List Mgmt. 2026 GWS Giants List Management - Academy, Free Agent, Trade & Draft

[Giant Strides]

The 2025 National, Pre-season & Rookie Drafts have been run and won, so it's time to look forward to the 2026 season of list management. We still have the PSSP to go where we will pick up Jayden Laverde

15

Jayden Laverde

Age

29

Ht

193cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.8

3star

K

6.3

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.8

4star

MG

152.8

2star

D

8.8

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

3.8

3star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.5

3star

MG

116.5

2star

D

11.2

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

5.8

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

3.6

5star

MG

141.2

3star

, but I'll assume that he's a certainty to arrive, and include him in the details.

Here's the current list statistics:

• main list = 38
• rookie A list = 4 (Madden, Stone, Delana, Laverde)
• rookie B list = 2 (Wardius, Hamilton)
• Total = 44

Players OOC at the end of season 2026 - Free Agents are marked * (I'll update & cross out players as they re-sign with GWS):

• Harvey Thomas
• Stephen Coniglio *
• Toby Greene *
• Phoenix Gothard
• Jake Stringer (TBC - following re-draft)
• Jesse Hogan
• Jake Riccardi
• Kieren Briggs *
• Max Gruzewski

Rookie lists:

• Joey Delana
• Riley Hamilton (Cat B)
• Jayden Laverde
• Nick Madden
• Conor Stone *

 

[Colonial]

Surely we get Tobes done straight away.

 

[Comedy Capers]

You mean 2026 OOC.not 2024.

 

[dlanod]

Surely we get Tobes done straight away.

I think even with him on the list it looks like one of the less stressful off-seasons in a while coming up. Guys who you'd figure are part of the furniture now so will stick around, guys that we would prefer to keep but are moderately replaceable, and guys that haven't broken out (yet).

There's going to be list spot squeezes though if we try to give guys like Gru and Phoenix more time (which they do deserve).

 

[Colonial]

Official

 

[Battlepants]

Inspired by Maximus 2011 I created a new cheat sheet for the GWS Giants list showing the profiles of our team by age and position now that the trade and draft periods are completed.

 

[GWS Goose]

Surely we get Tobes done straight away.

The only question they'll be worrying about is to work out how long he wants to sign for I Imagine. He'll probably get the choice and make take a little bit to decide.

The 2025 National, Pre-season & Rookie Drafts have been run and won, so it's time to look forward to the 2026 season of list management. We still have the PSSP to go where we will pick up Jayden Laverde, but I'll assume that he's a certainty to arrive, and include him in the details.

Here's the current list statistics:

• main list = 38
• rookie A list = 4 (Madden, Stone, Delana, Laverde)
• rookie B list = 2 (Wardius, Hamilton)
• Total = 44

Players OOC at the end of season 2026 - Free Agents are marked * (I'll update & cross out players as they re-sign with GWS):

• Harvey Thomas
• Stephen Coniglio *
• Toby Greene *
• Phoenix Gothard
• Jake Stringer (TBC - following re-draft)
• Jesse Hogan
• Jake Riccardi
• Kieren Briggs *
• Max Gruzewski

Rookie lists:

• Joey Delana
• Riley Hamilton (Cat B)
• Jayden Laverde
• Nick Madden
• Conor Stone *

You'd think it'll be our call on Harvey, Phoenix, Gruz and the rookies

Cogs will depend on his body, I imagine he signs a reduced 1 year deal.

Hogan and Stringer are interesting, they'll have interest, but may not be prepared to leave given that we have re-vamped them. No sure thing though.
Briggs and Riccardi could be targeted by someone and may leave under the right circumstances (for them)

 

[captainMyCaptain]

While it's VFL now and most likely all of '26. It does read like a potential ssp and most likely depends on Kelly being able to return this year or not

 

[Giant Strides]

There's also Nathan Wardius who could be put on LTI, and his spot used for Bell.

 

[Drummond]

I’ve seen a lot of Bell in the SANFL and he always stands out. Classy, strong, damaging. So he’s only VFL though, not AFL listed?

 

[Giant Strides]

I’ve seen a lot of Bell in the SANFL and he always stands out. Classy, strong, damaging. So he’s only VFL though, not AFL listed?

Yes.

We're out of spots on the main list, anyway. So if he's training under SSP provisions, we might be looking to upgrade him as an injury replacement for one of Kelly, Jones or Wardius.

Given the positive news on Jones, it might be a case of assessing how Kelly's recovery goes, and also seeing how Wardius is going to decide if they put him up.

Seems a reasonable approach - a strong VFL player but able to be upgraded into a spot on the AFL list. Had that thought for Marc Sheather (another former Swans Academy), but perhaps his major injury late in the season counted against him.