2026 Trade / FA Thread

[Go Woods]

Might be controversial, but stylistically, a fit Mitch Lewis on $700k/year is probably a better fit for us then Ben King on $1.4m.

Pretty much:

• King 3 goals/1 contested mark a week
• Lewis 2 goals/2 contested marks a week

I'd be more than happy with Lewis as the main banana if we miss out on King.

 

[yeah man]

I'd be more than happy with Lewis as the main banana if we miss out on King.

Not confident it would be much better than just giving McStay an extension. Lewis has not shown an ability to consistently perform. There's a reason he hasn't had any contract talks at Hawthorn yet.

 

[Roverjg]

Might be controversial, but stylistically, a fit Mitch Lewis on $700k/year is probably a better fit for us then Ben King on $1.4m.

Pretty much:

• King 3 goals/1 contested mark a week
• Lewis 2 goals/2 contested marks a week

Mitch Lewis has played a total of 84 of a possible 187 games. He averages 9 games per year and in 9 seasons has never played more than 15 games in a season. So your conclusion hinges on a big assumption that probably doesn’t hold: that a “fit” Mitch Lewis is a realistic baseline rather than the exception.

Ben King has played 126 games of a possible 163 games. He averages 18 games per season. This includes him missing the entire 2022 season with an ACL injury. Since 2023, he has missed 3 games in total

On Ben King:

• His trajectory is clearly upward—especially the jump in goal accuracy (that 2026 number is elite, even if it regresses).
• Durability outside the ACL year is actually strong. Missing 3 games across 2023–2024 and then going perfect in 2025–2026 suggests he’s now physically reliable.
• His scoring profile (2.2 goals from 3.7 shots) implies he doesn’t need massive volume to impact the scoreboard—valuable in lower-entry games.
• Age 26 is prime key forward window.

So we would be paying $1.4M for certainty, durability, and a player entering peak years with improving efficiency.

On Mitch Lewis:

• Per game, he’s arguably more involved up the ground (more disposals, marks), which can make a forward line function better structurally.
• But the availability profile is brutal: 84/187 games is not bad luck anymore—it’s a pattern.
• Even your own framing exposes the issue: the “fit Lewis” scenario is hypothetical, while King’s durability is evidenced.
• His goal accuracy trending down (47% this year) matters more than people think—it kills offensive efficiency.

So while the $700k vs $1.4M gap looks huge, you’re not buying the same thing:

• King = 20 games of reliable key forward production
• Lewis = 9–12 games of potentially higher link-up play, with injury volatility

The cost-per-game comparison actually reinforces this:

• King (recent seasons): $58.5K per game (based on $1.4m)
• Lewis (career reality): $77.7K per game (based on $700k)

If both gave you 20 games, your argument becomes very strong. But based on actual history, King at $1.4M is far more likely to deliver full-season value, and that reliability outweighs the upside of Lewis at half the price.

To me Lewis appears the riskier contract

 

[legendstatus]

yep all good points but none make more sense than we have been risk adverse for too long for whatever reason, its a FA, will cost us nothing other than cap space.

We need to be aggressive that's all. If we go for Mitch, it'll have nothing to do with acquiring King as well (which I'm not keen on)

Mitch & Butters will go a long way!

 

[Chrispiesssss]

Just go after both Lewis and King.

 

[FAIRANDBALANCED]

I viewed the moves and decisions last year as "who could we move that was replaceable?" It was all good and well to have the media (rightly tbf) say we needed to move older/30+ guys on, and the ones that we did move on we felt were at least "more replaceable" than the ones we kept.

WHE and Titch (retired/delisted) - we clearly looked at targeting younger midfielder types in the draft last year, along with the improvement of Ned (particularly in regards to Tom) last year meant the services of WHE and Titch weren't required in 2026

Cox and Mihocek - we knew Buller was coming in and internally have really high hopes on Steene and West. Steene already paying off this year and hopefully the emergence of West isn't too far down the track in 2026. Coxy/Checkers both had opportunities elsewhere and took them - that's just what happens in the AFL industry, especially for guys over 30

Of those we kept - Sidebottom and Pendles at times were our most important midfield pieces in '25, behind only Nick - while Jamie had an AA caliber year and with the Bobby Hill situation unknown at the time, simply had to be kept.

While it's a shame to see the likes of Brody and Mason playing in other colours - I think looking beyond the first 6 games of this season, we made the right decisions on our playing at the end of last year.

While I agree with most or this, I still cant understand how we exchanged Mihocek for Membrey. That doesnt make sense. Id take Checkers over McStay and Membrey any day of the week.

 

[sr36]

While I agree with most or this, I still cant understand how we exchanged Mihocek for Membrey. That doesnt make sense. Id take Checkers over McStay and Membrey any day of the week.

It was salary cap with Checkers.

 

[NoRebuilds]

While I agree with most or this, I still cant understand how we exchanged Mihocek for Membrey. That doesnt make sense. Id take Checkers over McStay and Membrey any day of the week.

Didn't help Membrey and McStay were contracted and Checkers wasn't.

 

[Harry O]

While I agree with most or this, I still cant understand how we exchanged Mihocek for Membrey. That doesnt make sense. Id take Checkers over McStay and Membrey any day of the week.

We offered Checkers a contract. He chose to explore free agency

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

I'd be more than happy with Lewis as the main banana if we miss out on King.

Surely Amarty is on our radar. Alot more durable than Lewis and only 26 years old...

 

[No SPIN]

While I agree with most or this, I still cant understand how we exchanged Mihocek for Membrey. That doesnt make sense. Id take Checkers over McStay and Membrey any day of the week.

50:50 on Membrey but definitely not McStay. And Brodie’s body is the huge issue.

 

[granniewolf]

We offered Checkers a contract. He chose to explore free agency

Apparently the amount offered was pretty paltry. I don't blame him for going to Melbourne, they offered good money plus a trigger for a third year.

 

[Vankri]

These Checkers discussions are not helping the ‘we stuffed up our list management’ camp’s argument.

We had a bunch of oldies on the list and couldn’t carry them all to 2026 even if some still had something to give at AFL level. That’s Pendles, Sidey, Howe, Cox, Titch, Elliott, Checkers, WHE.

So we signed 3 on minimum chips 1y deals, 2 retired, 1 found its way to Freo as third ruck. That leaves Elliott and Checkers. We offered both cheap deals which they refused, especially the Checkers 1y deal one.

Now what do you do? Both great players but one is coming out of the season of his career, the other looked as banged up as he ever has at the end of the season. Add to that Bobby’s situation and you think we need to manage risk here and not have Elliott go elsewhere. We also backed a strategy to get McStay freed from ruck duties and get Buller in his role (or even Steene if the club was forecasting already). I know McStay has been frustrating at times but he’s building with the freedom and I really don’t put our forward line woes on him as some do (I have at least 5 individuals before him as accountable).

Checkers is a great player, I miss watching him in our colours because he gave it all whatever the circumstances, but do you seriously want him to line up for us in 2028? That’s the deal he managed to get at the Dees. And if yes, you say goodbye to Elliott, and you can almost say bye to seeing West enter the line up this year.

 

[Roverjg]

Surely Amarty is on our radar. Alot more durable than Lewis and only 26 years old...

Joel Amartey is a great size for a key forward at 197cm/ 97kgs. He turns 27 in September. He is currently in his 7th year at the Swans, he has struggled with injury and consistency of form. He has suffered multiple significant hamstring injuries and high grade abductor strains/ tears throughout his career. He has played 67 of a possible 142 games.

He has played more than 15 games in a season only once (2024) when he played 25 games and kicked 43 goals (something which he has not come close to before or since.

At 197cm, he is a low contested marking output for a genuine key target (1 contested mark) and his “On lead” numbers suggest he may rely heavily on system supply.

He offers a second ruck chop-out if needed and he potentially complements rather than replace a more mobile forward setup.

As with Mitch Lewis, Amartey’s 67 of 142 possible games (47% of games) is the biggest red flag.

His repeated significant hamstring injuries (every season) and high-grade adductor issues is a real red flag for a power athlete reliant on repeat leading and explosiveness. For an older, win-now side like the Pies, availability matters almost more than upside.

Career Stats:
5.5 kicks; 2.3 HB; 3.4 M; 1 CM; 0.7 on lead; 1.5 goals; 1 BH 2.8 shots on goal per game; 52.9% accuracy. His goal kicking accuracy this season has improved to 55% thus far significantly higher than last year’s poor 43%

 

[Carlthetruth]

While I agree with most or this, I still cant understand how we exchanged Mihocek for Membrey. That doesnt make sense. Id take Checkers over McStay and Membrey any day of the week.

Mihocek was a FA, he chose 2 years and a lot more $$$ from Melbourne. Our cap is clean and a player who wears down in the second half of years was let go, a rational club does that every day of the week.

 

[Mavs13]

Surely Amarty is on our radar. Alot more durable than Lewis and only 26 years old...

Why would he come to us?

 

[Harry O]

Why would he come to us?

Might want to return to Melb And/or More $$$

 

[Apex36]

While I agree with most or this, I still cant understand how we exchanged Mihocek for Membrey. That doesnt make sense. Id take Checkers over McStay and Membrey any day of the week.

Salary cap. I doubt the club really expected another club to come hard for Checkers last year given his age and increasing injury concerns, they did the right thing by not matching the Dees deal.
Let’s see how the year plays out before lamenting the loss of him, if his body holds up for the full year I’ll be shocked tbh.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

While I agree with most or this, I still cant understand how we exchanged Mihocek for Membrey. That doesnt make sense. Id take Checkers over McStay and Membrey any day of the week.

O’Bree reportedly has a rigid pay structure he aims to stick to, which resulted in Cameron and Billy Elliott getting lowballed. It was only after the players pushed for it, that the offer to Cameron was improved. Perhaps the same couldn’t be said for Mihocek.

 

[Jen2310]

O’Bree reportedly has a rigid pay structure he aims to stick to, which resulted in Cameron and Billy Elliott getting lowballed. It was only after the players pushed for it, that the offer to Cameron was improved. Perhaps the same couldn’t be said for Mihocek.

Leppa is list manager. I assume that’s his area.

 

[Chunky Steak]

Salary cap. I doubt the club really expected another club to come hard for Checkers last year given his age and increasing injury concerns, they did the right thing by not matching the Dees deal.
Let’s see how the year plays out before lamenting the loss of him, if his body holds up for the full year I’ll be shocked tbh.

And even if it does, it was still absolutely the right choice to have made. I'll be happy for Checkers if he does well individually for the next couple of years and I still love the bloke. A premiership hero who gave us everything.

I'm not suggesting anyone is doing this, but it would be weird to wish him ill for the sake of being proven "right" not to match the contract offer.

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

Why would he come to us?

Well he's put off re-signing at the moment at Sydney, so a club or clubs must be in the ear of his management

 

[frizzle]

O’Bree reportedly has a rigid pay structure he aims to stick to, which resulted in Cameron and Billy Elliott getting lowballed. It was only after the players pushed for it, that the offer to Cameron was improved. Perhaps the same couldn’t be said for Mihocek.

I don’t think O’Bree has anything to do with player salaries or contracts. Unless I’m mistaken?

 

[Go Woods]

Not sure why we're going on about Checkers, right move for club & player.
We need that cash he wanted freed up to go FA shopping.

 

[larrikan]

I hope this is not the case but if Reef goes on LTI list then… a mid season need like a key defender or more speed might be the bonus we need.

I’m still bullish this season if Howes develops as a backman, Bobby and HH return permanently to the seniors and West or Buller perform well enough to put pressure on McStay and Membrey.

But Mid season draft would assist.