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 Slug]

Who's this Tony47 guy? Insider? I'm not a really regular around here lol

He is our lord and saviour.

 

[dudeintheswamp]

So do they all still get together and talk/make trades and shit on Saturday and Sunday or does everyone have the weekend off?

 

[The_Steadier]

I just don’t rate him that high. He could easily be another GOP fringe player after a few years. To me he’s a second round pick type. Like Jack Steele when we got him. Steele and a future first for a project mid is crazy. I’m back Garcia to be just as good and between Flanders, Windy, Phillipou, Hall and Nas we have a decent spread. Wilson, Trav, Boxshall and Fincher coming up behind that.

Exactly- our midfield is set for cmac types, all the moreso since landing flanders.

Veterans like steele are often the difference between winning and losing tight, brutal finals.

We'd be gigantic idiots to trade him away unless it was part of bringing in a genuine A grade gun (Petracca, Curnow etc level players).

 

[phantom13]

Hope the reliable birdie is far off the mark. Keen on CMac but after hearing Steele wants to stay I’d much rather back him in than trade along with a pick downgrade which could get ugly unless we play finals. Keeping our first and a captain-less Steele in a forward-mid role sounds much better than a unproven Mackenzie who whilst talented hasn’t been able to lock down a spot in Hawthorn midfield that’s desperate for quality on ballers.

Agree

 

[nikkig98]

• Saints overpaid for C graders
• They are a holes and shafted poor old Aleer
• Saints will still be bottom 6, but if they don’t make a Prelim then it’s a disaster
• Everyone wants out, but see point 2, so people are stuck in the Tower of London against their will
• Have a huge legal bill and settlement for lost earnings

Don't forget that Aleer is better than Matthew Scarlett apparently

 

[Saints43]

Hes excruciating. Talks about himself and Geelong constantly and has weird fixations with certain clubs and players. He said he feels sorry for players drafted to St Kilda and shit like that. He’s as dull as he he is gormless. Media personalities used to need a personality. He’s a milquetoast moron.

He's like Andy Maher. Handy to have at a radio station because he can talk absolute rubbish for ten minutes without taking a breath which gets the phones to light up while everyone else goes outside for a smoke.

 

[Rollee]

If we traded Marshall for SDK, what else would you give with Marshall to make it happen?

SDK is worth more than Marshall, let’s be real…..

Then they can package it up for Curnow offer

At potential and young (sdk) vs now (RoMa) then yes, SDK would be worth a little more, but if Roma's contract is front ended with little remaining on it then evens it out to a straight swap in my eyes.

 

[SainterinSydney]

God almighty, you'd think we committed some kind of crime against humanity against Leek.

 

[malevu]

Nothing will top the euphoria of Nas
re-signing but what will come second for me is if Geelong are left with a geriatric Stanley, with two heavily bandaged hammies, facing a TDK and Marshall combo next year. With Dodson looking on, who they twice bypassed to draft when they had the chance on draft night.
Curnow to the Swans would be the icing on the cake if the Cats end up missing both.
Yeah, I'm not a fan of the Cats if you haven't realized. Fingers crossed we don't cave.

 

[bird_man]

I just don’t rate him that high. He could easily be another GOP fringe player after a few years. To me he’s a second round pick type. Like Jack Steele when we got him. Steele and a future first for a project mid is crazy. I’m back Garcia to be just as good and between Flanders, Windy, Phillipou, Hall and Nas we have a decent spread. Wilson, Trav, Boxshall and Fincher coming up behind that.

Thats fine if you don't rate McKenzie, but it's not Steele and a future first for McKenzie. I just broke the deal down for you.

As for the project mid, literally any player we take with that pick is a project. McKenzie is three years in. He has played some really good footy in his first three years. Played a big break out game prior to breaking his hand and then just not got going again.

I'd definitely take him over anyone we would likely get with a pick in the teens, but each to their own.

 

[bird_man]

Maybe I'm in the minority but I'm hoping Geelong come back with a better offer for Marshall.

The only thing that made me think paying massive money for TDK was worth it was the fact that we might be able to turn Marshall into a younger ruck as well as some good draft picks to help fill other holes.

 

[Diehard Saint]

We need to push back against the narrative of ‘saints must make finals in 2026’. The only reason that Purple and Corn are saying it is so they can bag us out and create more content if we don’t reach their expectation. We will make finals at a time of our choosing and don’t give a F about other peoples expectations. They want us to fail and implode. We are in this for the long haul. A sustainable rebuild.

To be honest though… we should be.
As it stands we’ve filled in 3 important list gaps and lost no one of note.
(Sorry Moose)

But - we just need to stay fit.

 

[SainterinSydney]

Wait a minute, I'm starting to think now...

 

[Rollee]

Maybe I'm in the minority but I'm hoping Geelong come back with a better offer for Marshall.

The only thing that made me think paying massive money for TDK was worth it was the fact that we might be able to turn Marshall into a younger ruck as well as some good draft picks to help fill other holes.

We don't want picks from Geelong as they are not good enough. We need players from them that is in our favour. Starting 22 players of similar value to Marshall.

 

[austinnn]

grit your teeth a little more Andrew!

Here's a caption competition about the new Essendon president while we wait for SOS and Gubby to emerge from the trenches

 

[NAS THE GOAT]

Under the proposed deal with Cmac, Steele, Merrett and co earlier it appears most of you missed that we would get Essendon’s future 2nd in return for our Future 1st. Yes we give our 1st, but we are only sliding back 6-8 spots most likely if we finish towards top of the ladder.

Not saying I agree or disagree with the proposal. Just appears only our 1st was being mentioned

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Hahaha, from The Bullies

We hold incredible empathy for Leek Aleek

But no, we will not be pursueing him.

It's like us saying we have incredible empathy for the Bulldogs

And yes, we are keeping Wilkie

 

[Tommy Wigs]

View attachment 2452364
grit your teeth a little more Andrew!

Here's a caption competition about the new Essendon president while we wait for SOS and Gubby to emerge from the trenches

“Appreciate you committing to be here for the full two hour show, Andrew”.

Damian Barrett and Josh Jenkins

 

[BrutThough]

Who's this Tony47 guy? Insider? I'm not a really regular around here lol

Even God goes to Tony when he wants the inside word on what's happening at the club.

Tony is that good.

 

[SainterinSydney]

Hahaha, from The Bullies

We hold incredible empathy for Leek Aleek

But no, we will not be pursueing him.

It's like us saying we have incredible empathy for the Bulldogs

And yes, we are keeping Wilkie

It will likely say alot about Aleer as a prospect if no one else is interested. You'd assume someone will come for him.

 

[austinnn]

Maybe I'm in the minority but I'm hoping Geelong come back with a better offer for Marshall.

The only thing that made me think paying massive money for TDK was worth it was the fact that we might be able to turn Marshall into a younger ruck as well as some good draft picks to help fill other holes.

My preference is to move him on for a good deal, but no problem with him staying at all, he's been a good focal point for us when he's gone forward, good balance for all the young blokes, plus leaves Geelong poorer

 

[BrutThough]

Interesting hearing Jon Ralph say that Geelong is the one pushing the narrative that Marshall was blindsided by TDK coming in. And that in reality, Marshall would have to be living under a rock to not know given the media had been reporting it since last year.

Also, he's finally putting it out there that Marshall contract is front loaded so this story that we cant afford his salary is nonsense.

 

[stavro#4]

Interesting hearing Jon Ralph say that Geelong is the one pushing the narrative that Marshall was blindsided by TDK coming in. And that in reality, Marshall would have to be living under a rock to not know given the media had been reporting it since last year.

Also, he's finally putting it out there that Marshall contract is front loaded so this story that we cant afford his salary is nonsense.

 

[Tommy Wigs]

Under the proposed deal with Cmac, Steele, Merrett and co earlier it appears most of you missed that we would get Essendon’s future 2nd in return for our Future 1st. Yes we give our 1st, but we are only sliding back 6-8 spots most likely if we finish towards top of the ladder.

Not saying I agree or disagree with the proposal. Just appears only our 1st was being mentioned

At least in my commentary, the F2 is akin to Steele’s price, albeit too good to be true.

But 6-8 spots is hopeful. There will likely be a couple of end of firsts in there for FAs or AFL making up rules. Essendon could be trash and still cover Rich, WC, Nth, Melb.

 

[Tommy Wigs]

Interesting hearing Jon Ralph say that Geelong is the one pushing the narrative that Marshall was blindsided by TDK coming in. And that in reality, Marshall would have to be living under a rock to not know given the media had been reporting it since last year.

Also, he's finally putting it out there that Marshall contract is front loaded so this story that we cant afford his salary is nonsense.

Sam Edmund pushing that narrative. Daily. Surprising. Imagine being so keen to suck your own administration off that you’re willing to knowingly talk absolute known trash, repeatedly.