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List Mgmt. 2025 Trade/FA Thread

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Don't think this is the draft to be trading a future 1st to get into, especially considering:
  • Its widely considered a weak draft
  • Its highly diluted by academy/father son picks
  • Next years draft is considered stronger and new afl rules means it will be much less compromised.
In saying that, I do like the idea of getting a "best available" pick in ahead of a McCarthy bid (who is rated around 25 to 30), but I think we could achieve this by packaging a future 2nd (in a stronger draft) + this years second for Pick 20 to 25 this year.
It’s definitely a compromised draft but I think it can also still be true that someone we rate highly might slide and we want to get in.

Also the possibility that we can take advantage of the compromised nature of the draft and someone might want to move their pick out to use later picks.

Having a pick before McCarthy on a midfielder we rate or perhaps a key defender would certainly be something I’d be interested in.
 
I did mention 2 weeks ago that we were into Trac big time, my mate was quite bullish on this.
You’d do it for the right deal but he is 30 and you can’t go paying a ridiculous premium.

It's not the most far-fetched theory to come up with. He was running laps and then training with a group of our lads in October last year at the AIA Centre.
 

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The complicated case of Christian Petracca this off-season

Christian Petracca tried to leave Melbourne last year. But where do things sit 12 months later? Jon Ralph has more on what might unlock a complex deal, plus where his teammates stand.
Jon RalphJon Ralph
@RalphyHeraldSun
4 min read
September 15, 2025 - 3:44PM
News Sport Network
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AFL: The Demons have appointed Steven King as their new coach

As with most things involving Christian Petracca, it is complicated.
In an ideal world Petracca would chase success at a rival club next year, 12 months on from his aborted trade request.
He would find a fresh start at a new club free of the baggage that still weighs him down after the terrible aftermath of his King’s Birthday injuries.
Back in 2024 as the Demons seemed to be imploding he was keen to get to a club like Carlton or Collingwood that he believed would be in the premiership window.
Petracca would still be keen on a move — but pulling it off will be difficult. Picture: Getty Images

Petracca would still be keen on a move — but pulling it off will be difficult. Picture: Getty Images
But the Demons couldn’t consider it because it would paint a picture of a club imploding.
Simon Goodwin was coaching for his career (unsuccessfully as it turned out) and a Demons outfit desperately trying to paint a picture as a happy family instead tried to resuscitate the relationship.
It has only partly worked.
Twelve months on Petracca deserves a huge amount of credit for putting his head down and cranking out a 23-game season that saw him finish behind only Max Gawn in the club best-and-fairest.
This article contains features which are only available in the web versionTake me there
It doesn’t mean he isn’t still keen to look around and consider whether there is a club that would progress his premiership ambitions if the Demons were keen to trade him.
The problem is that Petracca is due vast sums in the next four years, Hawthorn is all in on Zach Merrett instead, and any trade which actually benefited the Demons would be incredibly hard to broker.
So both sides might end up calling an uneasy truce or the trade period might provide the solutions to both.
In an ideal world with a super draft only months away and rival clubs laden with young key position forwards they were happy to trade, Petracca would be on his way with a minimum of fuss.
But this is not that year, so it would take a special combination of early draft selections or that Melbourne missing link – an established key forward - for the Demons to really jump at the chance to trade Petracca.
Clubs face the tough task of meeting Melbourne’s demands in a trade. Picture: Getty Images

Clubs face the tough task of meeting Melbourne’s demands in a trade. Picture: Getty Images
Petracca has said all the right things about being committed in his rare sponsor-linked media appearances this year.
But only he would know if his teammates’ suspicions are true - that he has gone through the motions instead of fully immersing himself in rebuilding this club’s culture from the ashes.
Coach Steven King will need to have brutally honest conversations with Petracca about whether he is committed to playing his entire career out at Melbourne or will at some stage jump ship.
His teammates certainly suspect that he does not want to be at Melbourne next year.
If that is the case, right now is the right time to trade him as he hits 30 in January with maximum trade value.
King said in his press conference on Monday he was keen to retain the club’s established talent including Oliver and Petracca.
“Absolutely. They’re both superstars in the competition for what they’ve done, so to get the opportunity to work with those guys and get them back to playing their best footy would be something that I would pride myself on as a coach,” he said.
[PLAYERCARD]Steven King[/PLAYERCARD] wants Petracca at Melbourne next year. Picture: Getty Images

Steven King wants Petracca at Melbourne next year. Picture: Getty Images
“I’ll be meeting with the list management team later today. I’ve obviously done a lot of research on the list before applying for this position. So, I really admire what’s happened here in the past. I think the experience that we’ve got here, I want to try and keep those experienced players here for as long as possible because premiership players don’t grow on trees and to have them on your side while you’re bringing in the youth of tomorrow and today, that’s going to be a really important part of the way I want our team to play, so that will be something that will probably play out in the next couple of weeks.”
One issue for Petracca finding a new home is that the list of clubs desperate for a player of his calibre who could absorb his salary is very thin.
If he was happy to move anywhere Adelaide would surely be in the market, as would Collingwood, GWS and Fremantle.
Christian Petracca’s future is up in the air
But the Pies, Giants and Dockers don’t have cap space to absorb a deal that hits $1.7m and would he move interstate to Adelaide with all his Melbourne-based business interests?
Melbourne doesn’t have a first-round pick this year but the suspicion is that its next premiership window is in 3-5 years, as much as CEO Paul Guerra suggested on Monday finals was the aspiration next year.
So getting back into this draft to continue building on the elite young core – Xavier Lindsay, Harvey Langford, Kosi Pickett, Jake Bowey – has to be a priority.
Guerra is certainly saying all the right things – that Petracca is a contracted superstar, that he is required, that the club wants to help build his off-field portfolio so he exits the game content and generationally wealthy.
But it will be up to King and the list management team to spend the coming weeks deciding if moving on Petracca helps their list build.
The next few weeks will be key. Picture: Getty Images

The next few weeks will be key. Picture: Getty Images
Are they patient enough to accept a first-round pick this year and one next year if a club like Adelaide offers up a portfolio of selections?
Is there any key forward in the mix who they could acquire?
The list of key forwards is uncommonly bare.
Patrick Voss is an unrestricted free agent next year but very happy at the Dockers.
Ollie Henry was pushed out of Geelong’s best side this year after 78 goals in the past two seasons but just re-signed and moved to the Cats to play with his brother.
If Damien Hardwick did trade Jed Walter it would be to Carlton as part of a package for Charlie Curnow.
Clubs might try to lure Brody Mihocek on three-year deals, while Mitch Lewis is an unrestricted free agent next year and has been squeezed down the pecking order at Hawthorn but is about to play in a preliminary final.
So it is complicated, but only total honesty – from King, from Petracca, from the club’s leaders - will turn uneasy peace into full buy-in or the trade that sets the 2021 Norm Smith Medallist free in coming weeks.

More Coverage



 
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We should hold off on any petracca move until we know butters plan.

He is a free agent at the end of next season, if he chooses to stay with port for another season, we should save as much as we can to put ourselves in a good position to get him.
 
Both Mihocek and Hill would probably have to go. Partly to find the cap room, but also the trade capital. I don’t love that scenario.
Sounds to me like Melbourne are playing coy because they don’t want to be lumped with paying any of his salary.
Take on his whole contract and he likely comes cheap, but then it’s at the potential expense of a younger free agent in the next 1-2 years.
Is it worth it though to have another flag tilt next year?
 
Yeah worked a treat with Brown, Lynch, Cameron etc. I’ll be more shocked the day a player that supported the Pies does sign
Howe, WHE, Perryman
 
Jon Ralph is delusional if he thinks Petracca is worth multiple first-rounders.
My favourite line was “30 years old at maximum trade value”.

Sorry Ralphy but you don’t get max value for 30 year olds on inflated contracts. Sounds a lot like him trying to wish away the potential of Collingwood getting stronger.
 
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Does anyone actually think we have a tight salary cap? Find it hard to believe.

Doubt it and be even less of a Salary Cap in next 1-3 Seasons with the Old Codgers start to Retire
 
Howe, Pendles and Sidebottom most likely retire next year, surely that frees up about 1.2 million?
 
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Trac would still be a good get. Another proven big game player. New coach should make it easier.

Would love Bailey Humphrey or Weddle (Oakleigh Chargers).- someone needs to offer Weddle a godfather contract.
 
This year tried to go red and tried to go blue. The red would have been much more costly. Both did not turn out but we had the resources to try. The salary cap can be tight because we have spent it or because we are going to spend it. Good stuff my be planned.
 

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My favourite line was “30 years old at maximum tase value”.

Sorry Ralphy but you don’t get max value for 30 year olds on inflated contracts. Sounds a lot like him trying to wish away the potential of Collingwood getting stronger.

We should have used this line with a 27 year old treloar.
 
Jon Ralph is delusional if he thinks Petracca is worth multiple first-rounders.
It really depends where Melbourne see their list at .

If they feel they are still in the contending window , then they may prioritize senior talent which will require cap space.

If they feel like they need to undertake a mini rebuild, they will prioritize draft picks.

Either way we should stay away from Petracca because the cost is too much.
 
It really depends where Melbourne see their list at .

If they feel they are still in the contending window , then they may prioritize senior talent which will require cap space.

If they feel like they need to undertake a mini rebuild, they will prioritize draft picks.

Either way we should stay away from Petracca because the cost is too much.
I'd rather Merrett over Petracca. But I'd rather Butters over both of them.
 
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