2026 Trade / FA Thread

[Bianconeri]

No that is excessive. The reason he is not cooked partly is the depth of lions midfield.
Dont get me wrong he is a fantastic player but with the guns they have he can just focus purely on his extractor role not pinch hitting foward or being fully involved in a defensive system. He just does the one role all be it very well.
Pass from.me. Just play Pendles for another year

Yeah, I hate the idea of Neale focusing on his pure extractor role and getting the ball out to Nick.

 

[DERKADERRR]

If we get Neale (and Zac Bailey

33

Zac Bailey

Age

26

Ht

181cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.9

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

CL

0.9

3star

D

12.9

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

5.6

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.4

3star

CL

0.7

3star

D

13.4

4star

K

6.6

3star

HB

6.8

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

2.8

5star

CL

0.6

3star

please ), I hope we keep Pendles, Howe and Sidey for one more year, as long as their form warrants it and they're not struggling with injuries. Go for the flag in 2027, but keep our 2026 first and second rounders so we're still keeping an eye on the future.

 

[manicpie]

Kelly's comments have been extrapolated a bit too much really. He said we're going to hit the draft to take at least two kids each year... Which is exactly what clubs are required to do.

Yep, we've been doing it for years

 

[Scodog10]

Make of this what you will. Fev would have lot of contacts still at Brissy

He does make a good point that Neale is keen on less travel given he’s older. Following the Pendles model

Fire up the welcome thread! That’s not Fev the idiot talking that’s Fev the footballer that kicked 600 goals and obviously still knows people in the industry. You can tell by how he framed it around travel that Neale has told people. I am curious though about who Fev has got it from

 

[gouki88]

No that is excessive. The reason he is not cooked partly is the depth of lions midfield.
Dont get me wrong he is a fantastic player but with the guns they have he can just focus purely on his extractor role not pinch hitting foward or being fully involved in a defensive system. He just does the one role all be it very well.
Pass from.me. Just play Pendles for another year

Just think - you could call for him to be dropped for someone like DeMattia next year

 

[gouki88]

Fire up the welcome thread! That’s not Fev the idiot talking that’s Fev the footballer that kicked 600 goals and obviously still knows people in the industry. You can tell by how he framed it around travel that Neale has told people. I am curious though about who Fev has got it from

Can’t imagine he has many lasting connections at Brisbane, no? He does sound a bit more confident

 

[legendstatus]

Anyone knocking back Neale would be off their rocker, 3 years at 800k+ id a bargain if we can do it

 

[Scodog10]

Can’t imagine he has many lasting connections at Brisbane, no? He does sound a bit more confident

I wouldn’t imagine it’s necessarily someone from his playing days at Brisbane. Fev is one of those ubiquitous larger than life guys who everyone would just talk to over a beer, like Swanny, and it’s just as likely come from Leppa as it has Cam Bruce (just as examples of people he would have known along the way).

 

[Run n Spread]

Yeah, I hate the idea of Neale focusing on his pure extractor role and getting the ball out to Nick.

You miss the point. Brisbane is stacked with midfield depth Collingwood is not. At Brisbane he doesn't have to worry too much about defensive running or pushing foward. He floats contest to contest and does his own thing (very very well). At Collingwood which is more system based he'd have to do more which would cook him sooner

 

[Run n Spread]

Just think - you could call for him to be dropped for someone like DeMattia next year

Exactly he will be 34 and need regular resting. A 3 year contract is ridiculous. It would be Daniel Wells all over again.
Why not develop HDM this year even a saxena and Prindable.
Or is the plan to draft every pensioner in the comp.
The feeding it out to Nic D I get but it is fraught relying on 1 player so much.
Better off building a surrounding cast while still maintaining training Nic as the main act so to speak.
Not recruiting the whole list based on 1 player

 

[Bianconeri]

You miss the point. Brisbane is stacked with midfield depth Collingwood is not. At Brisbane he doesn't have to worry too much about defensive running or pushing foward. He floats contest to contest and does his own thing (very very well). At Collingwood which is more system based he'd have to do more which would cook him sooner

Where we lack depth is in clearance winning and extraction. We’ve got plenty of runners who can push forward and track back.

 

[TradeDraft]

Make of this what you will. Fev would have lot of contacts still at Brissy

He does make a good point that Neale is keen on less travel given he’s older. Following the Pendles model

Take with Grain of Salt at the Moment

 

[gouki88]

Exactly he will be 34 and need regular resting. A 3 year contract is ridiculous. It would be Daniel Wells all over again.
Why not develop HDM this year even a saxena and Prindable.
Or is the plan to draft every pensioner in the comp.
The feeding it out to Nic D I get but it is fraught relying on 1 player so much.
Better off building a surrounding cast while still maintaining training Nic as the main act so to speak.
Not recruiting the whole list based on 1 player

Ahhhh, you’ve figured it out! We should just develop HDM into a dual Brownlow medallist

 

[Gilbert_Grape]

You miss the point. Brisbane is stacked with midfield depth Collingwood is not. At Brisbane he doesn't have to worry too much about defensive running or pushing foward. He floats contest to contest and does his own thing (very very well). At Collingwood which is more system based he'd have to do more which would cook him sooner

How much longer do you think Pendles could play if our system and lack of depth didn't cook him so soon?
(and Crisp, Howe, Sidey...)

 

[Finnishpie]

In 3 years all of Moore, degoey, Maynard, Elliot, Cameron, crisp etc will all be gone/close to gone as well. Who’s replacing them to challenge? It’s really not that simple and you can’t just kick the can down the road. We can continue to challenge and replenish the list at the same time.

Are we going to challenge this year, do you think?

I don't think so.

Next year?

I also don't think so.

The reason is that the best teams and their age profiles suggest they will have 3-4 years at the top. Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Fremantle -- we just won't have a list that can battle them in that time.

So, with clever recruiting via the draft, and bringing in players from free agency and, hopefully, from the MSD and rookies, and maybe even trading out a few players late in their careers if we can get some good draft picks, I can see us bouncing a few years down the track.

Whatever the case, bringing in Lachie Neale at 32 won't shift the needle to competing -- I don't think. And in 3 years he too will be retired.

It's possible I'm wrong -- I hope I'm wrong. I was about our last flag year!

 

[SchuPie]

Hayes, Schultz and saxena would obviously be on the no trade list.

I love the word “obviously”

 

[gouki88]

Are we going to challenge this year, do you think?

I don't think so.

Next year?

I also don't think so.

The reason is that the best teams and their age profiles suggest they will have 3-4 years at the top. Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Fremantle -- we just won't have a list that can battle them in that time.

So, with clever recruiting via the draft, and bringing in players from free agency and, hopefully, from the MSD and rookies, and maybe even trading out a few players late in their careers if we can get some good draft picks, I can see us bouncing a few years down the track.

Whatever the case, bringing in Lachie Neale at 32 won't shift the needle to competing -- I don't think. And in 3 years he too will be retired.

It's possible I'm wrong -- I hope I'm wrong. I was about our last flag year!

I think the possibility of losing both Neale & Bailey really does hamper Brisbane’s flag ambitions actually

 

[Granit1962]

Neale would be perfect, looks like the sort of player who could keep going for another 3 years - maybe more, but surely he goes to Perth to be close to his kids. Would put has back in the frame. Would help make the next tier of midfielders better - esp JDG, McReery and possibly JD.

Butters is tantalising, however the price will too high as we have to trade and take up huge salary cap. Also maybe to much in the Butters/Ndaicous basket.

Bailey probably to expensive, is he unrestricted? If so certainly worth a go.

Does anyone know about the three top 10 picks Essendon’s looking to offload (cox, Perkins and Tijatas (?) - I know nothing about these guys.

Unless some of the kids really start showing a lot of upside this year, I prefer we don’t sink everything into one player.

 

[satty]

I think the possibility of losing both Neale & Bailey really does hamper Brisbane’s flag ambitions actually

But that's assuming they will just stand pat and not trade anyone else in.

With the draft capital they get for neale and bailey, they could definitely trade in another big name mid from another club.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

Make of this what you will. Fev would have lot of contacts still at Brissy

He does make a good point that Neale is keen on less travel given he’s older. Following the Pendles model

I'm so torn lol

I guess I should look at it like the Tom Mitchell recruitment

So long as the price is right then I guess I'm fine with it?

 

[Pistol Night]

Neale would be perfect, looks like the sort of player who could keep going for another 3 years - maybe more, but surely he goes to Perth to be close to his kids. Would put has back in the frame. Would help make the next tier of midfielders better - esp JDG, McReery and possibly JD.

Butters is tantalising, however the price will too high as we have to trade and take up huge salary cap. Also maybe to much in the Butters/Ndaicous basket.

Bailey probably to expensive, is he unrestricted? If so certainly worth a go.

Does anyone know about the three top 10 picks Essendon’s looking to offload (cox, Perkins and Tijatas (?) - I know nothing about these guys.

Unless some of the kids really start showing a lot of upside this year, I prefer we don’t sink everything into one player.

If travel is a deciding factor Perth is the last place he'll want to play out his career

 

[tmpies01]

Does anyone know about the three top 10 picks Essendon’s looking to offload (cox, Perkins and Tijatas (?) - I know nothing about these guys.

I don’t know anything, only that they’re average. But I want us to start going after young guys who hopefully won’t cost much but we can make them better in our environment.

I wouldn’t mind a Darcy Wilson type. He’s a good example. I think we could make something out of Elijah Hewett from WC too.

 

[Exambolor]

I don’t know anything, only that they’re average. But I want us to start going after young guys who hopefully won’t cost much but we can make them better in our environment.

I wouldn’t mind a Darcy Wilson type. He’s a good example. I think we could make something out of Elijah Hewett from WC too.

Cox has had too many concussions so no club will go near him

Perkins is one for the worst players to get to 100 games and has basically been sunk cost fallacy for the Dons, been below average in most

Tsatas has some upside. Brad Scott seems to not like him as he has two good games and then gets dropped

 

[MooreDaicos]

Am I? He turns 34 in May 2027, 2 months after the start of the season and 4 months before finals.

I don't mind the idea of Neale, but signals to me missed that we have missed out on other targets we wanted.

Not necessarily, it's not like we are giving picks and a high paying figure, he's free so why not add the experience after Pendles retires. Be positive, it takes you a long way.

 

[Granit1962]

Wells or Mitchell are totally different. Wells was about cooked and injury prone before he came to us. Michell’s lack of pace meant he was a liability if not on top of his game and injuries after 2023 left him unable to compete at the top level. We got one good year out of him, but even then if he wasn’t being the muscle at the bottom of the pack feeding out elite handballs, he didn’t offer much else. Neal is still at the top of his game and an upgrade on all our centre mids except ND. Also does not cost us any trade capital. If we are to continually compete an ideal addition.