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List Mgmt. 2025 Premiership(s) List Making and Trading

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Just reckon the way our lists ended up we had a spare spot on both the main and the rookie lists. And both vacancies are being filled with 1 year contracts that are up against it.
My take on Maley, that probably means bugger all, is he has a year to prove he is worth an small extension and then it will be a play off in 2027 between him a Turray as to who remains on the list moving forward.
 

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Main list players tend to last longer than rookie list players... so yeah, the distinction does matter.

Very rare for a main list player to be delisted within 1 year.

We certainly don't delist 1 year contract players 90% of the time as Vader claimed... & I'm still waiting on this long list of names...
You're being disingenuous.

Vader was obviously discussing people being given one year contracts. They're VERY often not re-signed after it.

We've signed lots of players to one year deals with the club, but you're dismissing those.

We've almost never signed a player to the main list and then only given them one year. It's VERY unusual. So far, we've only identified two in this thread, and one of those was delisted after one year.

I actually think it's smart - he probably does become a good backup, but if not, at least we're not stuck with his contract.
 
You're being disingenuous.

Vader was obviously discussing people being given one year contracts. They're VERY often not re-signed after it.

We've signed lots of players to one year deals with the club, but you're dismissing those.

We've almost never signed a player to the main list and then only given them one year. It's VERY unusual. So far, we've only identified two in this thread, and one of those was delisted after one year.

I actually think it's smart - he probably does become a good backup, but if not, at least we're not stuck with his contract.
So unlike Vader from that last sentence you think he's a better than 50/50 chance to be extended like Kane and I?
 
I couldn't remember the rules about reposting stuff from other sites, so here's some of it:



The Crows may have hinted at life after Taylor Walker this off-season by bringing in two potential key forwards through the draft.

They have also brought in an extra tall in the trade period.

It is always a delicate balance when working with a champion like Walker on whether to play on into another year and the Crows would have weighed up a few factors.

The Crows ended up as runners-up to the Lions in the hunt for free agent Sam Draper, who would have provided some ruck support for Reilly O’Brien.

The Crows seem like they have been pretty particular and sound and not reaching at just anything.

They are doing a bit of fine tuning of their list and obviously have seen they need to fill that gap but weren’t able to do it.

Having finished on top of the ladder, some externally may have wanted the Crows to go hard at an elite player to complete their side but I think Adelaide have been really disciplined at the moment and they are just adding the pieces when they are in front of them and not being reckless at the same time, it is sound decision making.

They had a little look in the Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca market.

Petracca seemed to go a bit further with him going to Adelaide but it never really moved into a situation where the Crows got into a full pitching mode.

LIST STRENGTHS

As mentioned above, the Crows now have a bit of depth in their key forward stocks after playing Walker, Thilthorpe and Fogarty together for much of 2025.

Fogarty is one they will be hoping will have a break out year after Thilthorpe took a big step in 2025.

DRAFT RESULT

Adelaide had a fair crack at trying to land Dyson Sharp by trying to strike a deal with Essendon, including offering two first round picks.

Crows recruiter Hamish Ogilvie is one of the more experienced operators on the recruiting circuit, he knows what he likes and will go after it.

They went really aggressively to try and get that done which would have been a good, strong move for them.

The Bombers are in that period now where they are trying to load up on high-end players so weren’t prepared to relinquish the chance to get Sharp but it was worth having a go at for the Crows.

Most of those possible draft night moves are actually floated pre-draft.

They might have been discussed in the lead up, particularly the ones early in the draft because you know who is going to drop early.

Potentially clubs will push you to draft night to see what will pan out before making any moves but most don’t really want to be surprised on the clock with a first-round deal on draft night.

The Crows were keen to get the pick in time for Sharp but in those pick trade talks you are not normally revealing the player you are targeting, you are trying to get the selection you will get them with.

Often if the club you are dealing with has another pick around there, they may want intelligence on who you might be taking so it is not impacting their plans.

It could be part of the discussion to give a bit of information and make sure it is confidential, and that will be up to the Crows whether they give that information away.

Essendon wanted the same player so it wasn’t going to happen for Adelaide, which may have turned out well for Sharp himself being an Essendon supporter.

In the end Adelaide settled on Mitch Marsh, who is the son of premiership player Ben.

Adelaide are excited to get him in, they love his attitude and running ability for his size.

And they took another key forward in Archie Ludowyke – a Sandringham Dragons forward with a good leap on him and some good speed.

SALARY CAP

Being in the running for Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera before he re-signed at St Kilda showed Adelaide has an eye on the market for a high-end player.

They have their targets but if it doesn’t come off they will bank that money and look to next time so they seem to be in a pretty good position in the TPP (total player payment) space.

Much like the two WA sides, the Crows are often against their cross-town rivals the Power when trying to lure South Australian talent back home.

The West Australian teams focus on getting back the West Australians and it is no different in South Australia.

You are rivals with the other team in your town on that front but at the same time there is enough in the market for players from those states that some years – Port might go in one direction with their recruits and Adelaide go in another.

When there is a really high-end player it is different because they don’t come around as often.

Both clubs know the other will be keen for that star if he hits the market, and both SA clubs were jostling for Nasiah during this year, so it can be competitive.

HIGH PERFORMANCE CHECK-IN
Adelaide farewelled Darren Burgess from the job as high performance boss after the season as he headed to European soccer powerhouse Juventus.

His replacement, Ian McKeown, has some experience in the AFL with Port Adelaide but most recently has been with NHL team Philadelphia Flyers.

Ice hockey may seem like a long way away from an AFL pre-season but the high performance side of footy seems to be the only real group that does cross codes.

That is something you don’t see happen in coaching or recruiting and list management.

Australians in the high performance, medical and physio space are very, very highly regarded across the world.

When you go over to the United States, a lot of the questions you get asked are to do with high performance.

We are considered world class in those areas.

A lot of these experts had a grounding in AFL and have been able to cross over.

AFL is such a demanding game across speed, endurance and strength so it probably holds our high performance staff in good stead to cross over.

The Crows had a great year on the injury front in 2025.

I have written about some of the sides that struggled with injuries but a good run is a combination of good management and a bit of luck.

What you are looking for with injuries is what can be managed and what is unlucky.

Some of the knee and collision injuries are unlucky but soft tissue injuries are monitored a lot more closely.

This year Adelaide had some good luck and also some good management and if you can have a year where you have a durable list it also sets up the following year because you are compounding healthy bodies.

If you have a couple of rough years you suddenly start tallying up players who haven’t had continuity, so a good run holds them in pretty good shape for next year too.

THE COACH’S BOX
Murray Davis is a very experienced person who has worked in good programs and he came from Brisbane to Adelaide last off-season as a coaching director.

The coaching director is a broad title and the main part would be to play a support role to the senior coach.

The coaching team is the biggest team in the football department so the coaching director can take some responsibility to help support the line and development coaches.

There is a game model that has been planned out and delivered on and there is the way players are educated and developed.

The coaching director would have a hand in those things and take a bit of a weight off the senior coach.

With soft caps being tight these days, some clubs will go with three line coaches, plus a fourth line coach, or you might have a senior assistant or a director of coaching.

FRONT OFFICE
It felt like no coincidence that with Neil Balme joining the club board, the Crows played in their first finals series in eight years.

He has the Midas touch, wherever he goes the club he goes to seems to hit their straps.

He did it with Geelong, he did it at Richmond and turned up at the Crows and had the same result again.

He is the type of person that brings so much common sense and wisdom to the club.

Geelong and Richmond have spoken often about that sense of peace and calm he brings to organisations.

In a two-team town like Adelaide and the pressure that is always on, he is a smart choice to have on board.

James Gallagher is another who joined the club board, who was a previous list manager at St Kilda so he brings good experience to help the football department.

From time to time there is some grumbling from other clubs about the Crows and Power hosting a ‘bonus’ home match each season due to Gather Round.

Both teams are hard to beat in Adelaide and it is certainly helpful for them but the industry understands what a great round of footy Gather Round has become.

It is an initiative that has taken off and it is really putting Adelaide on the map as well from a football point of view and helps them become more of a destination for non-SA players.

2026 PREDICTION
VERDICT: The middle six (7-12)

The Crows will be planning to play finals again next year after winning the minor premiership and kept almost all of their best 23 together. With players like Rankine and Thilthorpe only just hitting their straps, Adelaide will hope to be entering a long period of competing with the top sides.
 
In my original post i said i will wait until during the seaon to judge new players, rather than pre-empting based on things like the length of their contract.

I judge players on how they perform... everything else is irrelevant!
Just to balance you out, I'm only going to judge players on pre-season form and things that are irrelevant to football, like contract lengths, haircuts and their responses to those "10 questions" things on the AFC website

I'm literally not going to pay any attention to actual football, whatsoever
 

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Just to balance you out, I'm only going to judge players on pre-season form and things that are irrelevant to football, like contract lengths, haircuts and their responses to those "10 questions" things on the AFC website

I'm literally not going to pay any attention to actual football, whatsoever
Is this Steven Rowe's BF account?

Anyone who likes the Black Guts Shiraz must be a gun. ;)
 
Just to balance you out, I'm only going to judge players on pre-season form and things that are irrelevant to football, like contract lengths, haircuts and their responses to those "10 questions" things on the AFC website

I'm literally not going to pay any attention to actual football, whatsoever
Thanks Nicksy!
 
I am hoping we play him in the ruck.

Mainly so I don't have to see our ruckman header the ball to oppo players
Reckon we will get to see him some time when Tex isn’t playing. The forward ruck role will be pivotal next year imo and teams may need to have a genuine ruck forward not just in the pocket but rucking the whole fwd 50.

Just a bit of AI fantasy crystal balling on the position.




IMG_2478.jpeg
 
Reckon we will get to see him some time when Tex isn’t playing. The forward ruck role will be pivotal next year imo and teams may need to have a genuine ruck forward not just in the pocket but rucking the whole fwd 50.

Just a bit of AI fantasy crystal balling on the position.




View attachment 2489930
I do see the rise again of the 197+ ruck who can jump, tap and be mobile around the ground. Centre bounce taps are like gold when a player is hit with the ball on the move and with the ball thrown up, it gives more scope for those who can time their jumps.
 
I do see the rise again of the 197+ ruck who can jump, tap and be mobile around the ground. Centre bounce taps are like gold when a player is hit with the ball on the move and with the ball thrown up, it gives more scope for those who can time their jumps.
But does Maley have the tank to get from contest to contest and still retain his ability to jump if he's gassed?
That also comes into the equation, Blicavs for example was a high class middle distance runner and steeplechaser before concentrating on footy.
 

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But does Maley have the tank to get from contest to contest and still retain his ability to jump if he's gassed?
That also comes into the equation, Blicavs for example was a high class middle distance runner and steeplechaser before concentrating on footy.
Isn't it only the centre bounce they cant cross the centre line?
 
I do see the rise again of the 197+ ruck who can jump, tap and be mobile around the ground. Centre bounce taps are like gold when a player is hit with the ball on the move and with the ball thrown up, it gives more scope for those who can time their jumps.

I take the opposite view, it's a good rule for the aesthetics of the game, but it won't fundamentally change a great deal to how ruck is played, nor will it give those 197+ cm rucks who can jump a niche. There are a lot more stoppages then center bounces in a game, and teams don't score heavily enough from center clearances to justify any real change. Especially as rucks with mobility around the ground has been all talk and nothing else for the most part.

The only thing with these changes that I think will alter rucks is it'll kneecap the idea of a ruck who pushes forward, which hurts Fremantle (and no one else), which is ironically due to the jumping rule as the players who could do that in the right list situation (Darcy/Thilthorpe/Jackson) are too valuable to risk to a flying knee (and I fully agree that we are going to be in an era where forward 50 rucks are going to be handled by someone who isn't your main ruck). Beyond that, I don't think there is anything that alters how rucks are developing, which is into a specialist clearance player and someone you use as defensive reinforcement behind the ball.
 
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DELISTED BLUE FIGHTING FOR ANOTHER CHANCE

- Chloe Williams

It was a shrugged tackle and a pinpoint forward 50 entry that reminded trackwatchers of Elijah Hollands’ potential at AFL level as the delisted Blue vies for a footy lifeline.

The young midfielder had his contract cut short at the end of 2025 following a difficult campaign on a personal level.

But the Blues have left the door open for a potential return, with Hollands training through the summer to earn an SSP revival.

Hollands enjoyed a match simulation highlight on Friday, cutting off an opposing attacking thrust before shrugging off a Cooper Lord tackle to then find Will White on a deep forward 50 entry.

 

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