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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[SainterinSydney]

Can’t wait for the lack of updates over the weekend, but which won’t stop the minutely page refresh. Quite exciting!

Enjoy the weekend. Everything we get now is a bonus!

 

[OxSaint]

I could warm to Mitch Lewis as a second foil to King. Is also capable of been the focal point in Kings absence.

 

[Moquo]

Enjoy the weekend. Everything we get now is a bonus!

 

[Rollee]

Love it.
On trade that Essendon 2nd Round Pick + Marshall for 2x Cats 1st Round Picks

We have 2 years to prove to NAS to stay. Any speculative draft picks will take time to materialise. We need ready made best 22 players for any trade for Marshall or he stays.

 

[Rogue Warrior]

I could warm to Mitch Lewis as a second foil to King. Is also capable of been the focal point in Kings absence.

Yeah I rate this. Seems very capable and somewhat excess to need for the hawks. Could definitely get him for under what he’s worth

 

[TheJackal]

Ok let’s make it a 4 way deal:

Essendon get: pick 9 Geelong 1st 2026 Lewis and Steele

Lose: Merrett F2 2026

Hawks Get: Merrett

Lose: Cmac pick 8 Mitch Lewis

Geelong Get: Marshall + ess F2 2026

Lose: first rounder 2025 & 2026

Saints get: Cmac & 2025 Geelong first

Lose: Marshall and Steele

I'd still want to get 2026 Geelong first vs 2025 in any deal.

Losing Marshall & Steele is a heap of experience when we need to keep improving, CMac not even guaranteed best 23 and pick 25 in a poor draft sucks.

In any trade scenario with Geelongs picks, we simply must get their F1, especially with the new rules regarding matching bids.

 

[sainter7]

Yeah I rate this. Seems very capable and somewhat excess to need for the hawks. Could definitely get him for under what he’s worth

Another injury riddled key forward! I'd prefer our second fiddle forward to quite reliably play 20+ games. I love our off season, but Ryan, King and Silvagni in the same team is a lot of guys who have played very few games the past few years. Hopefully get lucky next year. Let's not add Mitch lewis to that list.

 

[my name was taken]

I will vomit at the sight of Steele wearing a red sash

 

[bennymc7]

Something about shipping off Steele for a bloke who's out of the best 22 at a team with a weak midfield just doesn't sit right with me..

I like CMac, and I know the asking price is overs..

Head says yes, heart hates it

 

[Diehard Saint]

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

This whole “empathy” nonsense has gone completely over the top now.

Nobody has died.
He hasn’t suffered a career-ending injury.
His one-time suitors changed their mind or are not prepared to pay more than they think he’s worth.

He’s got a three year deal on the table still from the Giants ( who he was apparently crying over when he decided to leave) and possible interest from other clubs.

Heaven forbid he ever suffers a serious setback in his life.

 

[bergholt]

Another injury riddled key forward! I'd prefer our second fiddle forward to quite reliably play 20+ games.

Caminiti might not be a superstar but he's been pretty good from an availability point of view!

 

[Rogue Warrior]

Caminiti might not be a superstar but he's been pretty good from an availability point of view!

Not sure Caminitti as a CHF is ever going to take us to the promised land

 

[D2D3]

View attachment 2452355

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

Not sure this is the advertisement for their club they think it is going this hard. Must suck to play at GWS is he’s that upset.

 

[JG22]

Just catching up on this bombers, hawks, mega trade.

If Steeley were to leave, I don't think he'd fancy an average side like the dons.

 

[Billy Connolly]

Caminiti might not be a superstar but he's been pretty good from an availability point of view!

I'm always available!2

 

[Juicison]

I don’t think 2 Kings can work in the 1 side.Not enough defensive pressure.

Until you put one at each end and confuse the other team as to which end their going

 

[moirae42]

We have a spot for Steel.

Surely we do. He's not shabby up forward and defensive as all hell.

 

[D2D3]

Two likely top 12-15 picks, Mitch Lewis & Jack Steele.

If Essendon said no to that you have to assume the CEOs message about drug use wasn’t relayed to the staff.

Merritt is a super star but this does seem to heavily favour the bombers.

 

[austinnn]

This whole “empathy” nonsense has gone completely over the top now.

Nobody has died.
He hasn’t suffered a career-ending injury.
His one-time suitors changed their mind or are not prepared to pay more than they think he’s worth.

He’s got a three year deal on the table still from the Giants ( who he was apparently crying over when he decided to leave) and possible interest from other clubs.

Heaven forbid he ever suffers a serious setback in his life.

Well said!

He should have a chat to people like Majak Daw or even Dylan Roberton who've been through much worse than missing out on a big contract last minute.

Anyone would think he's been itching to get out of GWS for the last 2 years.

I think what might have happened is his agent gave him the bad news and he's in his hotel room in Barcelona screaming down the phone at how this incompetent fool didn't get the deal done, which agent interprets as him being "livid". In any case all parties will easily move on and tomorrow's another (news) day.

Counterpoint: North have expressed interest in picking him up, that would make me cry too.

 

[Dr Spaceman]

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

Not a caption, but…

 

[austinnn]

Not a caption, but…

Take a look at the bloke's collar for christ sake. What a fraud

 

[Tommy Wigs]

We have 2 years to prove to NAS to stay. Any speculative draft picks will take time to materialise. We need ready made best 22 players for any trade for Marshall or he stays.

Oh hogwash. Nas isn’t silly enough tha he can only see “the 23” and neither is the club to make every decision about purely two years.

 

[Tommy Wigs]

Another injury riddled key forward! I'd prefer our second fiddle forward to quite reliably play 20+ games. I love our off season, but Ryan, King and Silvagni in the same team is a lot of guys who have played very few games the past few years. Hopefully get lucky next year. Let's not add Mitch lewis to that list.

Ha ha yep - super talent. Just always injured.

 

[magd2992]

View attachment 2452355

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

Looking forward to GWS showing empathy by matching the contract we had before Leek. Well done GWS, we’re thankful there are still kind and compassionate clubs like you still around.

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

And the winner of that argument was Marshall

So Dodson to be first choice ruck in 2028.