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
​

 

[SG34]

Hate to say it
But he likely comes in handy
Until Barrat & Tauru fully develop.

I thought we missed him this year and last, though I also thought he was losing impact when he played. I am starting to remember what a dire season 2025 really was, when he peel back the late season heroics. 5 wins at round 19! We were terrible. I’d say keep Dougs.

 

[sammm]

I'm surprised they didn't match.

I think he was unrestricted.

 

[Sainter93]

The real reason for the exodus

Players are going to be too gun shy around Neddy

 

[SainterinSydney]

Admit it , you put a handcuff on him so he couldn't escape

Gubby and SOS had already cuffed him. Expect a trade request soon.

 

[Saints4ever]

Is Flanders the mystery mid?

I know he’s been talked about for awhile.

When the mystery mid was first trotted out was Ned known to be leaving?

 

[sammm]

Great points. I guess we'll never know what was in the works before he actually showed up, but things seem to have changed dramatically since he did. His efforts at North Melbourne were huge. It's pretty obvious he's a top tier operator.

Carl or Basset said at one point that the saints must find alternative revenue sources instead of selling games (like bulldogs, hawthorn etc) now we have the govt of Fiji and the AFL on board.

Now thats an alternative revenue stream without selling games.

 

[mad-saint-guy]

Or what if we make the granny and we're up by 40 with 5 minutes to play and Jesus comes back and we all go to heaven and we're all sitting up there saying bugger we were so close and God says ya can't say bugger and rockets us straight to hell and we're surrounded by Hawthorn players and supporters except for Josh Battle cause he's in heaven doing Moses's laundry?

That would suck so bad

Bloody TDK

So you don't think there's any point in a team having a competent backup ruckman?

 

[Marlo]

But also my mum likes Geelong as a "second" team so she's a bit cooked

Life would be less colourful without a cooked mum

 

[bird_man]

I hope we leave the Marshall trade till the last day. Demand 2 Firsts or he stays.

We aren't getting two firsts for him.

 

[mad-saint-guy]

I'm absolutely stoked to see that Ned has nominated us. IMO he's the biggest signing of the off season by far. Marshall wanting out stings but Flanders is a massive acquisition.

 

[austinnn]

Every time he kicks a goal i want him to run up to his direct opponent and say "Oh I'm sorry, did I hurt your keelings?" and moonwalk away

Every time he scores a goal the club plays a few seconds of the hit single he released on a Spotify in the off-season, a James Brown cover titled "I KEEL Good", and he's dancing to it on field.

During one game, he makes AFL history by being the first player to be reported for bringing sunglasses onto the field. He's had them in his shorts and he puts them on for the goal celebration, then throws them to a kid in the crowd and gets a standing ovation.

 

[my name was taken]

We aren't getting two firsts for him.

Agree. To me he should be worth 2 Geelong 1sts given they will be good next year so 2 picks around 20. but Rowan has nominated them after we recruited someone to his position. I think there will be some level of goodwill to Ro for his time at the club (just hopefully not too much). Same deal for Steele.

 

[austinnn]

Didn’t a Cats’ ITK suggest this as the likely outcome last week?

Not in our wildest dreams would we get Ollie Dempsey from this trade without chucking in something exceptional, if a Cats ITK is seriously suggesting that, its a troll.

 

[jimmytigs]

go down to check out our beautiful town and see 34 overs of our cricket clubs bowling innings & you rack up 16 pages on me

damn

will start the run chase soon,flanders of course,but 16 pages?im thrilled to bits to find out what else,hopefully a tony74 post and some more info on the potential 6th player

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Is Flanders the mystery mid?

I know he’s been talked about for awhile.

When the mystery mid was first trotted out was Ned known to be leaving?

I think we have been interested in him since mid-year.

 

[saintmike65]

For everyone suggesting butler to the suns to play under Dimma again, have to remember that after the first premiership in 17, butler fell out of the side and left due for more game time and security, so unsure if that would be the case?

Back then Richmond had multiple small forwards..GC are thread bare!

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

I'm absolutely stoked to see that Ned has nominated us. IMO he's the biggest signing of the off season by far. Marshall wanting out stings but Flanders is a massive acquisition.

Flanders has been too inconsistant for mine,
but maybe coming back to Vic. he will feel more settled
& produce more of his 2024 effort in the midfield.

 

[beside the seaside]

How Saints can unlock Petracca trade, Dees wait on compo call, top draftees want to join Blues

Check out all the latest trade news from around the League

www.afl.com.au

According to this Geelong think they can land Marshall AND Curnow

 

[Joffaboy]

We aren't getting two firsts for him.

3?

 

[PoppedCorn]

Just got me some Kentucky fried pidgeon
Ten tenders ten bucks campaigners
Driving home, happened to see....
Howard Street

Its a sign

 

[mad-saint-guy]

Let's just say TDK doesn't get injured, plays 23 games, polls a maximum 69 Brownlow votes and we win the flag without losing a game. I can speculate scenarios to suit my narrative as well.

St Kilda's plan is not.... win a flag in the next two years or it is bust. The idea is to have the best swing we can and then set up for a period where we can have many swings. If you can't understand what is going on with the list build, then this debate is literally pointless.

I don't even know where to start with your post - there is just so many holes in it. I'll just list dot points:

• First of all you are talking about a specific scenario that's unlikely to happen in many ways. I would argue that it's just as likely Dodson comes on as a star as what you are sprouting.
• I am a big fan of TDK but teams have succeeded before without quality rucks. Eg. both Grand Final teams. If our midfield comes on significantly and we pick up Flanders, and our forward line fires we could make the finals with any ruck combo. But I'm just speculating ridiculous scenarios like yourself.
• If we are getting technical, there is 0% chance that Dodson would get destroyed in the ruck by this version of McInerney (who is crocked and couldn't get a game all year) and even the other rucks you mentioned. Yeah he might get beaten but they are all spuds currently. It's part of Dodson's development to compete.
• You are overrating Max Heath a lot.

You can't just instantly have a great AFL team in the sum of its parts. Yes you can bring in some players but you have to build and develop in some areas.

We have a no.1 ruck and developing ruckman who looks like he could be an absolute star.

We are in a better position going forward than a lot of other clubs in the ruck department.

And the club's plan makes a lot more sense to me than what you are saying.

Mate, can we cut the adversarial shit? We both barrack for the same team and want the St Kilda football club to succeed.

I'm throwing out the scenario of TDK getting injured because it's happened in every season of his football career. Odds are that he will not play 20 games next year.

Dodson is incredibly talented but he is a baby at this point. I think in a year or two he'll be capable of playing a support role and after that he should be ready to be the main man.

Fair enough if you don't think we'll be contending in the next couple of years. I thought the same until we abandoned the steady rebuild for what seems to me like an all-out assault on a flag in the next few years.

 

[Joffaboy]

Agree. To me he should be worth 2 Geelong 1sts given they will be good next year so 2 picks around 20. but Rowan has nominated them after we recruited someone to his position. I think there will be some level of goodwill to Ro for his time at the club (just hopefully not too much). Same deal for Steele.

Goodwill was front loading his contract
Goodwill was $50k bonus
Goodwill was informing him our recruiting strategy.
The club owes US, the members, the best possible outcome.
Ross quoted Scott about not giving away contract players.
Lyon has stated we are not mucking around and not here to make friends.

Sorry goodwill from the nice Saints has been used up over the past 150 years.

 

[Jade Buddha]

We’d be wanted by to put some time into developing Dod next season regardless. A hand full of matches will do.
Most players need a couple of roles so Keels can also spend some time in the middle as well.

 

[bergholt]

So you don't think there's any point in a team having a competent backup ruckman?

It's definitely a weakness of the list as it stands, so I hope they have some magic plan to address it. But realistically it's hard to have a great backup ruck - some players are just irreplaceable (as we saw with Max this year). I don't think Dodson will be that much worse than Heath would have been, but yeah ideally we'll get an experienced body like Goldstein.

 

[Geezington]

How Saints can unlock Petracca trade, Dees wait on compo call, top draftees want to join Blues

Check out all the latest trade news from around the League

www.afl.com.au

According to this Geelong think they can land Marshall AND Curnow

They’re gonna be good everywhere but the place they actually need to fix, their midfield is absolute garbage and got completely exposed in the grand final