List Mgmt. 2025 List Management Discussion - Part V

[Hubnester]

2025 List Management Discussion - Part 5

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
​

 

[hayes]

I have to admit i agree. Their plans to turn him into an inside midfielder seems a poor fit. Let him run!

You can’t kick 5 goals in a game on a wing. He can run up and down on a wing all day getting 12 touches a game or he can be where the ball is and get 20-25. He’s too good to be a boring winger.

 

[Mr_R0b0t]

To be fair the pure optics of it, trading your well loved and respected captain for a third round pick AND also copping some of his coin when all the reports indicated he wanted to stay and the Melbourne thing was a last day "weve done **** all" set up do play to the story we kicked him out.

Its pretty hard to argue that it "looks" respectful and mutual whether it was or not.

This depends on how you look at the situation. You can either have a former much respected captain finish off his career playing in the VFL on a mega salary or move to club to play out his career in the AFL with an extra year on his contract. Perhaps, just perhaps this wasn’t about StKfc but more so respecting Jack Steele.

 

[The_Steadier]

I have to admit i agree. Their plans to turn him into an inside midfielder seems a poor fit. Let him run!

Tom mitchell won a brownlow as an inside mid running from contest to contest all day.

I think wilson needs to model his game on mitchell or (pre injury) tom scully.

Insane endurance freaks who get tonnes of the pill.

Wilson can't/wont be a winger- because he is a garbage kick.

But he does have probably the best endurance in the entire league.
I'm pretty sure he held most (if not all?) the top 5/10 "telstra tracker" distance covered in a game records for us this year

 

[Sully111]

Tom mitchell won a brownlow as an inside mid running from contest to contest all day.

I think wilson needs to model his game on mitchell or (pre injury) tom scully.

Insane endurance freaks who get tonnes of the pill.

Wilson can't/wont be a winger- because he is a garbage kick.

You know what's funny with Darcy?.... I've been at games and watched him warm up and his kicking has been excellent. I think as confidence, game sense, decision making etc become more natural his kicking will improve.

 

[The_Steadier]

Tom mitchell won a brownlow as an inside mid running from contest to contest all day.

I think wilson needs to model his game on mitchell or (pre injury) tom scully.

Insane endurance freaks who get tonnes of the pill.

Wilson can't/wont be a winger- because he is a garbage kick.

But he does have probably the best endurance in the entire league.
I'm pretty sure he held most (if not all?) the top 5/10 "telstra tracker" distance covered in a game records for us this year

Fyi- here's the all time/all players/every match (since 2017) records for distance covered at high speed (over 18km/h) in a game:

Wilson is almost half the entire top 25 list!

 

[phantom13]

Well no, I haven't flipped and flopped at all on him. Been saying for some time that he wouldn't be best 22 and it was probably time to move past him.

I also said that he would likely only get us a third rounder.

Best just to get most of his salary off the books and move on.

Neither here nor there really, either we get a draft pick we actually use or we pay a small portion of his pay.

I think I prefer getting a pick we can actually use

Either we get a draft pick we can use or pay a small portion of his salary.

Yeh.

That’s my whole point. We did neither.

Our club said to the guy who was our captain this year we don't necessarily see you in our best 22, you might want to look elsewhere. Out of respect to him, we helped him get to where he (reluctantly) wanted to go. It probably got him another year on his contract.

We don't know how much salary we're paying.

There was ruthlessness in this move, but there was also respect and compassion. I'm fine with that.... in fact, I really like it.

It’s ruthless AND its compassionate… right.

This depends on how you look at the situation. You can either have a former much respected captain finish off his career playing in the VFL on a mega salary or move to club to play out his career in the AFL with an extra year on his contract. Perhaps, just perhaps this wasn’t about StKfc but more so respecting Jack Steele.

Yeh incredibly respectful to tell a former captain to **** off then pay another club to flip a shit pick so he can be a 30 year old in a rebuilding team.

For the record, I’ve said I had no issue with trading him again and again.

I don’t even care that we traded him for a future third

But trading him for a future third and copping even one dollar on his salary makes absolutely no sense. We’re ruthless and we’re not here to make friends, except maybe Melbourne and maybe Jack, after we’ve ****ed him over.

 

[austinnn]

North Melbourne is now irrelevant. Never seen or heard.

They are not doing anything to lift themselves out of the mire. Conservatively drafting mids, never trading, never making a splash.

It’s sad. In fact, it’s rather pathetic.

At least have a go. Make an effort.

They're like us a few years ago if we were run by the types that were adamant that we shouldn't trade dudes like Billings, Membrey and Battle or pay to get in players

 

[The_Steadier]

You know what's funny with Darcy?.... I've been at games and watched him warm up and his kicking has been excellent.

You should see ME kick a ball when there is no presssure or expectation or blokes trying to tackle me 6ft underground!

 

[austinnn]

Tom mitchell won a brownlow as an inside mid running from contest to contest all day.

I think wilson needs to model his game on mitchell or (pre injury) tom scully.

Insane endurance freaks who get tonnes of the pill.

Wilson can't/wont be a winger- because he is a garbage kick.

But he does have probably the best endurance in the entire league.
I'm pretty sure he held most (if not all?) the top 5/10 "telstra tracker" distance covered in a game records for us this year

Fair point!

 

[bird_man]

Either we get a draft pick we can use or pay a small portion of his salary.

Yeh.

That’s my whole point. We did neither.

Considering we traded out our second and Melbourne are very likely to finish under us, at this stage I would be very surprised if we didn't use that pick.

Its currently our second selection going off this years ladder positions.

 

[SainterinSydney]

Now that our team of Ringers is complete let's pray for a misfortune free off season

 

[Diehard Saint]

Look out, you will be accused of parroting the clubs agenda. Doesn't matter if its true or not, you are just a club shill furthering their heartless propaganda, or some shit like that

It’s ok I have broad shoulders.
I can criticise the club with the best of them.
But to be honest, I haven’t found too much they’ve done wrong in the past few years.

 

[Diehard Saint]

I saw this from an oppo fan, (about Wilson)
… its frustrating watching them not know what to do with Darcy. He looks like as pure a wingman as you could want. Why isnt he there permanently. Sometimes they line him up in the fwd pocket like wtf. And then they want him to be an inside midfielder eventually?
But Darcy had a pretty dismal year, and then he had a Hannebury-like finale to the season. Do you lot think that this sentiment, that he wasn’t given a fair go on the wing, is a decent point?

Second year player.
I think they’re making him comfortable in a few positions. They appear to like players who can move around. It’s hardly a bad thing.

 

[Mr_R0b0t]

Either we get a draft pick we can use or pay a small portion of his salary.

Yeh.

That’s my whole point. We did neither.


It’s ruthless AND its compassionate… right.


Yeh incredibly respectful to tell a former captain to **** off then pay another club to flip a shit pick so he can be a 30 year old in a rebuilding team.

For the record, I’ve said I had no issue with trading him again and again.

I don’t even care that we traded him for a future third

But trading him for a future third and copping even one dollar on his salary makes absolutely no sense. We’re ruthless and we’re not here to make friends, except maybe Melbourne and maybe Jack, after we’ve ****ed him over.

I suppose in the end, thank god you don’t run a football club. Hawthorn bumped Mitchell, Lewis and JoM for similar without an issue. But they only made it through to the Prelim Final this year… If only they were more ruthless

 

[StCicatriz]

114K views · 985 reactions | Our new #9? 👀 Go inside Jack Steele’s first phone call with the team following his move on Wednesday night. Full video 🎥 | mfcde.es/3KZuHFD | Melbourne Football Club

Our new #9? 👀 Go inside Jack Steele’s first phone call with the team following his move on Wednesday night. Full video 🎥 | mfcde.es/3KZuHFD

www.facebook.com

After watching this i feel so bad for steele. Bloody richo!

 

[MrFoster]

Tom mitchell won a brownlow as an inside mid running from contest to contest all day.

I think wilson needs to model his game on mitchell or (pre injury) tom scully.

Insane endurance freaks who get tonnes of the pill.

Wilson can't/wont be a winger- because he is a garbage kick.

But he does have probably the best endurance in the entire league.
I'm pretty sure he held most (if not all?) the top 5/10 "telstra tracker" distance covered in a game records for us this year

He is not a garbage kick, just not a particular good kick. Think it’s mainly due to fatigue and composure.. His speed and endurance should be used as a weapon, so rotating between half forward and mid will be great.

 

[Tommy Wigs]

Breaking News: North Melbourne made a late play throwing their hat in the ring for Charlie Curnow

Two firsts and whatever the Pies first may have been. That’s outlandish. Hey, we have swung for the fences, but not picks wise. It’s not, say, Butters with 7-8 years to go. A persistently injured 29yo. I’d be fuuuuurious with that. 2027 probably weakened with Tassie, but next year’s pick could be a very good one in a good and less impacted draft.

 

[Tommy Wigs]

To be fair Ross takes the piss when he announces line ups. Camma was listed at FF a stack last year when he played FB all year. FF, FB and Ruck are really the only three that matter that much, everything else is basically a tall, small or medium everything.

Ryan and Quaynor are not great defensively especially when the ball hits the deck.

DBJ at port was pretty handy but plays more midfield now. Starcevich is a quality everything defender, McVie was handy and Idun (even though hes like 6'3") id add in.

Agree - the last three you mentioned are incredibly underrated.

 

[SainterinSydney]

114K views · 985 reactions | Our new #9? 👀 Go inside Jack Steele’s first phone call with the team following his move on Wednesday night. Full video 🎥 | mfcde.es/3KZuHFD | Melbourne Football Club

Our new #9? 👀 Go inside Jack Steele’s first phone call with the team following his move on Wednesday night. Full video 🎥 | mfcde.es/3KZuHFD

www.facebook.com

After watching this i feel so bad for steele. Bloody richo!

Poor Steeley. Leaving us when we are about to take the AFL world by storm whilst he goes to a sinking Melbourne ship

 

[Tommy Wigs]

I guess its a mixture of copium and having blinkers on.

Two clubs, projecting to finish top 4, giving up a pittance. I'm grateful that both Merrett and Marshall were contracted because those offers were average at best.

I forgot about Hawthorn though, imagine chasing a player, then giving aggressive deadlines. I guess it worked the year earlier with Barrass abd Sniff.

Just a sign of two clubs trying to be bullies and noone associate with the clubs being able to read the room

Yep, the media does a lot of work for them. If they do anything wrong and a normal journo with half a brain spotted it, then they dare not say it otherwise they’d get pilloried. Easier to punch down.

 

[Parkysp]

Going off the data it seems we’ve stemmed the bleeding a bit which is fantastic to see, but a ways to go to get back to the powerhouse we were 5 years ago.


View attachment 2459837Link to original post

Nor sure what it's like now but from the mid 90's Jack was the name of every 3rd boy because the parents saw John as being old fashioned and Jack was seen as the cool throwback to the turn of 20th century Australia. Gallipoli, Man from Snowy River and all that. Couldn't move in a class room without having to chuckle the first initial on the end of the little buggers to differentiate them.

Not surprised with the fall off finally. Now we'll get into the era of the common name with a letter chucked in somewhere for the effect of making the kid stand out. We all know it's coming. I look forward to the random vowel or Y in a name graph in 10 years.

Demography name lesson over. you can spare your thanks.

 

[austinnn]

Nor sure what it's like now but from the mid 90's Jack was the name of every 3rd boy because the parents saw John as being old fashioned and Jack was seen as the cool throwback to the turn of 20th century Australia. Gallipoli, Man from Snowy River and all that. Couldn't move in a class room without having to chuckle the first initial on the end of the little buggers to differentiate them.

Not surprised with the fall off finally. Now we'll get into the era of the common name with a letter chucked in somewhere for the effect of making the kid stand out. We all know it's coming. I look forward to the random vowel or Y in a name graph in 10 years.

Demography name lesson over. you can spare your thanks.

I think the Jack and Liam numbers are now level at St Kilda - four each (Jackson doesnt count) - the days of Darren and Dave are well behind us, and soon the days of Bailey, Darcy, Rory and Kai will be too.

Its the age of Harley, Hugo, Zander, and Jagga babeee

 

[Tommy Wigs]

Yeh, then keep him.

Honestly the way this forum flips and flops to slow stroke the admin.

In the build up it was all “Jack and Rowan were front loaded we don’t need the money off the books” but now all of a sudden it’s “oh it’s great to get even half his money off the books”.

To be clear every move we made on trade week was a winner, this one just missed. I’d rather have taken a fourth or fifth rounder or ****ing swap a late pick and dump his whole salary rather than what we did.

It might be $58.7k. Who knows, it’s campaigner Kleary reporting it

 

[phantom13]

I suppose in the end, thank god you don’t run a football club. Hawthorn bumped Mitchell, Lewis and JoM for similar without an issue. But they only made it through to the Prelim Final this year… If only they were more ruthless

My issue isn’t that it’s ruthless. It’s that it’s neither ruthless nor sentimental.

It’s issue is that it’s an each way bet that doesn’t achieve either thing

 

[Parkysp]

You can’t kick 5 goals in a game on a wing. He can run up and down on a wing all day getting 12 touches a game or he can be where the ball is and get 20-25. He’s too good to be a boring winger.

Yup. Too many worry about the U18s champs and where players played in those games and then define them into the AFL. Ah, knackers didn't play in the guts played off half back flank. What people don't consider is that those U18 coaches have their own biases. School, junior club, heck the kid's parents don't whinge about where he is played.

Wilson is a midfield player that we know from evidence can roam forward and kick a goal. Not just the last game of the season. He won't ge constrained just to a wing. I reckon the coaches may have an inkling of that if even I see it.