List Mgmt. 2025 List Management Discussion - Part IV

[Hubnester]

2025 List Management Discussion - Part 4

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
​

 

[phantom13]

Personally I think it's ok. But it doesn't fit with the clubs strategy and that's the issue.

With that deal we are going to be worse off in 2026 and waiting for Freijah and pick 10 to develop before we reap the rewards.

Clearly the club aims to start contending from next year onwards and we need Wilkie or a similarly elite defender.

I think wed be trading 10 for something (SDK in some capacity)

If Roma and Wilkie become Friejah and SDK i think weve done pretty well but it is still likely not improving us next year so its hard to see us doing it.

 

[Joffaboy]

Of course that would get it done, I imagine that would be what St Kilda would ask for.

I personally wouldn't go that far, but I'm not going to be that guy and tell you all what your player is worth on your board. I think we can at least agree that St Kilda are considering how they can make this work for them, as I'm sure Essendon would have done when St Kilda approached Zach Merrett last year.

Of course you wouldn't go that far. You want to give shit for diamonds.
And it is you who has valued Wilkie not us. You think he is so good you are offering way overs for a contracted a player who is keystone to our team structure, but you wouldn't even go for the absolute minimum of Freijah and pick 10.
An unserious club.

 

[Yawkey way]

The only untouchables for me are: Bontempelli, Darcy and Richards.

Doesn’t leave much, I’ll give you the Bont and Darcy.

Everyone else would need to be in play to move Wilkie. It could happen but I don’t see it, Bulldogs have lost the plot imo.

 

[gringo2011]

Destabilising? How so? He is contracted and we just say no.
You are extrapolating this into a story with, at the moment zero substance.

If he leaves we have hit the jackpot in a trade. You think SoS will give him away?

Anyway he wont be traded. Don't know if character assassination is warranted just yet.

Saw Nas yesterday saying that he just wanted to Wilkie, Steele and Marshall to stay. Players going is always tough on any side but a mass of your best talent leaving makes others not as happy or as committed.

It could be a lot of other ways too. If you think that the club is all of a sudden further away from success than you'd imagined all of a sudden the effort and drive goes backwards etc.

One player unhappy can spread through a club too.

 

[Sainter93]

Surely someone that attended the bnf last night spoke with cal and asked the question

 

[BrutThough]

We had Hill and Hanners on big money and Crouch and Ryder had recently come across. Only a handful but not true that we weren't paying anyone else.

Hill, yes. Hanners last year was 2022 and he reduce his wage in 2022. Ryder wouldnt have cost anything above average. Crouch was only about 650k based on only netting Adelaide band 2.

 

[Joffaboy]

Surely someone that attended the bnf last night spoke with cal and asked the question

All tight lipped apparently

 

[Yawkey way]

If the offer was Freijah and pick 10.

It’s an offer that gets it done

No way, he’s not that good and pick 10 blows out to ?.

 

[Hayes4PM]

Wilkie for Freijah and #10 would be reasonable, IF:

• Wilkie is actually wanting out and it's not just a case of pushing up his contract.
• We keep Ro and Steele. We need the bulk of the clubs leaders still there.

If Wilkie is not actually wanting out and he's more just interested in the offer and is happy to stay or go, I would ask for more. I'd be saying to the Dogs "go and trade up your mid first round pick which is going to get pushed out to a top 6 pick, then we have a deal".

It all depends on the unknowns of the player attitude and relationships. If Wilkie wants a payday, fair enough, meet our over the top demands. If Wilkie is unhappy with the club/admin and the Dogs have sniffed it out and convinced him, probably accept slightly less. We'll probably never really know though.

 

[phantom13]

Looks its fun bandying around hypotheticals, alot more fun than just saying "HANDS OFF WILKIE" but in reality hed have to go Merett nuclear and we would need to have SDK lined up as well before wed even sit at the table with the dogs.

Im all for a bit of shit talk and potentials but it aint happening.

 

[Sunshine Sainter]

Absolutely love this.

Hope you’re writing a book/filming a doco to record this amazing adventure.

No far too lazy and private for that. With that sort of extra commitment how much time would it take away from my Big Footy reading, speculation and wishful thinking.

 

[phantom13]

Wilkie for Freijah and #10 would be reasonable, IF:

• Wilkie is actually wanting out and it's not just a case of pushing up his contract.
• We keep Ro and Steele. We need the bulk of the clubs leaders still there.

If Wilkie is not actually wanting out and he's more just interested in the offer and is happy to stay or go, I would ask for more. I'd be saying to the Dogs "go and trade up your mid first round pick which is going to get pushed out to a top 6 pick, then we have a deal".

It all depends on the unknowns of the player attitude and relationships. If Wilkie wants a payday, fair enough, meet our over the top demands. If Wilkie is unhappy with the club/admin and the Dogs have sniffed it out and convinced him, probably accept slightly less. We'll probably never really know though.

If their pick satisfies the cats in some capacity (noting i think the cats wanna trade SDK as much as we wanna trade Wilkie) then frankly i dont give a shit what their pick comes in at.

 

[gringo2011]

You'd think as a North guy he'd understand the plight of having cap to spend, but then having no one interested in the offers, and then having to overpay your GOPs as a result, perpetuating the cycle of average performance.

Come on Damo, tell me how Charlie Spargo moves the needle for North

Deliberately obtuse to generate a shit piece for clicks

We have stuck our head up so we have to expect a bit of media attention. We have paid superstar money for a couple of middling talents so have set the sights on ourselves.

It is either absolute genius or reckless stupidity. I'm feeling pretty confident that the entire list is better than it has been so adding some pieces to it should make us a better deeper side but if it costs players and doesn't result in an uptick of performance we will cop shit.

I don't mind throwing shit up in the air and seeing where it lands. We have been coasting along flying under the radar for too long. It's always amazed me how Collingwood and Essendon sides wracked with injury can step up in marquee matches because the players are under the spotlight and under pressure.

Having the jets turned up on us could actually be a very good thing. Mediocrity is not a destination and in an entertainment industry is the worst possible place to be in. The Dogs won a flag while in a state of turmoil. The Dees had their coach under the pump and won a flag. Dimma was all but out the door before Richmond turned it all around.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

That's both inspiring and unsettling.

We went to Metung last weekend and I thought that was a long drive.

Nice spot

 

[Moquo]

Of course that would get it done, I imagine that would be what St Kilda would ask for.

I personally wouldn't go that far, but I'm not going to be that guy and tell you all what your player is worth on your board. I think we can at least agree that St Kilda are considering how they can make this work for them, as I'm sure Essendon would have done when St Kilda approached Zach Merrett last year.

The point is that we don't need to make it work for us...the dogs need to make it work for us. We are not looking to trade. So the only discomfort is the for the dogs players being asked if they wouldn't mind buggering off.

 

[Saint Kidding]

You're crazy if you think that Stephen Silvagni, a man known for holding people to deals, playing hard, forcing other clubs to play his game and being fickle as ****, has any thought about stringing the dogs along and disrupting opposition plans for the trade period.

You're crazy if you think I said that.

 

[Anythings_sipposible]

lf we could turn Wilkie and Marshall into SDK, Freija and Flanders, you'd have to at least consider it for a second. Something like:

Dogs out: Sanders/Freija, Pick 10, Pick 28
Dogs in: Wilkie

Gee out: SDK
Gee in: Marshall, 28

GC out: Flanders
GC in: 10

Stk out: Marshall, Wilkie
Stk in: Freija, SDK, Flanders

SDK is obviously a significant down grade on Wilkie, but I think overall we are still better in the short term with that deal, and definitely better in the long term.

 

[stavro#4]

I think wed be trading 10 for something (SDK in some capacity)

If Roma and Wilkie become Friejah and SDK i think weve done pretty well but it is still likely not improving us next year so its hard to see us doing it.

I think you would need to consider everything in totality.

If all you lost from your best side was Marshall and Wilkie (massive loss)

But you gained: Freijah Flanders Ryan TDK SDK JSOS Aleer & potentially still have a frp in play for the draft or maybe even Cmac.

It’s hard not to argue that you are a better football side. That’s a very high ceiling list. The question would be how quickly it translates onto onfield success.

 

[phantom13]

lf we could turn Wilkie and Marshall into SDK, Freija and Flanders, you'd have to at least consider it for a second. Something like:

Dogs out: Sanders/Freija, Pick 10, Pick 28
Dogs in: Wilkie

Gee out: SDK
Gee in: Marshall, 28

GC out: Flanders
GC in: 10

Stk out: Marshall, Wilkie
Stk in: Freija, SDK, Flanders

SDK is obviously a significant down grade on Wilkie, but I think overall we are still better in the short term with that deal, and definitely better in the long term.

I think the issue is we can do Flanders anyway without losing Wilkie and frankly would be better served to do it seperately.

Freijah is nice, i like him, but were getting a bit deep without true standout talent (nas aside) if we go there.

Nas, Pou, Windy, Macrae, Steele (maybe), Wilson, Garcia, Boxshall plus the depth guys. Friejah is somewhere in the middle of that order.

If its Richards, different story, but Friejah isnt him.

 

[Teflon]

It was a single business owner who sits in on the meetings I mentioned is my understanding.

I don’t want to toot my own horn but….

 

[phantom13]

I think you would need to consider everything in totality.

If all you lost from your best side was Marshall and Wilkie (massive loss)

But you gained: Freijah Flanders Ryan TDK SDK JSOS Aleer & potentially still have a frp in play for the draft or maybe even Cmac.

It’s hard not to argue that you are a better football side. That’s a very high ceiling list. The question would be how quickly it translates onto onfield success.

I think Wilkie is critical to our defensive strcuture and leadership, plus we dont have to trade him.

The only addition in that list we cant get or dont already have is Friejah and id much rather retain Wilkie than get Friejah.

Flanders doesnt need Wilkie to go and i dont think we need both Flanders and CMac.

If we get to the point that Wilkie has to go, for whatever reason, then sure, get the Freijah and SDK thing done, but its a last resort option to me, its the lowest deal id settle for if Wilkie is going.

 

[saintkildaman]

Hindsight though.

JC has midfield traits we don't really have. Explosive left foot midfielder.

His fitness coming from Carlton was surprisingly average. Looked like Tarzan, ran like Jane. Even more surprising was that his endurance was one of the things that was talked up about him as a kid.

The injuries he has had were unfortunate but I am actually glad we don't have the option to delist him. Another preseason in our system could be just what he needs. He is still just a kid, think about how many wrote off Max Hall before this year.

I'm not as bullish as I was with him, but (assuming he doesn't go anywhere) I'm still interested to see how he can go next year abd hopefully he surprises us.

I don’t think it’s a case of hindsight, as you mentioned JC had some serious questions on his tank and had just been delisted by depth-less Carlton. I’ve watched plenty of him at Sandy this year, ended up playing on a wing with others preferred on ball. Barring injury, I personally don’t see a role for him in the 1s.

Maybe it was initially a one year deal, and he hit the trigger for a second which in that case I’m not as critical but when list spots are tight it does raise an eyebrow. At least it’s not as bad as 3 years for Matty Allison I guess

 

[St Neil]

Makes sense.

I personally can't accept the club trading Wilkie unless it's a massive win for us.

Why would the dogs pay massive overs for a 30 year old regardless of how good he is?

Because:

1. Bulldogs approached Wilkie directly (via their coach).

2. They have offered Wilkie 5 x $1.5m (or thereabouts).

3. Bulldogs desperately need Wilkie because their defence is preventing them from contending. Wilkie will marshall and organise their defence.

4. Wilkie is possibly the best elite defender in the competition. He is a known quantity.

5. Wilkie is durable and has 5-6 years of elite football ahead of him.

6. The clock is ticking for Bontempelli and Liberatore as they enter their 30s

AND

7. WILKIE IS CONTRACTED FOR 2 MORE YEARS. That involves paying a premium.

 

[The Punter]

The issue with the "we must win the trade" argument with the Doggies is it removes the incentive for them to even make a trade. What they take away must not outweigh what Wilkie will bring.

 

[phantom13]

If Wilkie has 3 more years or even 2 at his current level i totally get why the dogs are looking at it, line by line they are as good as any team until you get to defence.

Darcy, Naughton, West (Weightman)
Richards, Bont, Libba, Freijah/Sanders/Treloar, English

all elite or close to it.

Defence has Dale and then nothing, Lobb and O'Donnell look great as second fiddles to Wilkie.