List Mgmt. 2026 AFL Draft

[_RT_]

But hopefully we’ve been front loading current players as well as banking 5%

We no doubt would have done that but I don't see how it would create $6m in space. When I was playing around with figures earlier today, the best I could get to was about $3m in cap space from 2028 and that is paying up to 95% of the cap each year.

 

[Cherki]

if someone has only been on here for 5 minutes and they have an Avatar of a french soccer player I rarely take them seriously.

It’s my last name you dead shit

 

[tropicaltiger]

It’s my last name you dead shit

I'm calling crap who uses their last name on the internet
even if it's slightly true, it rhymes with turkey i suppose champ

 

[tigs2010]

It’s my last name you dead shit

Here I was trying to work out which French soccer player was named Sulley lol

 

[tiger_tough]

its too bad for them because ive locked it in

I've ruled it out.

If he has a big 2026 season it's going to be hard to overlook even for the anti ruck early pick brigade

Its pretty obvious thay the club rushed out to invite Krasnadamskis down to try out after I made this call.....

 

[tigs2010]

Its pretty obvious thay the club rushed out to invite Krasnadamskis down to try out after I made this call.....

 

[Cherki]

I'm calling crap who uses their last name on the internet
even if it's slightly true, it rhymes with turkey i suppose champ

It’s also not a French name either, you dead shit.

Can you help me think of a really cool user name like “tropicaltiger”?

 

[tropicaltiger]

It’s also not a French name either, you dead shit.

Can you help me think of a really cool user name like “tropicaltiger”?

not sure if you are the sharpest tool in the shed, I never suggested your last name was.... French but same name your using is a famous soccer player. maybe fess up your previous sig before that one got banned, so we can understand your childish posts a bit better

 

[tiger_tough]

View attachment 2485072

dis gud 4 u.

 

[spky1234]

I think that we all have to realise that we wont be hitting the draft in 2026.

It's already compromised by not having access to the top 2 picks, add in compo for Merrett & Butters to teams that could finish below us and our natural pick 4 (if we finish 15th) or pick 3 could blow out to picks 7 or 8. Even if we finish last we'll still only have pick 3.

2026 is the last year that we can access (buy) players without the competition of Tassies huge war chest, they'll also have access to 18 OOC players in 2027, those 2 things blow us out of the water and take the whole FA market out of the equation. They'll also be able to buy players who are contracted as they have to use some of those 1st round picks as trades. The combined power of their draft capital, access to OOC players and massive warchest virtually wipes out the player market.

We'll be using what is likely to be a relatively high pick (3-8) in a relatively good draft, combined with F1 2027 & F1 2028 plus F2's (with oppo's expectation that they'll be high picks) to buy players, doesn't really matter whether they're contracted or not, obviously FA's don't cost picks and there'll be a couple we chase, but we'll also be chasing contracted players on top of that. We'll also have a huge amount of cash to splash after banking the cap this year and next year, gotta use it or lose it.

This strategy has already been outlined by the list managers (and Yze), they are on record as saying that we'll be having a look at the players on the list this year and then hit the market hard to address the identified shortcomings.

Merrett is not a free agent.

And Port will obviously match a trade for Butters, as he is worth far more than the 3 first round picks Curnow and Trac got.

We will finish 15th to 18th, and with 2 club-tied picks, 1 of which would absorb Port's pick if they are bottom 4, we are virtually guaranteed a top 6 pick again.

 

[spky1234]

We'll be hitting the player market hard at the end of 2026, this has already been stated.

Port and Essendon could well finish below us and have 2 compo picks, if we finish 16th then our 1st pick could be pick 6 or 7.

I have no doubt that we'll be trading for players, if we have to use our 1st next year in combination with our futures to secure the players we want then we'll be doing it.

Bookmark it.

Won't be with a top 5 pick after we finish bottom 4 mate.

Would obviously be referring to free agents, future 1sts, and 2nd rounders.

 

[Tigerat2020]

This was a weak draft ,I think only Uwland ,Patterson, Duursma and Dean would go top 15 last year.
That means there will be a few top 15 picks that just won't be any good.
I think we're banking on Cumming and Grilj to be decent role players but not expecting anything special.

 

[4tune8]

We no doubt would have done that but I don't see how it would create $6m in space. When I was playing around with figures earlier today, the best I could get to was about $3m in cap space from 2028 and that is paying up to 95% of the cap each year.

It's interesting to say the least, none of us know for certain where we stand or exactly how our cap can be used. What we can do is apply some logic based on what we do know to deduce an approximation.

So, what do we know?

1. We can bank cap at 5%/year for 2 years = ~$2m

2. We can overspend the cap by 5% in the 3rd year = ~$1m

3. We can front load contracts, this point is the curly one. Since 2021 we've lost 12 players who would have been on substantial contracts but replaced them with 2 on fairly high contracts (Taranto & Hopper) who entered the picture in 2023 and 10 players on minimal contracts. My assumption would be that we started front loading contracts in 2024, we've continued that this year but banked 5%. we'll continue to do that next year and bank another 5%. the cumulative effect of that front loading could well see another $3m being available at the end of 2026 because of the simple fact that we won't have to pay what was originally forecast to be paid 3 years ago.

4. We will also lose Prestia, Broad, Lynch and Nank over the next 2 years, maybe Floss as well. Their contract cost would have been reduced substantially, but there might be some residual to cover, maybe that goes towards the extensions for the grateful 8 picked up last year.

This competition doesn't reward any team that sits on it's laurels, if there's a window of opportunity to improve our list then we have to jump through it. I'm of the firm opinion that we'll be doing that at the end of 2026, particularly with Tassie about to pillage the market.

The final pieces of our build will be put in place next year, that may require us using our draft capital to buy players, it also may not. But one thing is certain, we won't be waiting any longer to decide what we need.

Full noise is the mantra and that goes from top to bottom.

 

[Cherki]

not sure if you are the sharpest tool in the shed, I never suggested your last name was.... French but same name your using is a famous soccer player. maybe fess up your previous sig before that one got banned, so we can understand your childish posts a bit better

How about you lick my balls

 

[tropicaltiger]

How about you lick my balls

 

[Wooden Robot]

It’s also not a French name either, you dead shit.

Can you help me think of a really cool user name like “tropicaltiger”?

I like to snack on beef cherki.
A staple of the diet
Happy posting.

 

[4tune8]

One thing that has struck me with Yze is that he doesn't seem the type to look for a shortcut when it comes to building the list, so I just can't see us shoving our chips all in at the trade/free agency table looking for a quick fix. Instead I can see a slow and steady approach until such time as we feel that our window is opening and it's time to strike. That doesn't mean we won't dip our toes into the trade pool, but it's going to be splashing about at the shallow end of the pool rather than climbing the 10m board and cannon balling into the deep end.

Appreciate the in depth look you've obviously taken regarding this and it certainly much more entertaining to read than the rubbish that some seem to think is insightful opinion

Thanks for the appreciation.

I'm not advocating the taking of short cuts or quick fixes and I find it strange that is what you gleaned from what I said.

You would have to agree that we already have the pieces of our list build in place, whether they bear the fruit that they promise is another argument but nonetheless, there are just a few more pieces of the puzzle to add and they're not the difficult ones. Those pieces will be identified this year and a plan to secure them will be made in the off season.

We will not be taking a slow and steady approach whatsoever, that sort of strategy died eons ago. This comp and it's demands just won't allow it.

 

[Wrenny]

#tigs2010 said a couple of days ago that he sees us at that 2012 timeline in our premiership window, although most would agree that what he says is not necessarily a tick of approval, nudge nudge, , say no more. I see us as being in a similar position going into 2026, but with all the cogs that we added in 2013-2016 being already in place. Like 2016 we'll be finishing in the bottom 6 next year, our list builders have already said that they want to have a look at the squad and then look at filling the identified holes and shortcomings via the player market.

 

[THE_GUN]

Who the f knows, but we sure as hell ain't banking $6m

We wont be banking it i think you misunderstood my point or i did not word it too well
With what we banked in 2025 and 2026 along with front loading we wont have the players to pay the available cap to unless we over pay kids that dont deserve that level of increases. So free agent will be required to meet the floor

 

[THE_GUN]

We no doubt would have done that but I don't see how it would create $6m in space. When I was playing around with figures earlier today, the best I could get to was about $3m in cap space from 2028 and that is paying up to 95% of the cap each year.

Who are we paying the big $$$ to in 2026 & 2027 ?
Who did we pay $17+ mil in 2025

We were not planning on losing
$750k - Rioli
$1.2 mil - Bolton
$700k - Baker
$450k - Graham

Thats $3 mil just there in just 2025 not to mention
$400k - Pickett
$600k - Grimes

We have 4 years left to pay out Tatanto/Hopper @750k each =$1,5 a year
Balta 7 Years @ $1 mil
and probably another 10 players around $400k-$600k max = $5 mil max
Prestia , Lynch , Broad , Nank , Short , Ross , Campbell , Vlastuin , HRS , Miller
The rest around 25 players would be on Min wages under $300k = $7 mil max
4 rookies on $150k with 50% salary outside the cap = $300k


I get $15 mil at the Max and that is being extremely generous in all brackets
I would love to see who you would be paying more to get to $18 mil and also a breakdown on what you think our listed player will be paid in 26 & 27

 

[_RT_]

Who are we paying the big $$$ to in 2026 & 2027 ?
Who did we pay $17+ mil in 2025

We were not planning on losing
$750k - Rioli
$1.2 mil - Bolton
$700k - Baker
$450k - Graham

Thats $3 mil just there in just 2025 not to mention
$400k - Pickett
$600k - Grimes

We have 4 years left to pay out Tatanto/Hopper @750k each =$1,5 a year
Balta 7 Years @ $1 mil
and probably another 10 players around $400k-$600k max = $5 mil max
Prestia , Lynch , Broad , Nank , Short , Ross , Campbell , Vlastuin , HRS , Miller
The rest around 25 players would be on Min wages under $300k = $7 mil max
4 rookies on $150k with 50% salary outside the cap = $300k


I get $15 mil at the Max and that is being extremely generous in all brackets
I would love to see who you would be paying more to get to $18 mil and also a breakdown on what you think our listed player will be paid in 26 & 27

Like I said last night who knows who we're paying but what I do know is that in 2026 we need to pay a minimum of $17,240,957, which means we bank $907,419. In 2027 we must pay $17,376,689 and can bank $914,563, which gives us an extra $1,821,982 in cap space heading into 2028 on top of the 5% we may have already budgeted for, which would bring the total cap space to closer to $3m.

Now if we are pre-paying some of the guys on longer term contracts to help us reach the minimum threshold for 2026 & 2027 we would create a bit more space but I don't see how it would be around $6m.

Another thing you may not have considered is that all our 2023 & 2024 draftees get a significant boost to their base salary in 2025 due to the games they played last 1-2 years. All of McAuliffe Fawcett Trezise Lalor Smillie Hotton Faull Trainor Armstrong Sims Alger & Gray get between $10,000 to $60,000 added to their base salary + $4000 in match payments for each senior game. That all adds up.

We also need to consider that between now and 2028 we're also could be re-signing the likes of Miller Ralphsmith Ross Alger Gibcus Clarke Mansell Fawcett Rioli Green Nankervis Gray Armstrong Faull Smillie McAuliffe Trainor Banks Lalor Hotton Sims Brown Peucker & NRT. That's 24 players and just allowing $100k for each chews up $2.4m in space and I'd suggest it would be closer to $3-3.5m as some of those top end draftees are going to get more than $100k increase.

So after all that and even allowing for the departure of Lynch Prestia (won't be on much now) Broad & Vlastuin in that time I still can't see how we create the $6m of cap space you're suggesting. IMO I'd say we're going to comfortably have around $2.5-3.5m in cap space come 2028 if we're going to be paying the minimum amount of cap over the next 2 years. Still plenty of coin to be able to go and aggressively attack the trade/free agency market just as our window is hopefully opening.

Anyhow I think we've taken up enough thread space dedicated to the 2026 draft with cap chat and I'm going to leave it where it sits as neither of our opinions are right or wrong, they're just our opinions. I think we can both agree that Blair will be right on top of things as list manager and will make the moves necessary to ensure that we're ready to hit the market when the time comes

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

So who are we paying the other $17,000,000 to on our list

My bank account will be happy to take most of it.
Just to help the club out.

 

[Drunken Wookie]

is NHH training with anyone? ****ing crazy hes been totally blown off his best was elite but constantly injured.

 

[Groupie_]

last draft we can tank to be in just before tassie comes in then its all systems go

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

last draft we can tank to be in just before tassie comes in then its all systems go

So your on the Yzzee bandwagon now.
Turncoat.