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
​

 

[SaintsofSteel]

Accusing the club of bullying behaviour…I guess someone’s rep (who is posting it) can be blown up quickly if it comes to be inaccurate..

So it’s been advised when trade period opens, Wilkie and his manager are going to make allegations against the club of bullying etc etc ?

Starting point may be if he attends the best and fairest?

Where does this come from?

 

[Sir Owens]

Where does this come from?

He was bullied into calling Ross and saying he loves the club. Unfortunately, it only got worse when we did the sit-down video, saying how excited he was for next year.

 

[phantom13]

It's not ours, it is supposed to be neutral, but unfortunately for some reason it isn't.

I don’t know which one is being discussed, I made the assumption is was one on the dogs board.

If it is, tread very very carefully.

If its main board it should be more chill.

Also we don’t discuss board moderation so probably wrap that up with this and for the 100th time, I’m not a saints board moderator so this is general advice not specific

 

[JimmyR20]

Isn't the poster of this bullying rumour the same person who said windhager is definitely leaving.

Or am I getting my trolls confused.

 

[Dard Ball Get]

Told you blokes when NAZ signed, a full 11 game membership and reserved seat.

I was despondent and thought the AFL was allowing the club to wither on the vine.
However the club could not have done more to restore my confidence
1. Upended the league regarding NGA and FS
2. Saved millions in cap to get a raft of new players in that has again upset the AFL industry
3. Signed all the relevant OOC players like NAZ and Windy, extensions to Pou, and the kids
4. Making the club relevant again. A club that wont be walked over.

It may not work, history shows it rarely does for us, but hope is restored in a possible rise up the ladder and the admin of the club and running of the footy dept.

Good stuff.
I’m just offended you’ve stolen my Happy Clapper moniker and are not living the true HC lifestyle

 

[phantom13]

The Wilkie thing makes zero sense to me

1. If he had issues with bullying and harrassment etc, why would this only come up now when there's the prospect of a godfather offer from the Dogs? He was on the record as dismissing this a month ago, surely nothing has changed in that time.
2. Why would he be salty about us recruiting extra help in the backline? With Battle gone this year his job got infinitely harder and he frequently looked exasperated, surely he'd be stoked to have some more support.
3. Not to mention he's no spring chicken, I would have thought he'd want to see us recruiting players in the win now age bracket.
4. Re: salaries he's an accountant, he wouldn't be naive about how these things work. You pay overs to get players in, the CBA increasing inflating salaries etc. If his manager wants to use the dogs offer to extract some extra $$ from us I can believe that, but he doesn't seem like the sort of bloke who'd jump ship purely for money.

Playing devils advocate (and I’d note I think most of this stuff about Wilkie is bullshit).
1- I think the suggestion is he and his management would raise this stuff, mostly false, to force the trade he apparently wants, not that it’s true.
2- again the suggestion seems to be that he’s filthy Aleer and Jsos would be getting paid what he is, not that he doesn’t want help or good players but that if they’re worth $700 he’s worth a million.
3- money over success seems to be the sticking point
4- totally agree, frankly I think people suggesting he’s gonna go nuclear to get to another club for the payrise are being pretty silly. Merett is one example, I can’t think of many (any?) others and even then Merett actually didn’t do that much of nuclear stuff, the media played that out and he just didn’t intervene.

 

[Remboy]

Slightly off topic but thought I'd just drop this here in case anyone's forgotten...

View attachment 2429993

What a bloody great day that was!

Thanks for that. You just reminded me to watch the last quarter again

 

[akaifu]

Heaps said he wasn't worth paying because he was B grade.

I was one of them, and I still believe that he shouldn't be overpaid

But the judgement I back more is the club's. If the club thinks he is worth x amount, then I won't criticise them

No one here knows how much he's being paid so I find it crazy there are people saying the Windy doubters have "gone quiet"

 

[Joffaboy]

Good stuff.
I’m just offended you’ve stolen my Happy Clapper moniker and are not living the true HC lifestyle

Well it was a choice between bedwetter and Happy Clapper,and I literally haven't wet the bed in days now.

 

[bergholt]

It’s the annual 2010 saints old boys catch up day today. Lyon will be there. I have a man on the inside. If there is any good goss il let you know.

Holy shit you're Rob Eddy

 

[Remboy]

Soooo, no cancelled membership??

I keep cancelling my membership every time SOS is re-appointed and buying it back when he's sacked. It's costing me a fortune.

 

[SG34]

The Wilkie thing makes zero sense to me

1. …

2. Why would he be salty about us recruiting extra help in the backline? With Battle gone this year his job got infinitely harder and he frequently looked exasperated, surely he'd be stoked to have some more support.
3. …
4. …

We all live Cal. And we hope Cal loves us!
But TBH, I can see how he might be salty.
Losing Battle was a blow, not just for him, and the team, but for the fabric of team man-and it was a shot in the arm for a new breed - the mercenary.
The one that lives in us all.
Seeing the money that will be thrown at new replacements as he is running out of runway in his own career has to make him at least pause. Even if he and his Mrs hasn’t been round to Sam Mitchell’s place for arvo scones and tea by now. (And who knows)

 

[botts]

I propose instant ban for any dogs supporters that come on our board. Fight fire with fire

 

[gringo2011]

We clearly I don’t agree with that.

If you go on the NFL depth chart for mids windy is probably 3rd or 4th?

Nas, Macrae, windy, Pou, Steele, Garcia?

Yet to be seen if Nas becomes a full time mid. From late in the season it looks like he's splitting his time with HB his starting spot and impact moments on ball orphan we need someone to break open a stalemate.

More Jordan De Goey than Zac Butters. Phillipou probably similar but starting off HF.

Garcia really plays full time mid or bust but in his third year and only 25 games into his career he's going to fade at some point. That's a lot of weight to carry so young.

Steele is still a wait and see and he's been left out of the starting CBAs for Garcia late and even when playing on ball seems to have to be the defensive mid for Macrae.

Windy looks best placed as a wingman with tagging roles when required. Geelong are playing 2 taggers and Lyon is a fanboy of Scott. As you said the midfield is probably wings and high half forwards as well these days. It's not just a few inside guys and the ruck. Windy is holding his own right now with gears to go up.

 

[gringo2011]

Yeah it’s a bit of an awkward one because while all the other positions are pretty much set the most important area of the ground is still a work in progress. I’m expecting a breakout from Garcia and hopefully Phillipou and while I wouldn’t have paid 1.7 for TDK I’m confident he’ll give the midfield a big boost.

I think Phantom is right though. Geelong are the bench mark and rather than a couple of stars they have a dynamic spread of talent and types. Plenty of pace but without the absolute ball pig mids of sides like Carlton, Melbourne and the Dogs. They get you on the outside mostly and happy to sacrifice clearance to cause rebound turn overs

 

[phantom13]

We all live Cal. And we hope Cal loves us!
But TBH, I can see how he might be salty.
Losing Battle was a blow, not just for him, and the team, but for the fabric of team man-and it was a shot in the arm for a new breed - the mercenary.
The one that lives in us all.
Seeing the money that will be thrown at new replacements as he is running out of runway in his own career has to make him at least pause. Even if he and his Mrs hasn’t been round to Sam Mitchell’s place for arvo scones and tea by now. (And who knows)

There just isnt much logic to it though.

I completely get wanting a pay bump and i seriously doubt wed be telling him to go kick rocks if he asked for one but we can also only really do that by extending him too.

Hes contracted til 27 right now, he wll be 31 years old when his current deal expires. Give him two more year (extend til 29) and bump his per year up there.

Anything else honestly sounds like media bullshit to push the narrative theyve decided on that all these FAs will upset our dynamic,

 

[phantom13]

Yet to be seen if Nas becomes a full time mid. From late in the season it looks like he's splitting his time with HB his starting spot and impact moments on ball orphan we need someone to break open a stalemate.

More Jordan De Goey than Zac Butters. Phillipou probably similar but starting off HF.

Garcia really plays full time mid or bust but in his third year and only 25 games into his career he's going to fade at some point. That's a lot of weight to carry so young.

Steele is still a wait and see and he's been left out of the starting CBAs for Garcia late and even when playing on ball seems to have to be the defensive mid for Macrae.

Windy looks best placed as a wingman with tagging roles when required. Geelong are playing 2 taggers and Lyon is a fanboy of Scott. As you said the midfield is probably wings and high half forwards as well these days. It's not just a few inside guys and the ruck. Windy is holding his own right now with gears to go up.

Yeh but Dusty wasnt a full time mid either.

I think were clearly trying to develop complimentary groups of mids (think Macrae with Nas and Windy, extractor, pace and finish, two way runner).

Im big on this, its way more important to have balance than stars.

 

[stavro#4]

Chief hasn't and won't do anything for this board post the whole George getting booted as mod

Are we leppers now?

 

[SainterinSydney]

According to the Dogs, the Bailey Smith

3

Bailey Smith

Age

24

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

trade is a good precedent for Wilkie

 

[bakes10]

According to the Dogs, the Bailey Smith trade is a good precedent for Wilkie

Well Bailey was OOC so it's not the same.

 

[SG34]

There just isnt much logic to it though…..

I wonder if that gorilla May coming on the market affects the Cal situation? Surely the Bulldogs would look at May?

 

[DT_35]

Well Bailey was OOC so it's not the same.

Wilkie also isn’t a coke head. Nor is he coming off an ACL

literally polar opposites lol

 

[Remboy]

Are we leppers now?

You mean there was a time when we weren't?

 

[Captain Paddy]

We all live Cal. And we hope Cal loves us!
But TBH, I can see how he might be salty.
Losing Battle was a blow, not just for him, and the team, but for the fabric of team man-and it was a shot in the arm for a new breed - the mercenary.
The one that lives in us all.
Seeing the money that will be thrown at new replacements as he is running out of runway in his own career has to make him at least pause. Even if he and his Mrs hasn’t been round to Sam Mitchell’s place for arvo scones and tea by now. (And who knows)

IF he is upset or considering demanding a trade

Someone should just remind him that greed gets you nowhere.

$750k and ultimate team respect, probably captaincy and maybe the chance to do what only one other has done before him.

That's a lot better than $120k as an accountant and $50k to run around in the SANFL

 

[Mindfury]

good lord the main board Wilkie thread is cooked

it's mostly just tian screaming at everyone, but holy ****