List Mgmt. 2026 - What do we need?

[King Huskii]

We need a decent winger or two

Sharp was poor and so was NOD. Recruit a good winger and hopefully Whan turns out to be a gun winger.

 

[Purple_Turtle]

We need a decent winger or two

Sharp was poor and so was NOD. Recruit a good winger and hopefully Whan turns out to be a gun winger.

Not sure what happened to Sharp, but I feel like Noddy's knee injury contributed to his poor form. The best version of Noddy is quick and aggressive with ball in hand; he seems to lose that when he's not 100% fit.

Would back him in with a full preseason, but bit of a risk of a Rhys Palmer career trajectory where he's a very average player if his knee doesn't let him get back to his best.

 

[EastcoastDocker]

Not sure what happened to Sharp, but I feel like Noddy's knee injury contributed to his poor form. The best version of Noddy is quick and aggressive with ball in hand; he seems to lose that when he's not 100% fit.

Would back him in with a full preseason, but bit of a risk of a Rhys Palmer career trajectory where he's a very average player if his knee doesn't let him get back to his best.

NOD is a wildly inconsistent kick and likely will always be given his kicking action. That's ok if he's winning the ball and taking territory if he's not he's a net negative.

 

[Docker82]

Lot of experienced players have departed the club. I realise they did not play a lot of games this year.

We cannot simply recruit youngsters into those positions and need to get at least 3-4 mature age players along with our draft picks.

We had an above average injury run this year and coped well enough for most of the season.

Walker, Simpson, Johnson, Sharp, Wagner Switta, McDonald and Draper didn't play the final. Fyfe the only out.

We're short a couple of forwards depth wise but outside of that I think our best 30-odd is easily good enough to make sure we get a similar result next year. Take away a few of the performances where the whole team played bad for whatever reason and we finish top.

I'm not that concerned there's a couple of holes in our depth at this stage of the off season tbh. This time last year Bolton, Dudley and Reid weren't on our list, Worner was a spud and Voss was just some depth player.

Outside of couple of small/medium forwards anything else we add to the list in the 20-35 range is a bonus. Getting a top 15 player in the squad in a genuine area of need should be the difference between this season and top four.

 

[Freo Big Fella]

Priorities for mine;

Backline ball user/distributor: We need a decent ball user who can take the pressure off Clark - Wagner and Worner both improved significantly, but aren't it (and Wags is needed as a chop out option in the midfield). Ideally that's Cooper Simpson, but if we can tempt Judd McVee over I'd be pretty happy. If we're looking at absolute it'd-never-happen blue sky thinking, I'd love us to throw the chequebook at Joel Freijah, who'd solve about three of our problems at once. Rivers would be the other option, but I'd see him more as a mid.

Lockdown defender: There's a bit of recency bias to this with that one quarter from Bailey Humphrey, but I think we're short a legitimately defensive defender in our current structure. Absolutely no shade on Banners and Worner, who were both more than solid this year, but reckon that's an area where we can improve.

Forward: I'm less about goals (we added 50+ this year from Voss, Reid and Bolton) but I think we need a pressure option - someone to back up Switkowski in that area but who can impact the scoreboard more. Hopefully we're getting involved in the chase for Ah Chee - he's not the exact answer but he'd be an ideal fit.

Wing: This is interesting - I'm in the Noddy will come good with a full pre-season camp, but there's no doubt we fell away this year. But who's available and who's gettable? Can Walker shift up the ground if we're not willing to use him as a defender?

 

[s_wd6]

Hmmm lockdown defender who’s great on smalls? Where could we possibly find one of those

 

[Docker82]

Priorities for mine;

Backline ball user/distributor: We need a decent ball user who can take the pressure off Clark - Wagner and Worner both improved significantly, but aren't it (and Wags is needed as a chop out option in the midfield). Ideally that's Cooper Simpson, but if we can tempt Judd McVee over I'd be pretty happy. If we're looking at absolute it'd-never-happen blue sky thinking, I'd love us to throw the chequebook at Joel Freijah, who'd solve about three of our problems at once. Rivers would be the other option, but I'd see him more as a mid.

Lockdown defender: There's a bit of recency bias to this with that one quarter from Bailey Humphrey, but I think we're short a legitimately defensive defender in our current structure. Absolutely no shade on Banners and Worner, who were both more than solid this year, but reckon that's an area where we can improve.

Forward: I'm less about goals (we added 50+ this year from Voss, Reid and Bolton) but I think we need a pressure option - someone to back up Switkowski in that area but who can impact the scoreboard more. Hopefully we're getting involved in the chase for Ah Chee - he's not the exact answer but he'd be an ideal fit.

Wing: This is interesting - I'm in the Noddy will come good with a full pre-season camp, but there's no doubt we fell away this year. But who's available and who's gettable? Can Walker shift up the ground if we're not willing to use him as a defender?

There's massive recency bias with the lock down defender.

We played 24 games this season and a small forward kicked three or more against us in six of them. In two of those games we got absolutely smashed (Geelong and Brisbane)

It's not a consistent problem and I think theres zero chance the club recruits a specialist lock down small defender this off season.

FWIW our small forwards kicked three or more in ten games this season.

 

[Purple dynamite]

In the finals series this year, where have all the goals come from?

Medium and small forwards.

 

[theGav56]

In the finals series this year, where have all the goals come from?

Medium and small forwards.

KPFs have been doing fine;

Adelaide/Haw
Thilthorpe 3
Gunston 5

Bris/GCS
King 2
*Lohman 3
*Bailey

Fremantle/GCS
Voss 3
*Humphrey 3

GWS/Haw
Hogan 3
Gunston 3 (equal top goals)

 

[malpaso]

Hmmm lockdown defender who’s great on smalls? Where could we possibly find one of those

How quickly people forget how good Walker is at that..

 

[Freomaniac]

Ballaz had a shocker in the 2013 Grand Final. Probably worse than Freddy on Saturday.

I won't deny that. But Hayden Ballantyne kicked 254 goals from 171 games from 2009 to 2019.

Ballantyne was a solid small forward. Kicked 49 goals in 2014 and got all Australian.

In a good season, he was a semi decent 30 to 35 goal a season small forward.

I don't mind people bagging out Frederick if it's reasonable and fair.

Frederick had a solid season. He kicked 30 goals from 24 games.

It's funny back then as many people sank the boots on Danyle Pearce in his last 3 or 4 years at the dockers. I thought he was a solid outside mid. Not as good as Stephen Hill or Bradley Hill but handy

 

[Freomaniac]

We need a decent winger or two

Sharp was poor and so was NOD. Recruit a good winger and hopefully Whan turns out to be a gun winger.

Would you want Bradley Hill back for a season or 2? LoL

 

[DQ 4EVER]

Learning to use right foot to some extent as well!!

Mate, NOD could also work on his left foot as well

 

[Docker82]

How quickly people forget how good Walker is at that..

I don't even think they problem exists in the first place. We don't generally have an issue defending small forwards.

There was more bags of 3+ kicked against us by tall forwards yet no one is saying Pearce, Cox, Ryan or even McDonald is an issue. Yes, it's pretty bloody obvious they're not.

Feel like the same people pop up and say we need a lockdown small defender whenever a small kicks 3+ against us but also conveniently ignore the six weeks prior it didn't happen.

 

[Mags98]

who are we expecting to go around our first pick? historically small forwards can impact from day one so surely that would be our target for that pick?

 

[go_the_dockers]

who are we expecting to go around our first pick? historically small forwards can impact from day one so surely that would be our target for that pick?

Draft Hub with Phantom Drafts

All your AFL draft news and talk with our Draft Experts

www.bigfooty.com

Cal Twomey's Phantom Form Guide: Top draft prospects' August ranking

AFL.com.au's draft guru Cal Twomey delivers his second Phantom Form Guide ahead of the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft

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Have a read of these, it should give you a pretty good idea.

Here are some players worth a look, that I think fill a need. (As always, I will pick a favourite closer to trade week and Walls will draft a gun I hadn't heard of)

Mitch Marsh - medium forward
Sam Cummings - mid / half forward
Jacob Farrow - Tall mid. Could play half forward or half back.
Jevan Phillipou - Athletic Forward
Lucas Dovaston - best small forward of the draft
Harley Barker - best wing of the draft. Is slipping due to doing his ACL mid year.


FYI - with academies bids, expect our pick to be close to 15 rather than pick 11 assuming all clubs trade out of the first round for points.

 

[Mags98]

would we have been better off taking mannagh over simpson a couple years back?

 

[Docker82]

Draft Hub with Phantom Drafts

All your AFL draft news and talk with our Draft Experts

www.bigfooty.com

Cal Twomey's Phantom Form Guide: Top draft prospects' August ranking

AFL.com.au's draft guru Cal Twomey delivers his second Phantom Form Guide ahead of the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft

www.afl.com.au

Have a read of these, it should give you a pretty good idea.

Here are some players worth a look, that I think fill a need. (As always, I will pick a favourite closer to trade week and Walls will draft a gun I hadn't heard of)

Mitch Marsh - medium forward
Sam Cummings - mid / half forward
Jacob Farrow - Tall mid. Could play half forward or half back.
Jevan Phillipou - Athletic Forward
Lucas Dovaston - best small forward of the draft
Harley Barker - best wing of the draft. Is slipping due to doing his ACL mid year.


FYI - with academies bids, expect our pick to be close to 15 rather than pick 11 assuming all clubs trade out of the first round for points.

You've forgotten to add the two compensation picks that'll almost certainly fall before our selection. Could be as many as four but surely teams don't pay Silvagni or Draper that much.

 

[Superkoops]

would we have been better off taking mannagh over simpson a couple years back?

We were very interested in Mannagh but not at 35. We traded up to get Cooper Simpson who looks quite promising to date. Potentially Mannagh was in the mix for our next pick 40 which we used on Murphy. Geelong obviously knew we were keen and jumped in earlier at 36. Happens a lot and so be it. Cooper will be fine.

I think way back to 2010 when we selected Jayden Pitt. My memories we were keen on Isaac Smith but Hawks jumped in early at 19 and got him a pick before us. There are other examples - I think Marcus Adams to Western Bulldogs was another in his draft year.

 

[Channels]

Given the age profile of our list with Fyfe, Walters and Aish retiring, I'm thinking having a crack at Petracca (assuming we wouldn't have to wear a huge salary) wouldn't be the worst outcome.

A bigger bodied mature mid to add into the rotation.

 

[eastfreo75]

We were very interested in Mannagh but not at 35. We traded up to get Cooper Simpson who looks quite promising to date. Potentially Mannagh was in the mix for our next pick 40 which we used on Murphy. Geelong obviously knew we were keen and jumped in earlier at 36. Happens a lot and so be it. Cooper will be fine.

I think way back to 2010 when we selected Jayden Pitt. My memories we were keen on Isaac Smith but Hawks jumped in early at 19 and got him a pick before us. There are other examples - I think Marcus Adams to Western Bulldogs was another in his draft year.

I was felt that recruiters should be judged on their list order. Sometimes its unlucky that another club gets in front of you.

 

[Ysaye]

We had an above average injury run this year and coped well enough for most of the season.

Walker, Simpson, Johnson, Sharp, Wagner Switta, McDonald and Draper didn't play the final. Fyfe the only out.

We're short a couple of forwards depth wise but outside of that I think our best 30-odd is easily good enough to make sure we get a similar result next year. Take away a few of the performances where the whole team played bad for whatever reason and we finish top.

I'm not that concerned there's a couple of holes in our depth at this stage of the off season tbh. This time last year Bolton, Dudley and Reid weren't on our list, Worner was a spud and Voss was just some depth player.

Outside of couple of small/medium forwards anything else we add to the list in the 20-35 range is a bonus. Getting a top 15 player in the squad in a genuine area of need should be the difference between this season and top four.

To be build off the core point of this post:

• As Jlo himself said, the big difference this year from last when you step back, it was not growth in the team/individual players but the better injury run and availability of the best players for longer parts of the main season.
• Now whilst injuries themselves are part uncontrollable by the club, a bit that is controllable is the strength of the overall list and ability to bring people in from Peel to do jobs when others get injured - an example this year was Wagner coming in and playing as a midfielder and winger at times - this was huge for our season. Also you could argue Dudley, who arguably was not quite fit for AFL, nevertheless had moments where he came in and really held up a position. Even Erasmus late in the season was heavily important in carrying load (him playing Wing when we were desperate) from others.
• Players like Draper were an option early in the season when Pearce was unavailable but his form dropped away and arguably he wasn't able to provide an option later. Similarly Sharp's form went through a massive slump, although arguably it did pick up towards the end of the season

So what I think we need next year is:

• Current "fringe" players like Erasmus, Sharp, Draper, Dudley, Walker, McDonald, Simpson, Nicholls to gain and maintain form throughout the season and provide that backup option (or force their way into the team, and whomever they replace to maintain form).
• Selection committee to maintain bravery to pick sometimes untested or rarely tested players who are in form and
• Develop flexibility in roles of players - eg. from a team perspective we NEED Reid to spend time 40%/60% between midfield and forward line, maybe alternating with Young. It also wouldn't surprise me to see Chapman training as a wing again so that he can offer what Wagner offered this year. Also seeing Draper play forward and ruck at the end of the season, I suspect we will see more of that next year as well.

 

[go_the_dockers]

To be build off the core point of this post:

• As Jlo himself said, the big difference this year from last when you step back, it was not growth in the team/individual players but the better injury run and availability of the best players for longer parts of the main season.
• Now whilst injuries themselves are part uncontrollable by the club, a bit that is controllable is the strength of the overall list and ability to bring people in from Peel to do jobs when others get injured - an example this year was Wagner coming in and playing as a midfielder and winger at times - this was huge for our season. Also you could argue Dudley, who arguably was not quite fit for AFL, nevertheless had moments where he came in and really held up a position. Even Erasmus late in the season was heavily important in carrying load (him playing Wing when we were desperate) from others.
• Players like Draper were an option early in the season when Pearce was unavailable but his form dropped away and arguably he wasn't able to provide an option later. Similarly Sharp's form went through a massive slump, although arguably it did pick up towards the end of the season

So what I think we need next year is:

• Current "fringe" players like Erasmus, Sharp, Draper, Dudley, Walker, McDonald, Simpson, Nicholls to gain and maintain form throughout the season and provide that backup option (or force their way into the team, and whomever they replace to maintain form).
• Selection committee to maintain bravery to pick sometimes untested or rarely tested players who are in form and
• Develop flexibility in roles of players - eg. from a team perspective we NEED Reid to spend time 40%/60% between midfield and forward line, maybe alternating with Young. It also wouldn't surprise me to see Chapman training as a wing again so that he can offer what Wagner offered this year. Also seeing Draper play forward and ruck at the end of the season, I suspect we will see more of that next year as well.

Agree - Wagner, Worner and Dudley made a big difference this year. So important to have competition for spot so when people are out of form they get dropped.

I like the idea of Chapman as wing, as we really have no one capable of playing the role outside of Sharp.


We probably need 1 player to break out from B grader, to genuine star to make the leap to top 4, or 2 or 3 players to come from no where to genuine B graders. I think at least one of these players won't be on our list now.

Don't see a potential A grader on our list (maybe Reid, but more than likely it will take him 2 or 3 years to get there), but maybe Erasmus, Johnson, Chapman could all go from C graders to B graders. Reid could take another step as a mid.

 

[south beach]

Agree - Wagner, Worner and Dudley made a big difference this year. So important to have competition for spot so when people are out of form they get dropped.

I like the idea of Chapman as wing, as we really have no one capable of playing the role outside of Sharp.


We probably need 1 player to break out from B grader, to genuine star to make the leap to top 4, or 2 or 3 players to come from no where to genuine B graders. I think at least one of these players won't be on our list now.

Don't see a potential A grader on our list (maybe Reid, but more than likely it will take him 2 or 3 years to get there), but maybe Erasmus, Johnson, Chapman could all go from C graders to B graders. Reid could take another step as a mid.

A big mongrel backman to support Our vulnerable captain. Can’t guarantee a full season with his body as it is. He goes down and we and suspect. A vossy clone both ends would be perfect

 

[Lach72]

Running half back?

Backline now looks like this

Simpson/Chapman Cox Ryan
Clark Pearce McVee