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
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[Sainter62]

Its a good start, but not enough

yet dogs fans say that's big overs

 

[phantom13]

Wilkie isn’t going anywhere. Stop worrying.

Yeh, i cant see how it would happen.

No doubt well give him a little bump and put the C next to his name and all will be well.

 

[Verdun]

Wilkie isn’t going anywhere. Stop worrying.

I will keep worrying.

Wilkie is a rare St Kilda success story (our equivalent of Geelong plucking identified talent from anywhere), he was working full time as an accountant in Adelaide before joining us and is the glue that holds the team together.

He needs to be retained.

 

[jwikked]

Yeh, i cant see how it would happen.

No doubt well give him a little bump and put the C next to his name and all will be well.

After trying to fleece the club over the last few weeks, I’d prefer someone else be captain.

Wilkie signed the contract, now he thinks it’s not good enough? That’s not what a captain does

 

[phantom13]

After trying to fleece the club over the last few weeks, I’d prefer someone else be captain.

Wilkie signed the contract, now he thinks it’s not good enough? That’s not what a captain does

I dont agree, its not fleecing, this is modern contract management. Fair enough on the captaincy though, i dont agree with you but its a fair enough point.

 

[maanco]

How do we get Zac Bailey

33

Zac Bailey

Age

26

Ht

181cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.9

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

CL

0.9

3star

D

12.9

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

5.6

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.4

3star

CL

0.7

3star

D

13.4

4star

K

6.6

3star

HB

6.8

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

2.8

5star

CL

0.6

3star

to the saints?

His a free agent next year

 

[Yawkey way]

Don’t know him.
What do others on here think about this trade?

I liked him in his draft year, he didn’t go early but I’m not surprised he’s playing well.

Having said that it would be a crazy trade, he’s no lock to be a regular let alone a star and even Mutt supporters have knocks on him. He’s been good alongside Richards in career best form and the number 1 player in the league in Bontempelli. A flat track game against north is his best game so far, averages under 20 touches in a stacked midfield. The mutts would be very happy given he was pick 45 but a swap for Wilkie is really just having a laugh imo.

The bulldogs simply don’t have anyone of value their prepared to let go who would turn our heads. Even adding their first rounder to the players they’d offer up just won’t do it.

We could have a change of mind if we were bold and thought we could swap Marshall for SDK. Then maybe you’d entertain a trade with a player and picks. I’m not as positive on Wilkie’s long term outlook as some. I think 5 years on huge money is fantastic for him personally but I wouldn’t pay that. I’m more cautious, undersized slightly slow key defenders don’t need to loose much to drop off a cliff.

His injury run has been incredible but 5 years is just wow, if the Mutts are serious then cough up.

Highly unlikely we trade Wilkie and unlikely we end up with SDK.

The sub plot to all of this is what are contracts worth when players sign front loaded deals then want out with years to run. I’d have thought the afl would have some interest in the Wilkie/Merrett situations along with the aflpa. It’s easy to say he's contracted just so no but it’s bound to have an impact on the player and by extension on his current club.

Wilkie in this case is looking at missing out on $3,750,000 over 5 years as things stand and assuming reports of his current contract and what’s been offered are true. That’s going to sting especially when you consider he must have been on peanuts with us initially.

This feels like standing at an auction with a $1 million budget and bidding $5 million, there are laws against that. I can’t believe the media are cheering this rubbish on including that twerp Gerard Whateley.

 

[Broski]

I’ve heard Max King is skipping the after party as he wants to get home before Antiques Roadshow starts

That's interesting. My sources are telling me that Max will give tonight a miss due to the front doors being weighted and will be impossible for his malnourished frame to push them open. Apparently, Bill isn't returning Max's calls for a gym program.

 

[Sainter93]

Hope Wilkie makes a speech tonight and just shuts it all down

 

[Joffaboy]

We would have the worst defence of any side in the league apart from North at that point. Seems to defy the logic of everything we've done this off season. I know Lyon used to love turning shit players into role playing soldiers but even he used to love having quality surrounding them. That back 6 would be diabolically exposed.

We were exposed terribly after losing Battle to the Hawks and then Howard going down.
Fancy losing your second AA backman in two years when the club is attempting to climb up the ladder?
It would mean the List Managers had lost sight of what they were trying to achieve.

Speaking of Lyon, he has spent two seasons of sometimes drab and dour matches, drilling and drilling our full team defence, especially this year with an undermanned backline. He would be wrapt to lose the player who hasn't missed a game in 5 seasons and plays 99% of game time, is AA and the best backman we have had since Spud.

 

[jimmytigs]

Absolutely have to consider it, but ideally a player plus pick not just another late pick.

Or would consider straight swap for SDK.

Struggle to see Cats offering up that much though.

marshall and steele for sdk and pick 17(20-23 whatever)?

 

[luca77]

That's interesting. My sources are telling me that Max will give tonight a miss due to the front doors being weighted and will be impossible for his malnourished frame to push them open. Apparently, Bill isn't returning Max's calls for a gym program.

If anybody with a ticket gets close enough tonight, please try to arrange an arm wrestle between the bulked up Trav and the wasted-away Ming. Time to end all the speculation. No broken bones, though, please.

 

[Coconut_twirl]

Brisbane could win it again next year. Scary side.

And the year after that. I can’t see them sliding down anytime soon.

 

[maanco]

Marshall is the obvious currency for us with TDK coming in (and the emergence of Dodson) if we want Liam Ryan, Leek Aleer and Sam Flanders we probably need to move someone on with some value or basically stuff this year and next years draft.

For me, I could see something like:

- Marshall for Pick 17 and a future 2nd round pick from Geelong.

- Pick 7 and 17 for Flanders and 13

- Our future 2nd for Liam Ryan.

- Geelong's future 2nd for Leek Aleer.

- Potentially a late pick for Heath.


Pick 13 to the draft for Pou 2 and pick 43 + 58 for Fincher bid (possibly need to use both).


IN: TDK, JSOS, Flanders, Ryan, Aleer, Pou #2 and Fincher.

OUT: Marshall, Heath, McLennan, Boyd, Webster, Carroll, Jones.

Surely that improves the quality of our list a fair bit?

Paying too much for Ryan and Aleer there
Ryan is a worth a 50s pick at best.
And Leer is worth a 40s pick based purely on potential - if it was output he would be a 70s pick.

Geelong should definitely be paying pick 17 and f2 for Marshall at a minimum, as Pick 17 will likely become a mid/late 20s pick, after FA compo and bids.

Trading Marshall will also free up salary to have a crack at Zac Bailey in free agency next year.

 

[Saintbloke]

I know Ross has said multiple times that he wants players to look at their options and backs himself and the club to maintain an attractive workplace, but bugger me, we lose Wilkie and we take a huge step backwards.

Just look at Harris Andrews in the GF, irreplacable, was BOG for mine. You can plug gaps, but star players win you big games.

Andrews was great in the GF, though at least three other Lions could have been BOG- hard to play against a team like that.

 

[maanco]

Gold Coast actually need to open up list spots. They have a logjam of early draft picks, including several from their Academy, that they need to expose to senior football.

If not, these lads will want to leave and seek opportunities elsewhere. The Suns will then haemorrhage elite talent without exposing them to senior football.

Flanders is a part of that logjam. The Suns want to cash in now rather than have his value plummet as he is usurped by others that jump ahead of him.

The Suns won’t get greedy in any trade. They will want a fair price but they are also realistic and know that they need to move Flanders on.

Historically the suns are a club that gives away picks.

 

[BucketsandBanger]

Genuine question to everyone, if Wilkie and Steele go (Big IF on Wilkie) who would be captain? Leadership group last year was those two Wood, Sinclair and Butler. It ain't gonna be Butler obviously, I think Wood will be borderline best 22 moving forward so unlikely and Sinclair doesn't really scream captain to me.

I know our leadership hasn't exactly been fantastic the last few years but losing them is a big dent in that area. Maybe Wood for a couple of years whilst they develop someone like Windy. Hmm interesting times. Could be the making of some younger leaders. Someone left field like Stocker...

I think losing Wilkie would leave too big a hole on a couple of fronts. Just cant see it happening

 

[stavro#4]

Josh Gabelich on Sen.

Flanders wants all 4 contract offers with his manager before deciding a club.

Thinks Melbourne is the favourite to land him

 

[maanco]

Straight swap with frejiah would be the only thing that would turn heads imo, future gun. Otherwise no trade for wilks

It would have to be be Wilkie for Frejiah and 3 first round picks and Bonts first son or no deal.

 

[Yawkey way]

SDK is Dougal Howard with blonde hair.

He’s better than you think imo.

I’m not saying he’s a superstar but I could see a reworked side with SDK in it. He didn’t really have a match up in the grand final because Brisbane where forced to play small without Hipwood.

It’s like playing Wilkie on Darcy then saying he’s lousy because he got out marked. If we still had battle you’d think a battle/SDK combo was pretty good with Sinclair and Nas in front of them.

Look I hope Willie stays and apart from on here who’s talking about SDK, it’s possible but unlikely.

 

[SainterinSydney]

Hope Wilkie makes a speech tonight and just shuts it all down

"Please come up to the stage, Cal, we think you have something to say"

 

[Yawkey way]

Josh Gabelich on Sen.

Flanders wants all 4 contract offers with his manager before deciding a club.

Thinks Melbourne is the favourite to land him

I’m not sold on Flanders, I wasn’t at the draft after watching him for 2 years and I’m still not.

He can play, he’s proven that he can be elite in running up possession when everything lines up for him but there’s a reason others have been preferred over him and it’s not all down to injury. Imo he has to start in the centre for him to be worth the effort, we have half backs and half forwards.

There’s something in the talk about his lack of hurt factor. Anyway if we get him great if we don’t nobody can say we didn’t offer a vey good deal plus a fair trade.

The big question becomes who if anyone is next on the list ?.

 

[SainterinSydney]

Josh Gabelich on Sen.

Flanders wants all 4 contract offers with his manager before deciding a club.

Thinks Melbourne is the favourite to land him

If Neddy picks Dees, he needs his head examined.

 

[Yawkey way]

If Neddy picks Dees, he needs his head examined.

Why ?.

 

[FQFjt]

one does not sign up nasiah on $4m for two years and then voluntarily trade wilkie.