting perspective. I often think that a lot of middling players are still just that but given a false elevation due to having won a flag. That is obviously the goal but doesn’t make a player better having won one, just more successful on that measure.

Your alternate view is interesting. Maybe it does have some performance benefit to it post flag?

I think winning a flag builds the players confidence and while they don't turn into guns they play at their absolute level.

 

[SainterinSydney]

To be honest, I would rather not sell the farm for Merrett. I'd prefer getting Cmac and Flanders who are both young (especially Cmac). Cmac may end up really biting Hawks on the ass.

 

[gringo2011]

We’ll see, the moment they start talking about what he’s worth he’s gone.

Players talking, no B&F, age, contract size etc none of those point to a Mai I’ve haul which to first rounders under 10 would be plus some tinkering.

Who knows maybe hawks will believe he’s the missing piece, if we’re involved we need to take full advantage.

I think that's how it gets done. The Hawks really want Merrett and they have to give up something to get into the picks to get him. CMac is on the fringes there and maybe with their FRDP and pick 7 that gets it over the line.

 

[Diehard Saint]

Flanders has very good disposal and better efficiency than CMAC. You seem obsessed with hating on Flanders.

Sam Flanders and Cameron Mackenzie AFL Stats Comparison

Sam Flanders and Cameron Mackenzie AFL Stats Comparison.

www.footywire.com

Let’s get both and make everyone happy!

 

[gringo2011]

Much as I'd like Cam Mckenzie, I don't really want us facilitating a trade that allows hawthorn to get stronger. We're gonna have a lot of pressure to make finals next year and don't need the teams we want to beat getting more reinforcement.

Then again, if we don't someone else probably will i guess

I usually get excited every draft but this one is so hard to love after last year. Chances are that pick 7 gets a spud that takes 4 to 5 years to come on only to be delisted. If you see a player outside the draft you like and that player is young enough to play another 10 years, I reckon it's very low risk. He looks at least a GOP.

We don't really need players coming through in 2029, we need to have a crack now. CMac helps get that going.

 

[MOLTEN GANGLANDS]

Let’s get both and make everyone angry!

FIFY

 

[SainterinSydney]

JSOS, TDK, Aleer, Ryan, Cmac and Flanders in trade period equals

 

[Diehard Saint]

Rather a mid with three years of AFL development

Who should have been ours anyway and Hawks have put development into for us. Seems like it’s come full circle.
Not unlike Max Hall’s development at Boxhill now benefiting us.
Very happy with that over an untried pick this draft.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Why is it misleading? One is using the ball a lot more and using it to break lines. It's there regardless. You can't make it up. For how he plays Nas is above average. KPDs are usually very high efficiency because they pass it off to players like Nas, Hammer is worse than most of his peers in that regard.

Flanders plays with in his means but he's still a very good user of the ball. He's not Fiorini who racks up stats but a lot miss a target. CMac seems to be quite good at picking out kicks but it doesn't mean Flanders disposal is bad.

Cornes comment on the radio, was "non -damaging ".

 

[Diehard Saint]

Damn how is the boring season still going, let's hurry up and get to trade period

The way we’re going now the trade season will be even more boring. Won’t have much to do

 

[gringo2011]

Let’s get both and make everyone happy!

It looks like Flanders is quite likely to get done. CMac wo knows but it's possible. We might not get either of them still but they are both good for different reasons. I'd happily have both. Worst case someone like Dow or Hunter Clark rarely plays seniors and our depth improves a step up.

I think it was Nathan Buckley saying that we should see our recruits as not being key pieces of the puzzle but improving the over all list quality like Adelaide did. If you 23 to 26th player are higher quality your overall profile improves and you're less vulnerable to injury.

 

[stfan]

we're going to cop payback with an early bid on Fincher I'm guessing... boo hoo - where are we going to possibly find 3 third round picks from

I doubt any Club will bid early on a player just to dish out payback. The club involved will need to want that player, or otherwise they might get stuck that player instead of another player that they actually preferred.

 

[stfan]

If he’s already met with the hawks and semi committed I can’t see any benefit to use trying to become involved.

The Hawks are front runners, but may not be willing to cough up enough to satisfy the Dons.

St Kilda potentially may be willing to offer more if the Hawks try to lowball. Merrett then may reconsider us, as we will look a more attractive option that we did 12 months ago.

 

[Remboy]

If he’s already met with the hawks and semi comitted I can’t see any benefit to use trying to become involved.

Any involvement we have would not involve Merrett. It would waiting to see how desperate Hawthorn are to obtain another top ten pick and see if we can use that to our advantage in obtaining something else, like CMac or the zone they took off us that cost us 27 flags.

 

[DougalHoward]

Don't want Merrett after what he pulled last year

 

[dudeintheswamp]

Merrett the mystery mid?

 

[Remboy]

Merrett the mystery mid?

View attachment 2423863

Package him up with Shiel and we really win trade week.

 

[Minga]

Isn't merrett the one who was going on about how afl players should get paid less so the big stars such as himself could make more?

Bloke sounds like a PR managers nightmare

 

[dudeintheswamp]

JSOS, TDK, Aleer, Ryan, Cmac and Flanders in trade period equals

View attachment 2423852

Drink driving?

 

[stfan]

To be honest, I would rather not sell the farm for Merrett. I'd prefer getting Cmac and Flanders who are both young (especially Cmac). Cmac may end up really biting Hawks on the ass.

Hawks probably will not let Cmac go, and especially if they cannot land Merrett.

Flanders I see as more gettable as Suns will take 3 good Academy mids (two 2 Top 5 ish and one Top 25) this draft. The first two at least of which they will want to get some senior games into next year.

 

[Jesuswasacarpenter]

He had a patch where people were calling him mini Bont. I'd still want more than a promising young player.

I think fretija will be a gun in years to come.

 

[Joffaboy]

We have spent the kitry on TDK, JSOS and Aleer, can't afford Merrett but can afford a Flanders or CMAC