2026 Trade / FA Thread

[TradeDraft]

Lot of IFs here. aren't there?

- Howes: I like how he takes the ball at its highest point
If we could make him into a contributing KPP he could be a real asset.
He's a bit under the radar as pick 15 in mid-season draft

- Steene
Can he put on the strength needed for the 1s?
He's decent lead and mark and hopefully become an around the ground ruckman as well

- West
Will he develop?
Will he put on heaps of muscle, keep his ability to get in front of/ hold space?

- Smit
This dude could be anything If he develops game smarts and one-grab abilities
I'd love him as an aggressive ruck / then chop out as KPD / KPF

- Cochran
Will he end up like Moore or Cox (Essendon)?
Boom or bust
or does he become a hybrid wing/mid/kpp?

IF they don't do we need a Total Re-Build in a year or 2?

I very much like Steene and West Chances

Cocharn has had moments that think he has a Good Chance

Howes and Smit are Long Shots at the Moment

 

[TradeDraft]

At pick 47 don’t really think you can label Cochran a “bust” if he doesn’t make it. Extremely speculative pick at best, like most of the kids we have

All on the list where even Further Down and MSD and SSP Prospects

 

[sideswipe]

There is a players superannuation fund, and that fund will have insurance associated with it, whether it be SCI or TPD.
I just don't get how someone cannot perform the terms of their contract yet get paid 60K a month, its ridiculous...

You need to forget about income protection or TPD concepts when it comes to professional sports. It’s an impossibility.

 

[granniewolf]

Lot of IFs here. aren't there?

- Howes: I like how he takes the ball at its highest point
If we could make him into a contributing KPP he could be a real asset.
He's a bit under the radar as pick 15 in mid-season draft

- Steene
Can he put on the strength needed for the 1s?
He's decent lead and mark and hopefully become an around the ground ruckman as well

- West
Will he develop?
Will he put on heaps of muscle, keep his ability to get in front of/ hold space?

- Smit
This dude could be anything If he develops game smarts and one-grab abilities
I'd love him as an aggressive ruck / then chop out as KPD / KPF

- Cochran
Will he end up like Moore or Cox (Essendon)?
Boom or bust
or does he become a hybrid wing/mid/kpp?

Why do so many posters seem to forget Will Hayes when taking about our speedy young players?

 

[manicpie]

Why do so many posters seem to forget Will Hayes when taking about our speedy young players?

The ridiculous vfl schedule doesn't help. Once we get 3 or 4 vfl games into these kids, we'll be better off. He'll play games this year

 

[SchuPie]

Why do so many posters seem to forget Will Hayes when taking about our speedy young players?

I like the idea of playing our small speedy players up and down from the hff

Quick lead ups to wing to help out, spinning back to provide options and roving

 

[stormskye]

The ridiculous vfl schedule doesn't help. Once we get 3 or 4 vfl games into these kids, we'll be better off. He'll play games this year

Mccreery played 22 games in his second season so we should expect Hayes to be playing games this season. The smalls don’t get long to prove themselves. Need either him or HH to somewhat fill the Hill hole.

 

[nickyds35]

Key forwards discovered with latish picks the last 12 years, roughly around the last time we had a decent key forward:

Off the top of my head:

• north: Brown, Larkey, Trembath
• freo: treacy, Voss
• hawks: Lewis, Dear
• ess: wright
• brisbane: morris
• port: georgiadis
• sydney: amartey
• gws: Ricardi
• geelong: Neale

Tbh: take out the unicorns we recruited 20 years ago (pendles, Sidebottom) and the gift from god (nick daicos) and other father sons, and it is clear we have had a horrendous list management team for a long time.

 

[stormskye]

Key forwards discovered with latish picks the last 12 years, roughly around the last time we had a decent key forward:

Off the top of my head:

• north: Brown, Larkey, Trembath
• freo: treacy, Voss
• hawks: Lewis, Dear
• ess: wright
• brisbane: morris
• port: georgiadis
• sydney: amartey
• gws: Ricardi
• geelong: Neale

Tbh: take out the unicorns we recruited 20 years ago (pendles, Sidebottom) and the gift from god (nick daicos) and other father sons, and it is clear we have had a horrendous list management team for a long time.

And yet we’ve been one of the more successful clubs. Go figure.

 

[Bussie]

The much lauded Logan Morris who so many lament we failed to pick - is only 191cms. McStay is definitely KPF size. His form is another issue.

McStay is 87kgs and 4cm taller.
Morris is 90kgs, it's not much less but he's also only 20 and will bulk up a little more I dare say.
His form is pretty ordinary to be nice, but he's the most experienced of the taller brigade, so he has to play, especially if no-one is knocking down the door, which might happen once the VFL starts.

 

[granniewolf]

Mccreery played 22 games in his second season so we should expect Hayes to be playing games this season. The smalls don’t get long to prove themselves. Need either him or HH to somewhat fill the Hill hole.

He also played 13 games in his first year for 2 wins and 11 losses.
I wasn't in the country at that time so didn't see any games and don't know how well he played.
Were there a lot of injuries that year?

 

[stormskye]

He also played 13 games in his first year for 2 wins and 11 losses.
I wasn't in the country at that time so didn't see any games and don't know how well he played.
Were there a lot of injuries that year?

2021 was obviously the down year and buckleys last so play the kids was def an option. 2022 McRaes first year and a prelim season, playing 22 games wasn’t gifted them.

Just pointing out that if Hayes is going to have a career with us he should be getting games this year. If he’s stuck in the vfl all season it won’t be a great sign

The old saying. Smalls have 5 minutes to prove they can play, talls have 5 years to prove they can’t .

 

[legendstatus]

A good draft hand this year will help us NET some big names, we just can't go into another year with a similar looking team in 2027

 

[granniewolf]

2021 was obviously the down year and buckleys last so play the kids was def an option. 2022 McRaes first year and a prelim season, playing 22 games wasn’t gifted them.

Just pointing out that if Hayes is going to have a career with us he should be getting games this year. If he’s stuck in the vfl all season it won’t be a great sign

The old saying. Smalls have 5 minutes to prove they can play, talls have 5 years to prove they can’t .

Agreed but if underperforming players keep getting picked how will the other kids get their chances?
Will had 2 games last year and certainly wasn't disgraced in fact he showed positive signs.
Ed Allan for example had 13 games last year, I agree that players need a string of games to prove themselves but I have to wonder how Will would have gone with 13 games.

 

[stormskye]

Agreed but if underperforming players keep getting picked how will the other kids get their chances?
Will had 2 games last year and certainly wasn't disgraced in fact he showed positive signs.
Ed Allan for example had 13 games last year, I agree that players need a string of games to prove themselves but I have to wonder how Will would have gone with 13 games.

We are going to differ on this grannie. He was well out of his depth in the games he played and was a defensive liability at the time. Which was expected given his size. I don’t believe in this “must play a run of games” that some say on here. They’ve still got to earn their place and play a role to deserve a run.

I won’t get started on Allan…

 

[manicpie]

We are going to differ on this grannie. He was well out of his depth in the games he played. I don’t believe in this “must play a run of games” that some say on here. They’ve still got to earn their place and play a role to deserve a run.

I won’t get started on Allan…

He struggled yesterday in the praccy match. He'll need some vfl games under his belt

 

[stormskye]

He struggled yesterday in the praccy match. He'll need some vfl games under his belt

I’d be playing Sullivan ahead of both him and HH atm.

 

[manicpie]

I’d be playing Sullivan ahead of both him and HH atm.

Yeah, I think so too.

 

[larrikan]

It’s so annoying watching other clubs unveil their young key position players. Not lanky or undersized Pies drafts.

I dare say with our retirees we will again focus on midfielders.

Supporters have been saying this for years. I get it we won a flag and always play finals.

What could we be though with some size around the ground.

We are already in trouble if Cameron goes down. We have Steene but look at the other young rucks around the league. They already have passed him.

Mihocek, McStay, Membrey etc are all mature age decent players on their day but we have not developed a key forward since Cloke and we had to commit to the three brothers to get him. It’s actually bizarre.

I know it’s hard to recruit key position players without getting an established one for big bucks so where do all the other clubs get them from?

Ben King

34

Ben King

Age

25

Ht

202cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.2

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

2.2

2star

M

3.5

4star

T

0.5

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

7.5

2star

K

5.6

2star

HB

1.9

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.3

1star

G

1.5

5star

D

6.8

2star

K

4.4

2star

HB

2.4

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

0.2

3star

G

1.0

4star

would be insane to leave this Gold Coast team and we can’t overpay any trade before making Daicos the highest paid player in the league.

It’s a conundrum.

 

[manicpie]

It’s so annoying watching other clubs unveil their young key position players. Not lanky or undersized Pies drafts.

I dare say with our retirees we will again focus on midfielders.

Supporters have been saying this for years. I get it we won a flag and always play finals.

What could we be though with some size around the ground.

We are already in trouble if Cameron goes down. We have Steene but look at the other young rucks around the league. They already have passed him.

Mihocek, McStay, Membrey etc are all mature age decent players on their day but we have not developed a key forward since Cloke and we had to commit to the three brothers to get him. It’s actually bizarre.

I know it’s hard to recruit key position players without getting an established one for big bucks so where do all the other clubs get them from?

Ben King would be insane to leave this Gold Coast team and we can’t overpay any trade before making Daicos the highest paid player in the league.

It’s a conundrum.

Getting them in early picks makes a big difference.

 

[No SPIN]

Key forwards discovered with latish picks the last 12 years, roughly around the last time we had a decent key forward:

Off the top of my head:

• north: Brown, Larkey, Trembath
• freo: treacy, Voss
• hawks: Lewis, Dear
• ess: wright
• brisbane: morris
• port: georgiadis
• sydney: amartey
• gws: Ricardi
• geelong: Neale

Tbh: take out the unicorns we recruited 20 years ago (pendles, Sidebottom) and the gift from god (nick daicos) and other father sons, and it is clear we have had a horrendous list management team for a long time.

It does my head in when people talk of FS as gifts - we still need to be astute enough to pass eg Stewart. And most don’t make despite selection eg Browns x 2, Barham, Brayden Shaw.

So I’m not buying your point.

 

[granniewolf]

We are going to differ on this grannie. He was well out of his depth in the games he played and was a defensive liability at the time. Which was expected given his size. I don’t believe in this “must play a run of games” that some say on here. They’ve still got to earn their place and play a role to deserve a run.

I won’t get started on Allan…

I disgree that he was a defensive liability in his two games and don't know what you base that on.

 

[sr36]

He also played 13 games in his first year for 2 wins and 11 losses.
I wasn't in the country at that time so didn't see any games and don't know how well he played.
Were there a lot of injuries that year?

There were injuries and we went into play the kids mode once the season was cooked. As well as Beau, we set ourselves up for the future by getting games into: Rantall, Poulter, Ruscoe, Bianco, Tom Wilson, Henry, Ginnivan, Keane, Tohill, Lynch, Macrae, and the Brown brothers...

 

[stormskye]

I disgree that he was a defensive liability in his two games and don't know what you base that on.

You have a soft spot for him so I’m going to leave it there grannie . I hope he plays but he’s not demanding a spot. Yet.

 

[manicpie]

There were injuries and we went into play the kids mode once the season was cooked. As well as Beau, we set ourselves up for the future by getting games into: Rantall, Poulter, Ruscoe, Bianco, Tom Wilson, Henry, Ginnivan, Keane, Tohill, Lynch, Macrae, and the Brown brothers...

Some guns on that list