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
​

 

[The Punter]

For the record, St Kilda don't have their F-S rights to the Riewoldt boys extinguished. It's just that Tasmania has F-S rights to them as well, a bit like the Nick Blakey

22

Nick Blakey

Age

25

Ht

196cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.9

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

2.9

3star

M

2.3

2star

T

2.4

4star

MG

189.1

3star

D

8.1

2star

K

6.3

3star

HB

1.9

1star

M

2.1

2star

T

2.6

4star

MG

189.1

3star

D

7.2

2star

K

5.2

2star

HB

2.0

2star

M

1.2

2star

T

1.2

3star

situation when three teams had pre-draft rights to him (Brisbane and North F-S, Sydney Academy).

It remains a stupid, anachronistic, unfair rule that entrenches disadvantage, perverts the sole objective of the draft and adds nothing tangible to the league.

 

[True Believer]

I disagree with getting rid of the bounce as it potentially means more women will be umpires and on those days their husbands will have to cook for themselves.

Just another nail in the coffin of the fabric of a decent society.

I can't fault your logic.......

I want to, but I can't......

 

[Dr Spaceman]

I don’t think the players should choose the captain.

I’d rather see that fall to the coach.

Don’t disagree however that’s how it’s currently done.

 

[St Neil]

Really don't think there is much difference. Windy used the North offer to bump the contract from 2 to 4 years. List managers had to act.

Wilkie had his head turned by an unsolicited monster offer by a desperate club.
What is the new potential.captain worth to the Saints? Saints could have just sat tight and said contracted, wait two years.
But is that what a club with good culture does to one of its best and most durable players?
It has been said for months this would happen and it sends a positive message to the playing group, we will look after you.
And that culture is bearing fruit. NAZ was offered 2.5 x 2 by Port ( then lesser about 1.3 over the next six). He took 2.0 x 2 so a mill less, backing himself for a bigger pay day. Windy took a lesser deal than the North offer both in years and money by a fair bit.
Now Wilkie has taken substantially less to stay. Let's say and extra three for a mill for all 5 years. Reports Bulldogs offered 1.5 x 5 ( my contacts said more like 1.2) so the higher end he took 2.5 mill less ( or a mill less if my figures of 1.2 is correct).
Three players with big and higher contracts in front of them from rival clubs decides to stay at the Saints. This only happens if the culture and atmosphere at a club is healthy and everyone is pulling in the same direction.

This is good clubs do. The next couple of years, if all goes well, should see that culture maintained and players wanting to come to the Saints not on the overs we paid but to play at a relevant and serious club on market rates.

That seems the strategy. Will it work? History would say odds are against it, however the club is having a red hot crack at changing the perceptions and the fortunes of this club, one that has a sleeper base of support that could match Geelong and Hawthorn if not Collingwood and Richmond. 17000 new members ( granted a publicity stunt but very successful) shows the sleeper Saints support.
We start to succeed on a regular basis and watch the crowds grow. I want to see the Saints supporters as obnoxious and smug as Hawk fans and as disliked by the competition as any club in the league.
**** 'em all. As the President says ' we aren't out to make friends'.

Great post Joff.

I was annoyed at Wilkie and wasn’t enthused with him inheriting the Captaincy.

You’ve changed my mind.

 

[stavro#4]

 

[SainterinSydney]

Why is that embarrassing? That’s the contract he signed

I agree that is the contract he signed, but the optics aren't great.

 

[jwikked]

I agree that is the contract he signed, but the optics aren't great.

The only optics that aren’t great is the player breaking the contract they signed with the club. If Wilkie was a bust, would he take a pay cut for his last two years?

 

[SainterinSydney]

The only optics that aren’t great is the player breaking the contract they signed with the club. If Wilkie was a bust, would he take a pay cut for his last two years?

The bottom line is, I'm glad they nipped it in the bud. Wilkie is happy and everyone can move on. I much prefer a happy, firing Wilkie then a Wilkie with a bee in his bonnet. As someone posted earlier, the Scotty Pippin contract situation is analogous and a situation you'd want to avoid.

 

[jimmytigs]

Hird was pretty good, fair and supportive on radio yesterday too, re: everything the saints were up to. Haven't tuned in today, but prefer him to the other clowns they wheel in for this gig.

like this years lineup so much better than past years,so far all pairings have been ok,then simply switch off for barrett johnson and jenkins,last year cooney was stinking it up somewhere in between & hate to say it now,but goddard was a shocker,with his laverde for bont straight swap and steele in his prime for guelfi straight swap are both fair trades,he made me sicker than any of the rest of them

 

[aidansbonor]

Us boomers have been leading the way for you following, mainly more disappointing, generation's, for all.of your miserable lives.
Usually up the garden path, but leading none the less.
My favourite is we have led you into a climate catastrophe while you lot quibble about how many genders there are

I'm 21 and the gender things a joke lol

 

[gubby88]

Wait... this guy?

View attachment 2442797

I look forward to Higgo turning into 'Last Dance" Jordan, and constantly saying "thats when I took it personally"

"they made us go to Adelaide 3 times in 5 weeks...i hate that place...thats when I took it personally..."

 

[stavro#4]

 

[Moquo]

5 on the bench is silly. 4 was fine. Glad the sub is gone

More on the bench suits teams with greater depth. That's where we are heading

 

[St Neil]

Rooey met Eddie and was Captain still

Fair point.

 

[stavro#4]

 

[SainterinSydney]

Poor Sandringham. Are we just going to take all of their good players.

 

[aidansbonor]

quote from the article.

"In the new eligibility, at least one parent is required to have been born in an eligible country, seeing examples such as Kye Fincher this year (who was born in Hong Kong while his mother was working abroad and is tied to St Kilda as a result) no longer accessible in the future unless the player has at least one parent born overseas."

Comps a joke, make it harder to get decent players through the NGA academy's whilst Northern clubs are getting like 4 top 10 picks this year, one of the clubs on track for a 3-peat too

 

[CursingFijian]

Wow well that serves the Dogs right - karma is a bitch! I think the kid will be the next Bontimpelli he is that good, he will be a star that was over looked by plenty as he was only played as a wingman in his draft year. Beveridge is an absolute clown and with the list he has should have been top 4 for the past 2 years.

The kid is from Horsham so travel wont be an issue for him and if he can get a pay day like that so early in his career he would have to look at it. I would have been happy for our club to throw the Flanders deal at him, I actually think his upside his much higher than Flanders.

 

[saint_]

Cal Twomey has been tracking this story all year and he's got the exclusive on the concessions that the Tasmania Devils will be granted ahead of their proposed entry to the AFL in 2027.

There are a pile of first-round draft picks - plenty of which must be traded - and a $5 million pot of cash to lure prospective players with huge sign-on bonuses.

The Devils will also be able to poach one uncontracted player from each of the existing 18 clubs.


How does the last sentence of the above work? For example does that mean they can poach NWM and offer a huge sign on bonus as his out of contract in 2027 and we can't do anything about it?

 

[unrelentingbelief]

Definitely starting to feel like the one and only tony74 is genuinely Andrew basset

 

[St Neil]

Hird was pretty good, fair and supportive on radio yesterday too, re: everything the saints were up to. Haven't tuned in today, but prefer him to the other clowns they wheel in for this gig.

James Hird has been really good in the media since coming back into the fold.

I really enjoy listening to him. Makes a lot of sense and is very reasoned in his views.

 

[thekizzler]

I like the idea of Steele moving to wing next year.

Has a great tank, competes strongly in air and on ground, experienced disciplined player who will stick to the task and protects his body a bit.

Also open a midfield rotation spot up for Wilson to grab some mins

If Steele is going to stay on at the Saints, he should be a forward and in the second midfield rotation IMO

We have had issues with forward pressure and tackling - those two things are arguably Steele's biggest strengths at the moment.

He can also take a mark and is a reasonably tough proposition to play 1-on-1 in a marking contest.

It also gives him the opportunity to earn his spot in the first midfield rotation back - if he is good enough.

I'm definitely not against him spending time in the twos if form warrants, but people are being way premature with this.

His form was down last season but improved second-half of the year and isn't even close to being dropped yet, IMO.

 

[True Believer]

Poor Sandringham. Are we just going to take all of their good players.

Probably - they were mostly Saints......

 

[Joffaboy]

What a f-wit

 

[StCicatriz]

did old mate dan murphys just announce that jack steele wont be captain?