List Mgmt. 2026 Trade/FA/Draft thread

[I Love Lamb]

I wonder if we consider giving anyone else up that generate some currency? I’m a fan but if Bayley Fritsch got us band 1 FA compensation, you’d surely consider it.

I would think his age is too high to justify a lucrative long term contract to snare us a band 1

 

[ray_purchase]

Yeah we need a #1 full back this offseason.

And a #1 key forward.

 

[I Love Lamb]

And a #1 key forward.

Wouldn’t mind just giving Kentfield and Jeffo a good run in the 1s to see how they go first.

Drop JvR and Petty to make room.

 

[Demon Attack]

And a #1 key forward.

Scored 100 three times this year already.

 

[Lampers]

I would think his age is too high to justify a lucrative long term contract to snare us a band 1

Maybe, but there have been some crazy and surprising deals thrown at free agents recently. You never know your luck and someone may throw something big at Fritsch.

If Melbourne finish bottom four and sKing doesn’t see Fritsch as part of the future then you’d probably let it happen for pick 20-25 or whatever. Especially if that pick can be on traded for a target experienced player from elsewhere.

 

[Topkent]

Maybe, but there have been some crazy and surprising deals thrown at free agents recently. You never know your luck and someone may throw something big at Fritsch.

If Melbourne finish bottom four and sKing doesn’t see Fritsch as part of the future then you’d probably let it happen for pick 20-25 or whatever. Especially if that pick can be on traded for a target experienced player from elsewhere.

Collingwood's list is very shallow as well. They could afford to overpay a couple of guys to get them as free agents

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

And a #1 key forward.

Would rather we have a look at Kentfield and Jefferson before the end of the season before we worry about going after someone like Jed Walter.

If we start losing Mihocek should make way.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

And we should have a look at JVR as a KPD at some stage too probably.

 

[Johnny Karate]

Would rather we have a look at Kentfield and Jefferson before the end of the season before we worry about going after someone like Jed Walter.

If we start losing Mihocek should make way.

I reckon you need to have a really solid foundation before you go shopping for ‘big’ name KPPs (especially forwards). Like I’d be pretty rapt if we got Butts in as a FA. However, if we are chips in on going for Harry McKay or Ben King, we’ve completely lost the plot.

 

[schmuttt]

I reckon you need to have a really solid foundation before you go shopping for ‘big’ name KPPs (especially forwards). Like I’d be pretty rapt if we got Butts in as a FA. However, if we are chips in on going for Harry McKay or Ben King, we’ve completely lost the plot.

Ben King would be fine considering we wouldn't give up any draft capital.

 

[MarcMaverick]

I reckon you need to have a really solid foundation before you go shopping for ‘big’ name KPPs (especially forwards). Like I’d be pretty rapt if we got Butts in as a FA. However, if we are chips in on going for Harry McKay or Ben King, we’ve completely lost the plot.

Yeah, plus defence is more important than attack and we doing need a KPD to replace Tom McDonald and Jed Adams isn't it. He struggles in the seconds. At least Jordan Butts has had some AFL experience.

 

[I Love Lamb]

I don’t have much faith in Taylor since cooking up almost every pick he has had since 2021. Last week we saw a kid taken 40 picks later behind Tholstrup tear us a new one in a draft we openly declared we didn’t rate anyone outside the first round when trading away every other pick we had.

 

[Scythe]

I don’t have much faith in Taylor since cooking up almost every pick he has had since 2021. Last week we saw a kid taken 40 picks later behind Tholstrup tear us a new one in a draft we openly declared we didn’t rate anyone outside the first round when trading away every other pick we had.

You know who else passed on Roberts? Every single other club

 

[Jordie_tackles]

You know who else passed on Roberts? Every single other club

Multiple times

 

[The Dr]

I can’t believe we didn’t pick (insert player from late in the draft or rookie draft who every club passed over multiple times)! Tim Lamb you idiot!

 

[Dory_77]

I can’t believe we didn’t pick (insert player from late in the draft or rookie draft who every club passed over multiple times)! Tim Lamb you idiot!

LOOK AWAY MELBOURNE FANS!

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

I don't mind that we didn't pick him (even though he's a freak), but I wonder if we were also scared off by his attitude problem/thought he was 'too cocky'. FWIK he wasn't really ever likely to go in the early first round though even before sliding, a 15-25 prospect at best on visible talent.

 

[The Dr]

I think questioning the Tholstrup pick is fair though. Myself and many others were really unsure at the time and the jury is well and truly out.

 

[Bluelegs]

I think questioning the Tholstrup pick is fair though. Myself and many others were really unsure at the time and the jury is well and truly out.

Darcy Wilson probably the most obvious miss with that pick. Was rated very highly and slid back to the back end of the first.

Haven't given up on Windsor but I was big on Curtin in the lead up to that draft and reckon we got spooked by the go home factor.

 

[Lord Nev]

I was big on Curtin in the lead up to that draft and reckon we got spooked by the go home factor.

Rumour at the time was Taylor wasn't convinced about his competitiveness, particularly post-interview. TBF to JT, likely a different mandate at the time from the club in terms of priorities.

 

[I Love Lamb]

I think people are missing the point that we basically gave up 2 2nd rounders, 2 shots at players like Roberts, due to our own arrogance of not rating anyone outside the first round. We could have easily still taken Tholstrup with our original pick.

To say every other club didn’t grab him is a cop out when every other club didn’t give every pick they had outside the first round away and likely still took a stab at players beyond the first round.

The whole point of paying a top end recruiter is to find these late diamonds, not take the obvious top end players that every phantom draft has anyway and advise there is nothing worth looking at beyond that. (When there really has been with multiple late picks already showing promise eg Morris, Freijah, Reid, Roberts ect) across 2023/2024.

Instead we choose to fill our spare list spots with VFL spuds like Henderson and AJ

 

[TheBoss]

Rumour at the time was Taylor wasn't convinced about his competitiveness, particularly post-interview. TBF to JT, likely a different mandate at the time from the club in terms of priorities.

Agreed. 2023 felt like we had a win-now mandate, preferencing kids that could contribute from day 1 over kids who might need a few seasons to develop.

 

[Lord Nev]

Agreed. 2023 felt like we had a win-now mandate, preferencing kids that could contribute from day 1 over kids who might need a few seasons to develop.

Not 100% sure on that, perhaps - Think it was more the obsession with 'competitive beast' types, as opposed to talent, x-factor etc.

 

[Bluelegs]

Agreed. 2023 felt like we had a win-now mandate, preferencing kids that could contribute from day 1 over kids who might need a few seasons to develop.

You only have to look at our all out pursuit of Reid.

 

[TheBoss]

I think people are missing the point that we basically gave up 2 2nd rounders, 2 shots at players like Roberts, due to our own arrogance of not rating anyone outside the first round. We could have easily still taken Tholstrup with our original pick.

To say every other club didn’t grab him is a cop out when every other club didn’t give every pick they had outside the first round away and likely still took a stab at players beyond the first round.

The whole point of paying a top end recruiter is to find these late diamonds, not take the obvious top end players that every phantom draft has anyway and advise there is nothing worth looking at beyond that. (When there really has been with multiple late picks already showing promise eg Morris, Freijah, Reid, Roberts ect) across 2023/2024.

Instead we choose to fill our spare list spots with VFL spuds like Henderson and AJ

People are glossing over that point because it’s easier to give you a whack for the 'every other club missed him' line than to admit our strategy was flawed.

In hindsight, JT’s comments about not rating the pool outside the first round were a massive unforced error. It was always going to come back to bite him on the ass. Every draft has late-round or rookie picks that wildly outperform their range. Giving up multiple shots at guys like Roberts or Freijah just because you don't 'rate' the depth is the definition of arrogance.

The comments are an embrassing look. A recruiter shouldn't be claiming there is no value in later draft picks when he has essentially whiffed on two first-rounders. The only win of the 2023 draft pool was moving elderly Melksham to the rookie list. He hasn't earned the right to turn his nose up at the rest of the draft pool.

You can only be arrogant when you are nailing every pick. And he hasn't done that since 2019.

(I still think Windsor will make it as an onballer, eventually. I haven't seen anything about Tholstrup's game that I rate)