2026 Trade / FA Thread

[Harry O]

The rest of 2026 should be operation Tank
Work out which kids can play and which ones are to be moved on

Finish bottom 5 - get a good early pick and the bonus second rounder

 

[HFF]

The rest of 2026 should be operation Tank
Work out which kids can play and which ones are to be moved on

Finish bottom 5 - get a good early pick and the bonus second rounder

It’s kinda the perfect storm really for us to utilise considering our lack of trade and draft assets —the more the better

 

[Chunky Steak]

You should give it a try one day when you have a few hours to spare, it's great to see how our young ones are coming on.

I agree! Used to love watching VFL when I lived in Melbourne. Back in the Willo days.

And if you can't get to the VFL, I also recommend watching your local footy/sports (not for Pies insights, just because it's great fun). I hadn't been for years, and now I'm checking out a Div 1 soccer, footy, hockey, insert sport here game most weekends.

 

[Jen2310]

Not to mention Richmond who went all in on kids and a lot of them can’t even get on the park.

tbf, thats not talent related. I'd question their medical department and maybe pushing them before they are ready

 

[stormskye]

The rest of 2026 should be operation Tank
Work out which kids can play and which ones are to be moved on

Finish bottom 5 - get a good early pick and the bonus second rounder

Agree. The 13 clubs outside the top 5 should all give up and tank. A great comp and culture builder that makes

 

[sideswipe]

The rest of 2026 should be operation Tank
Work out which kids can play and which ones are to be moved on

Finish bottom 5 - get a good early pick and the bonus second rounder

Jeepers, some of you would give up before you even stepped onto a lifeboat.

We are still odds on to play finals. Get a hold of yourself.

 

[Jen2310]

 

[OniAu]

I agree! Used to love watching VFL when I lived in Melbourne. Back in the Willo days.

And if you can't get to the VFL, I also recommend watching your local footy/sports (not for Pies insights, just because it's great fun). I hadn't been for years, and now I'm checking out a Div 1 soccer, footy, hockey, insert sport here game most weekends.

It is great to follow local!! Got a niece in NBL1 and enjoying it as much as i ever had with AFL. VFL i have tried to get on to but quite often forget.

Wonder how different it would be in terms of exposure if the games were pre the seniors

 

[Carringbush2010]

Yeah I think we'll target FAs and keep our pick - but who knows if someone really good becomes gettable.

Your job manic is to troll through draft videos and your contacts and find us a genuine clearance winning tackling mid who can run to get excited about.

I agree with your sentiment, do you have an example of what that player would look like, a Danger type (burst player)? Maybe an in form Brayshaw or Serong?

Isn't JDG supposed to be that burst type? (used to be!)

There's been talk of Lachie Neale, he's 32, if he's the one to 'prop' up the window then that's a small window. Not certain he's the sort of player you're describing.

None of those players would be coming to us anyway, Butters unlikely also.

I think we're gonna have to find a diamond in the rough to develop.

Our current season is no doubt a development year, we've done this before (post 21), but it looks much tougher this time to bounce back to contention over the next couple of seasons.

 

[stormskye]

We are rebuilding. I’m so tired of this media bs
We got rid of 5 last year, potentially 4 oldies this season…

 

[Granit1962]

They traded in Tanner Bruhn while Holmes, Dempsey and Atkins were drafted with similar picks that we chose Ryan, HDM and Allan.
Really cool story otherwise.

Ouch

 

[satanshoof101]

They traded in Tanner Bruhn while Holmes, Dempsey and Atkins were drafted with similar picks that we chose Ryan, HDM and Allan.
Really cool story otherwise.

Shannon Neale was the pick after Liam McMahon as well.

 

[sr36]

I agree with your sentiment, do you have an example of what that player would look like, a Danger type (burst player)? Maybe an in form Brayshaw or Serong?

Isn't JDG supposed to be that burst type? (used to be!)

There's been talk of Lachie Neale, he's 32, if he's the one to 'prop' up the window then that's a small window. Not certain he's the sort of player you're describing.

None of those players would be coming to us anyway, Butters unlikely also.

I think we're gonna have to find a diamond in the rough to develop.

Our current season is no doubt a development year, we've done this before (post 21), but it looks much tougher this time to bounce back to contention over the next couple of seasons.

We need a Matty Rowell, Caleb Serong - a proper balanced inside mid who can get to the ball first and stay in the contest to tackle when they don't get it. We've either got Nick, Jordy or Beau all in on looking to burst clear from stoppage - or blokes who just can't get to the ball and are just tacklers. Beau might have both skillsets - but I doubt he's got the nous - he fully commits one way or the other - so he's likely to be all tackle or all looking to explode.

 

[nickyds35]

Shannon Neale was the pick after Liam McMahon as well.

....and to get Liam McMahon (and Poulter) we traded away pick 2 that would have been Fin Callaghan.

 

[Pistol Night]

Yeah I think we'll target FAs and keep our pick - but who knows if someone really good becomes gettable.

Your job manic is to troll through draft videos and your contacts and find us a genuine clearance winning tackling mid who can run to get excited about.

Us excited or Manic? Because that’s quite different

 

[Vankri]

Not to mention Richmond who went all in on kids and a lot of them can’t even get on the park.

tbf, thats not talent related. I'd question their medical department and maybe pushing them before they are ready

They are my big watch for all the lovers of a complete rebuild including Lloyd above coming in like clockwork (and even Richmond are running around with Taranto Lynch and Hopper).

I will say it’s very likely the injury toll and the list strategy are interrelated. It’s easy to it’s all bad luck but you watch a bunch of kids trying to do their best and pushing as hard as they can again men twice their size week in week out and it’s not hard to imagine they will suffer more fitness and health wise. Add to that no mentor to show them how to take care of their bodies, set the pace at training etc.

Now it’s not 100% one way or the other but it goes to show you are better off with a balanced list, a mix of ages and with more proven durable talent than 60% of the team being just hopefuls whose careers may actually be worse off because they were thrown in to the game rather than slowly introduced to it

 

[Carlthetruth]

....and to get Liam McMahon (and Poulter) we traded away pick 2 that would have been Fin Callaghan.

Not this again, EVERY CLUB that has had a good F/S or NGA has traded the early pick, everytime! Why, because the club ahead would have absorbed it, North would have bid and it's gone so this could have had Callaghan and Nick narrative is fantasy land.

 

[nickyds35]

Not this again, EVERY CLUB that has had a good F/S or NGA has traded the early pick, everytime! Why, because the club ahead would have absorbed it, North would have bid and it's gone so this could have had Callaghan and Nick narrative is fantasy land.

Was a dumb decision to trade it 12 months ahead of time, for 2 junk second rounders in a draft compromised by covid, after an offseason where we gutted the soul of the club by pushing out 4 best 22 players in-contract.

You may think a bid might have come before it actually did if we still held that pick (i doubt it , rekon North wanted JHF to be pick 1, but could be wrong), but that didn’t mean we should have given it away for peanuts. The only way we should have traded it when we did, is if we got a top 10 pick.

 

[SchuPie]

Not this again, EVERY CLUB that has had a good F/S or NGA has traded the early pick, everytime! Why, because the club ahead would have absorbed it, North would have bid and it's gone so this could have had Callaghan and Nick narrative is fantasy land.

Maybe it shouldn’t get kept being brought up but that separate from its value

There’s NO WAY we would have gone into draft night without a backup plan for pick 2 if we still had it and North bid on Nick
It would have been sold for a future first and some junk picks to acquire points

 

[Jafo]

Probably thinking too crazy here (by way of offering and even receiving this trade).

Port probably going to match any bid for Butters which likely means a trade.

Any merit in offering Moore to Dogs with steak knives and getting pick 11 and maybe 2nd rounder, steak knives (or better). Then offering that and whatever else to Port for Butters?

Or way too out there to even offer Moore or more so, get that kind of return for him.

 

[satanshoof101]

Maybe it shouldn’t get kept being brought up but that separate from its value

There’s NO WAY we would have gone into draft night without a backup plan for pick 2 if we still had it and North bid on Nick
It would have been sold for a future first and some junk picks to acquire points

Maybe it would have been pushed back to pick 11 and we got Nasiah </3

 

[Carlthetruth]

Was a dumb decision to trade it 12 months ahead of time, for 2 junk second rounders in a draft compromised by covid, after an offseason where we gutted the soul of the club by pushing out 4 best 22 players in-contract.

You may think a bid might have come before it actually did if we still held that pick (i doubt it , rekon North wanted JHF to be pick 1, but could be wrong), but that didn’t mean we should have given it away for peanuts. The only way we should have traded it when we did, is if we got a top 10 pick.

Every club has done it until the rules changed and you think North would have done us a favour, how naive! Better to get something rather than nothing which is what would have happened if the club didn't trade back. The Callaghan and Nick combo was never going to happen, that's just the truth.

 

[manicpie]

Probably thinking too crazy here (by way of offering and even receiving this trade).

Port probably going to match any bid for Butters which likely means a trade.

Any merit in offering Moore to Dogs with steak knives and getting pick 11 and maybe 2nd rounder, steak knives (or better). Then offering that and whatever else to Port for Butters?

Or way too out there to even offer Moore or more so, get that kind of return for him.

You could get assassinated for suggesting we trade Moore. Batton down the hatches bro.

 

[Jafo]

You could get assassinated for suggesting we trade Moore. Batton down the hatches bro.

Hahaha I know. I genuinely like Moore as a player and as Captain. Seriously. But is he worth more to us at Collingwood or More if a trade help net Butters?

As for the Captaincy, I couldn’t see him with it next year and certainly not in two years. My expectation would be Naicos and maybe interim Bruzzy.

 

[Peters_Nuts]

They are my big watch for all the lovers of a complete rebuild including Lloyd above coming in like clockwork (and even Richmond are running around with Taranto Lunch and Hopper).

I will say it’s very likely the injury toll and the list strategy are interrelated. It’s easy to it’s all bad luck but you watch a bunch of kids trying to do their best and pushing as hard as they can again men twice their size week in week out and it’s not hard to imagine they will suffer more fitness and health wise. Add to that no mentor to show them how to take care of their bodies, set the pace at training etc.

Now it’s not 100% one way or the other but it goes to show you are better off with a balanced list, a mix of ages and with more proven durable talent than 60% of the team being just hopefuls whose careers may actually be worse off because they weren’t slowly introduced to the game rather than thrown in.

This was my point I was hoping got across.

By no means am I saying that injuries are a result of them drafting a large number of kids, it's more that when they get injuries due to having to play AFL footy immediately...it impacts their development...which puts more pressure on the depth which they gutted...so then the kids when available come straight back into the AFL side.

It's a high risk, high reward approach.