List Mgmt. 2026 - What do we need?

[Bicco]

A small forward who can tackle and pressure, as well as goal.
Freddie had 0 tackles last night and has a good game 1 in 6.
I don't know how many times the ball made it to our full forward line and bounced out.
That Schultz guy from Collingwood would look good in a Freo jumper.

 

[Freoforever86]

Sign Raz
Move Murphy up the field. Wing maybe? Our wings are awful.
Invest in Simpson off half back all year
Nail this draft. Hopefully another solid 1st rounder plus Whan. Or trade plus pieces for a solid mid
Get amiss back to his best. He can be low possessions but needs to kick straight.
Dunno what we do with Freddie

Natural improvement from Voss Johnson Raz Reid Dudley

 

[Midnite65]

Sign Raz
Move Murphy up the field. Wing maybe? Our wings are awful.
Invest in Simpson off half back all year
Nail this draft. Hopefully another solid 1st rounder plus Whan. Or trade plus pieces for a solid mid
Get amiss back to his best. He can be low possessions but needs to kick straight.
Dunno what we do with Freddie

Natural improvement from Voss Johnson Raz Reid Dudley

Trade our next year first for Lawson Humphries, backline sorted. Instruct Pearce Cox and Ryan to handball after a free or mark at all costs as they are terrible kicks and take no risks.

 

[Us against the rest]

Ken Hinkley. just kidding.

Genuinely Sorry guys, we know how you feel, at least you were competitive, have a look at Port's prelim disasters.

 

[Superkoops]

Sounds like OMac will be kept and I do like him as depth but we have too many talls and he’s out of contract vs the young KPDs who eventually need some game time.

OMac offered 1 year contract and Sharp 2 years - there was a recent article stating as such.

 

[Freoforever86]

My other wish
Ryan to not take kickouts anymore
Clark or Simpson.

JL to actually figure out a kickin plan. It’s go Long or bust 80% of the time

 

[Midnite65]

My other wish
Ryan to not take kickouts anymore
Clark or Simpson.

JL to actually figure out a kickin plan. It’s go Long or bust 80% of the time

Ryan will take kickouts unfortunately until he retires even though publicly he has said he doesn't like to have them.

 

[Midnite65]

Find another player.....Darcy, Jackson, Amiss, etc. to take the marks on the wing up the line instead of Treacy. As good as what he is at taking them would you rather have a player like Cameron taking marks and having shots around 30m or 40m from goal or up on the wing taking marks?

 

[rgauci]

Ryan will take kickouts unfortunately until he retires even though publicly he has said he doesn't like to have them.

We had a plan to go to space and he fluffed the kick 3 times and parked it for the season.

 

[s_wd6]

Matthew Nicks didn't have 8 years at the crows. He only had 5 or 6 years.


Nicks became coach at the crows the same time as Justin Longmuir became dockers coach, end of 2019 or start of 2020.

Only difference is that crows were in decline and had to do a long rebuild. Nicks saw out 5 years of no finals from 2020 to 2024. Only year crows could of made finals was 2023.

Mean while when Justin Longmuir was dockers coach in the start of 2020, our rebuild was already 75 to 80 percent complete as Ross Lyon did the bulk of the rebuild from 2016 to 2019.

Right but you know that's not true yeah? Ross ****ed around trying to replump restump bullshit. Literally 80% of our list now have been brought in under JL. There were only 8 players who played a significant role in 2022 who were bought in by Lyon.

 

[swanny1234]

Sounds like OMac will be kept and I do like him as depth but we have too many talls and he’s out of contract vs the young KPDs who eventually need some game time.

They’ll get game time if they’re any good. Omac is better than Draper… we should be in the win now category. Omac is our first emergency if Pearce goes down.

 

[Vimal Anand]

1. Sign Erasmus
2. Improve our identification of players we trade for. If I had to guess, our current criteria is any player wanting to come to the club except for Bobby Hill.
3. Bring in quality players like Ah Chee and McVee
4. Use our first rounder on a player with great to elite skills (ideally wing or small forward)
5. Look at mature agers.
6. Do not over pay for players we bring in. (Ideally target players out of contract)
7. Dudley needs a massive preseason. Need to lose 5kg of fat, and add 5kg of lean muscle.
8. Work out if two rucks and 3 tall forwards work. Not that we have the option, but I would swap one ruck for a similar caliber midfielder.
9. Sign a senior assistant coach who complements JL. Ideally more personal, and a bit more tactical nous. I would like Adam Simpson, and would give Choco a shot as well.

As we have not been linked with any players, it is unlikely the trade period will do much to improve our list.

Need to do anything to make us top 6 in all areas as Adam Simpson pointed out 2 days ago that last 10 years all premieres that aspect in common?

 

[TheMcManusNose]

Coaching aside, which is my bugbear but whatever, where is the improvement actually going to come from?

Serong/Brayshaw/Young/Clark aren't getting much better, they're realistically at their peak. Yes, Young was out a lot but we did pretty well with injuries this year.

The KPPs aren't getting much better with the exception of Amiss and maybe Darcy although I think it's 50/50 if his body will let him get fitter.

Anyone else over 26 or so isn't getting better - Bolton, Ryan.

Murphy Reid is the only one I can really say yes this guy is going to absolutely get better and make us better although the floor is pretty ****ing high already.

I look at the team sheet from yesterday and who isn't in there really isn't a huge amount there to work with. There's a few things that I think absolutely have to happen though:

1. JOM must go. We have ****ed around too long with this and Erasmus/Johnson/NOD need the game time, they need the mid time and we need to know if they are actually going to be difference makers. Johnno has had probably had 15 games where he's looked like moving to genuine best 18 and needs to keep that up. Erasmus' last 6 games or so similar. NOD really hard to work out - looks like a world beater at times then just plain shit at others with no discernable reason why. 39, 55 and 38 games respectively for this trio now. Crunch time for their careers and our flag chances I reckon.

2. Banfield I mean honestly how many times have we said this. At least when he was on the forward flank it was because we had no other real prospects. But HBF is just bizzare. One of Simpson or Walker needs to fill this spot - we need someone who takes it on apart from Clark. Even a draftee in this spot be it Farrow/Whan/Whatever just for something to try and help with our stagnant movement.

3. Chapman what the **** is he? Flank as a junior. Flashes of brilliance the first two years and now seems to be a bit player who is a decent mark and a decent kick but I read his draft profile and think **** me where is that player? Could he be the wing answer? Is he the answer to help Clark? Are we actually better trying Draper there again if he isn't?

4. Small foward. Is a fit Dudley the answer? Dunno but he needs to do more than average 0.87 goals and 1.73 tackles per game. Switta kind of isn't really one even if he is probably best 22 if fit (big IF!). I don't see how we solve this issue, it's easily our weakest position on the ground. Pickett would have been a god send but that's ****ed now. Darcy Jones extended and probably just blew another ACL. Who else is there? Is this actually what we should do with the first rounder?

This next year is the year this team is not going to be in any of those 'youngest 18' lists, at best we're going to move a 27 year old out for a 22 year old and debutants will be pretty thin on the ground for the next couple of years. Time for some bold selection and position calls.

 

[s_wd6]

I think you can bet on Shai becoming better. There's always an adjustment period when new recruits come over. Feel like there was plenty of times where he was doing too much to try and prove himself to new fans. Can't remember where I heard it, but a player was saying that Shai is never nervous before a game except for his debut for the club. Also, he kicked at 35% this year. Comfortably his worst return of his career. Revert back to last season and he's got 40 goals for the year and goes at 20 touches a game.

Either way, I don't think the improvement is necessarily going to come from players, but more so from just an extra year of playing together. Stability is key. Our forward line especially has chopped and changed every year. Amiss has a lot more in him. Freddy has put together a career best year in terms of scoring but needs to recapture his pressure acts from 2022.

 

[WhoneedsMcLeod]

Coaching aside, which is my bugbear but whatever, where is the improvement actually going to come from?

Serong/Brayshaw/Young/Clark aren't getting much better, they're realistically at their peak. Yes, Young was out a lot but we did pretty well with injuries this year.

The KPPs aren't getting much better with the exception of Amiss and maybe Darcy although I think it's 50/50 if his body will let him get fitter.

Anyone else over 26 or so isn't getting better - Bolton, Ryan.

Murphy Reid is the only one I can really say yes this guy is going to absolutely get better and make us better although the floor is pretty ****ing high already.

I look at the team sheet from yesterday and who isn't in there really isn't a huge amount there to work with. There's a few things that I think absolutely have to happen though:

1. JOM must go. We have ****ed around too long with this and Erasmus/Johnson/NOD need the game time, they need the mid time and we need to know if they are actually going to be difference makers. Johnno has had probably had 15 games where he's looked like moving to genuine best 18 and needs to keep that up. Erasmus' last 6 games or so similar. NOD really hard to work out - looks like a world beater at times then just plain shit at others with no discernable reason why. 39, 55 and 38 games respectively for this trio now. Crunch time for their careers and our flag chances I reckon.

2. Banfield I mean honestly how many times have we said this. At least when he was on the forward flank it was because we had no other real prospects. But HBF is just bizzare. One of Simpson or Walker needs to fill this spot - we need someone who takes it on apart from Clark. Even a draftee in this spot be it Farrow/Whan/Whatever just for something to try and help with our stagnant movement.

3. Chapman what the ** is he? Flank as a junior. Flashes of brilliance the first two years and now seems to be a bit player who is a decent mark and a decent kick but I read his draft profile and think ** me where is that player? Could he be the wing answer? Is he the answer to help Clark? Are we actually better trying Draper there again if he isn't?

4. Small foward. Is a fit Dudley the answer? Dunno but he needs to do more than average 0.87 goals and 1.73 tackles per game. Switta kind of isn't really one even if he is probably best 22 if fit (big IF!). I don't see how we solve this issue, it's easily our weakest position on the ground. Pickett would have been a god send but that's ****ed now. Darcy Jones extended and probably just blew another ACL. Who else is there? Is this actually what we should do with the first rounder?

This next year is the year this team is not going to be in any of those 'youngest 18' lists, at best we're going to move a 27 year old out for a 22 year old and debutants will be pretty thin on the ground for the next couple of years. Time for some bold selection and position calls.

100% with most of what you say. It aint that easy, no guarantees for 2026.
NOD not AFL standard, Sharp not AFL standard, O'Meara finished, Banfield not AFL standard, Worner border line.
Dudley I think is too small and not gifted enough to make up for that unfortunately. Quit Freddy, no ticker whatsoever, might get a good trade for him.
Darcy doesn't take marks these days, we get nothing down the line, Treacy has to do the lot or it doesn't get done.
How do Amiss and Frederick never get dropped, is selection integrity a thing? Draper showed a fair bit, maybe should have been given another crack, even up forward

I reckon we have probably performed above our talent this year. Some of our supporters are in dreamland. Just have a look at what GWS had coming off half back yesterday in Ash and Callaghan and they still couldn't get the job done. We are slow and laborious and miles off it. Ginnivan, everyone hates his guts but have a look at the smart things he does, if he thinks he is too far out or whatever he will pull a sneaky and pass it off, not our guys, go back and have a shot Shai (again). Same with our kick ins, hopeless, is it coaching?

No confidence here.

 

[dropbear101]

Always wondered why he looked good in his rookie season in 2018. Maybe the experienced inside mids he worked with helped

rumour is he got bashed a lot behind play when he was a tagger and felt like he had now support. then combined with ross lyon abuse meant by the end of the year he was mentally shot. has had deer in the headlights moments since then.

turns out breaking a player mentally has career long consequences.

 

[s_wd6]

rumour is he got bashed a lot behind play when he was a tagger and felt like he had now support. then combined with ross lyon abuse meant by the end of the year he was mentally shot. has had deer in the headlights moments since then.

turns out breaking a player mentally has career long consequences.

I remember Schultz saying on backchat essentially that Ross Lyon made him hate footy and that it was JL coming into the club that revitalised his career and his love for the game.

 

[dropbear101]

I remember Schultz saying on backchat essentially that Ross Lyon made him hate footy and that it was JL coming into the club that revitalised his career and his love for the game.

i once had a bad boss in 2023. I reckon it took me 6-12 months to recover in work situations. after this period as soon as something happened. you'd spend the whole day thinking about your mistakes. banfield has a number of tools to be a good inside mid. big tank, good size, good kick, great at being diligent about transition defence.

Ever since i heard that about him. Things fell into place. I reckon hes made a real fist of his career since ross lyon tbh.

 

[gungho]

What we need?

1 A really good mid.
Brayshaw, Serong, and Young are our only guns and if one is injured (like Young was most of the year) we do not have the depth. Johnson has improved but still might just be average at AFL level. Erasmus the same. JOM too old and slow. Fyfe retired. Bolton not really a midfielder.
2 A really good winger. This year has proven that Noddy and Sharp aren't that great....unfortunately....so it's back to the drawing board. Good teams have at least one good winger - like De Ambrosio, McLuggage, Whitfield, Holmes. I'm not convinced Chappy can play there. And also not convinced Erasmus and Johnson can either.
3 A back flank that gives us drive from defence. I reckon Simpson should be given the chance to partner with Clark next year, but it would be great to recruit in a good back flank anyway.
4. Goal kicking small forward. Some guy that can put on a shit load of pressure and kick 30 goals. Switta is good, but he's not a goal kicker.

So, we need, a gun mid, a back flank, a wing, a small forward.

They mid can take JOM's spot, the back flank can take Banfield's spot, the wing can take Noddy's spot, and the small forward can take Dudley's spot.


Edit: There's guys on here that get completely written off, but objectively, if you look over the course of a year, they haven't played too badly.
I reckon Amiss, Freddy, Cox, Ryan, Worner fit into this category.

 

[dominguez]

rumour is he got bashed a lot behind play when he was a tagger and felt like he had now support. then combined with ross lyon abuse meant by the end of the year he was mentally shot. has had deer in the headlights moments since then.

turns out breaking a player mentally has career long consequences.

Which player are you discussing here?

 

[s_wd6]

Which player are you discussing here?

Banners

 

[dominguez]

i once had a bad boss in 2023. I reckon it took me 6-12 months to recover in work situations. after this period as soon as something happened. you'd spend the whole day thinking about your mistakes. banfield has a number of tools to be a good inside mid. big tank, good size, good kick, great at being diligent about transition defence.

Ever since i heard that about him. Things fell into place. I reckon hes made a real fist of his career since ross lyon tbh.

Are you suggesting RTB is a bad boss?

Most players say he's the best coach they played under. He also made our Football club relevant. Pre and post Ross we've been mediocre or worse.

 

[s_wd6]

Are you suggesting RTB is a bad boss?

Most players say he's the best coach they played under. He also made our Football club relevant. Pre and post Ross we've been mediocre or worse.

I mean you have two players just highlighted who had awful experiences under Ross. He may have been a good coach tactically but there's too many players that seriously hated playing under him and the favouritism.

 

[dominguez]

Banners

Banfield simply has limitations as a footballer. Isn't an inside mid. Not a good mark for his height. Not fast or a good kick.

Has done really well forging a long career with work rate and discipline but hopefully gets surpassed next year and spends most of the season at Peel.

 

[dominguez]

I mean you have two players just highlighted who had awful experiences under Ross. He may have been a good coach tactically but there's too many players that seriously hated playing under him and the favouritism.

Michael Walters and Lachie Neale credit the discipline instilled by Ross for the careers they had.

Banfield being a fringe player 6 years after Ross left has much more to do with Banfield's limitations than anything Ross did.