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
​

 

[Train12]

Chris Scott has met with Marshall twice.

They are really keen to get him.

If so lose Wilkie, I don’t think we can afford to lose Marshall.

 

[dudeintheswamp]

More importantly, if Moose is off to the Dees, what am I going to do with the ten thousand of these I ordered in red, white and black after we played the Swans?

 

[The_Steadier]

If so lose Wilkie, I don’t think we can afford to lose Marshall.

Lucky both are contracted so it's all a storm in a teacup unless the dogs or cats pony up something truly fantastic.

 

[CHBench]

Wilkie's camp would want to be absolutely sure Doggies will stump up a decent trade offer before blowing up Cal's captaincy before it even starts

 

[Joffaboy]

The issue has nothing to do with us giving him an extension and a bump.

The dogs have a double your salary offer until he is 35 on the table apparently. So $1.5m a season for the next 5.

He will be made captain and bumped to
$1-1.1m ish.

The issue is that it’s $2mish on the table that he would be walking away from.

A bit like TDK, can't blame him. Unlike TDK he is a contracted player so lets look at trade value

The player - Wilkie is AA and should have been at least in the squad this season. Durable and has not missed a game in 4 years, plays 100% game time and could play at this level to 35

Now the extra value
1.The Bulldogs are absolutely desperate for this type of defender, hence the ridiculous offer that will cost huge SC and lots and lots of capital
2. Wilkie is an integral part of the Saints strategy. the Bulldogs are wanting us to take a step back in our efforts to a) make finals, b) keep players like NAZ at end of 2027.
3. Saints have front loaded his current contract. This means his value is more (in Saints eyes, Bulldogs would argue bad luck, but Saints do have the whip hand)so value is higher
4. Has a contract for the next two years, will be the next captain, and his contract will get extended as Stav says.
5. This was instigated by the Bulldogs so they have to pay up.

For Wilkie it is certainly tempting, he will be 32 at next contract, and will never get this type of offer again.

The Saints have constantly said they want to be a serious club, they will get very substantial overs or the deal wont occur.

As St Neil posted, lets see if the Bulldogs are a serious club if he nom's the Bulldogs which is not a foregone conclusion.

 

[Diehard Saint]

The offer is huge, but the consistent message is that unless we get absolute overs the deal will not get done. Don't know has accepted the offer either yet either.

There is a chance that Wilkie leaves, the offer is very very good, but the Saints wont be walked over.

Surely there can be some post-career enticements? Pretty sure most clubs ( see the Cats) do it.

 

[Joffaboy]

Surely there can be some post-career enticements? Pretty sure most clubs ( see the Cats) do it.

He has a logistics company, Lindsay Fox, what you say?

 

[Sully111]

The issue has nothing to do with us giving him an extension and a bump.

The dogs have a double your salary offer until he is 35 on the table apparently. So $1.5m a season for the next 5.

He will be made captain and bumped to
$1-1.1m ish.

The issue is that it’s $2mish on the table that he would be walking away from.

The reason contracts are worth next to nothing is because clubs don't hold players to them.

As I said, if the club tweaks his deal, it's generous, and should be met with gratitude and respect.

Again, nobody forced him into his current deal.

I don't care what the dogs are offering him. On principle, it doesn't change what I've said above.

 

[Falchoon]

Chris Scott has met with Marshall twice.

They are really keen to get him.

All well and good but he's 2 years shy of being a free agent.

 

[stavro#4]

The reason contracts are worth next to nothing is because clubs don't hold players to them.

As I said, if the club tweaks his deal, it's generous, and should be met with gratitude and respect.

Again, nobody forced him into his current deal.

I don't care what the dogs are offering him. On principle, it doesn't change what I've said above.

The club will look after Wilkie.

It also very much tells any contracted player. You are free to explore other options IF THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT.

However unless the price we set gets met. We will see you day 1 of preseason.

I think what I’m trying to convey is that there isn’t an exodus. Or unhappy players. There are a few offers floating around that our boys might consider too good

 

[Remboy]

LOC is our lockdown defender. He’s developing nicely.

I thought the same but they started playing him in the midfield late in the year.

 

[Bob Butter]

Well he is contracted, so if it is not happening he stays. Bulldogs initiated this, they pay or he stays. And you over rate Richards incredibly. Wilkie has a huge offer in front of him and you want us to bend over. OK mate, glad you aren't the LM.

The offer has to be right and Richards on his own doesn't cut it.

You’re acting like Richard’s isn’t contracted. Take your nuffie hat off. We would offer Richard’s a massive contract too if we thought we could poach him. We desperately need a quality mid and Richard’s was arguably top 5 this season. I think you’re under rating him incredibly. If you want to argue whether or not you’d trade Wilkie due to positional impact/leadership then fair enough, but to think Wilkie for Richards would be us getting ‘bent over’ then you’ve lost the plot, especially seeing as Wilkie is 30.

This is mute anyway because the Dogs will not trade him and we won’t move Wilkie for picks.

 

[phantom13]

is CJ really the sub thats redic. would love him at the saints

What happened to him seriously.

Was one of the brightest rising stars a few years back he looked ****ing horrible last night.

The club will look after Wilkie.

It also very much tells any contracted player. You are free to explore other options IF THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT.

However unless the price we set gets met. We will see you day 1 of preseason.

I think what I’m trying to convey is that there isn’t an exodus. Or unhappy players. There are a few offers floating around that our boys might consider too good

100% agree with this.

Wilkie being tempted by a truly monumental godfather offer doesn’t reflect poorly on him or us, it doesn’t even reflect poorly on the dogs (unless they get him comitted then can’t get a deal done).

Even if you love your job, if someone offered you close to double your salary you’d absolutely consider it

 

[Joffaboy]

You’re acting like Richard’s isn’t contracted. Take your nuffie hat off. We would offer Richard’s a massive contract too if we thought we could poach him. We desperately need a quality mid and Richard’s was arguably top 5 this season. I think you’re under rating him incredibly. If you want to argue whether or not you’d trade Wilkie due to positional impact/leadership then fair enough, but to think Wilkie for Richards would be us getting ‘bent over’ then you’ve lost the plot, especially seeing as Wilkie is 30.

This is mute anyway because the Dogs will not trade him and we won’t move Wilkie for picks.

Who is making the running on Wilkie? Is the club shopping him?

If they are a serious club they need to pay the price which would be overs. Something like Richards and a pick in the top 5.

Its not nuffie at all, read the above post of mine for the reasons. It is just logic.

And you are dead right it is moot (not mute) as they are not a serious club, wont trade a decent player and Saints wont take picks.
As stave says, if you want to go, thats fine, but you are contract, if we dont get what WE WANT, see you day one of preseason.
This is not me speaking, it is easy for a fan to be nuffie as you say, this is coming straight from the top. Lyon has said it on numerous occasions. If you are a serious club you dont trade your contracted players (paraphrasing for peanuts), he also stated that some players aren't up for trade and that he would have walked NAZ to the PSD. In all that he said 'we are not mucking around'
Now you can take it as hyperbole, but we have Bassatt, a hard nosed top end of town businessman, Lyon, SoS (who is known to be hard to deal with) and Gubby Allen who has been around for eternity, all singing from the same hymn book.

Say Dog offered Richards, Saints would not settle for that, would know they have the Bulldogs panicking and would go after much more. it would make pick 2 from GC for Lachie Weller from Freo (who was the coach then?) look like a bargain.

 

[CHBench]

Approx 8mins in, discusses the Rioli and Bolton trades

"We're not here to help other teams win premierships, we've got to win out of this, and we're not gonna budge on this because he's our (contracted) player"

Very fair, all clubs would agree

Geelong and Dogs can get these players

 

[Dr Spaceman]

Chris Scott has met with Marshall twice.

They are really keen to get him.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

If Marshall wants Geelong then we tell Geelong the price is high after you won the prelim. It will be higher if you win the flag.

We need to screw them

 

[Sully111]

The club will look after Wilkie.

It also very much tells any contracted player. You are free to explore other options IF THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT.

However unless the price we set gets met. We will see you day 1 of preseason.

I think what I’m trying to convey is that there isn’t an exodus. Or unhappy players. There are a few offers floating around that our boys might consider too good

Seems quite the coincidence after missing out to us on Jsos they go after Wilkie.

If there's any meat on the bones of this story, I'm not ruling out that Cal was unhappy with what was being offered to Aleer, or that Jsos was coming on board. To me it's not a stretch to think Bevo would snake in and feed that monster.

Truth is though, I don't know. I probably never will, but It wouldn't surprise me in the least.

But I don't take it as gospel truth that he wasn't unhappy. Again... I don't know.

Anyway, I guess we'll see. Hopefully it all blows over soon and he's leading our backline in the years to come.

 

[The_Steadier]

Chris Scott has met with Marshall twice.

They are really keen to get him.

Scott hints at Cats' big-man strategy ahead of Grand Final

Tom Stewart's concussion could open the door for Rhys Stanley to return, but the coach thinks he might go in another direction

www.afl.com.au

Sounds like the are going to go with blicavs next week.

Our best bet for the cats stumping up a 'too good to refuse' offer for marshall is them to lose and the blitz to do stuff all.

Both are a decent chance of happening.

 

[sainter7]

Some of these ppsters saying "it's okay if Wilkie leaves if we get SDK cos then we've got 3 big backs in SDK aleer and jsos" are forgetting how f***ing good wilks is. One of the top 3 defenders in the league. Never misses a kick. Doesn't get beaten. Intercepting superstar. You do NOT trade that guy away. He's our captain.

 

[gringo2011]

View attachment 2431090

He's very ordinary at the moment. He's gone from a rising star to a spud since getting injured last year. Missed kicks, close in handballs and looks barely up to the pace of the game. I reckon they would do that trade in a second.

 

[gringo2011]

Danger was amazing tonight with his ferocity at the contest and shows the value of managing your list during the year. He is never going to be as good (lacks explosive speed & touch), but Mitchito in the forward line should be the Saints wrecking ball equivalent… needs to keep smashing the gym over the next few years.

Hall shows promise as a creative high half forward like Mannagh & Miers, but Saints need a deeper dangerous small forward list. Martin & Stengle look capable of kicking a handful between them. This is where flying Ryan could be transformative if he shakes the excess kgs he is carrying over the preseason and forms a capable 1-2 punch with Higgo. He is still only a raw kid but if Collard could add some proper 6-8kg muscle to his frame over the summer his dynamism would be like Charlie Cameron. Personally though I’d be moving past Dan Butler

Ryan and Hall should be a very similar equivalent. I was very keen on Mannagh in his draft year. Real shame we didn't nab him. Would have cost us Hastie though. If Hastie comes on it's not as easy an equation.

 

[gringo2011]

Apart from almost missing his boot once, SDK had a very good game tonight. I reckon its SDK or Roma stays, I'm ok with that.

Not sure how Howard, Wilkie, Tauru, SDK, JSOS, Aleer and Barrat all fit but at least our VFL stand alone side would never have a goal kicked on them.

I thought he looked shit.

 

[gringo2011]

I thought Atkins was better than Smith. He was phenomenal in the clinches.

Smith was huge but Atkins was definitely really good too. He did the grunt and Smith the sizzle.

 

[ronnysnodgrass]

part 4!!

View attachment 2431291

And its still September, apparently some teams are still playing games