Rumour GFC 2025 Player Trading, Drafting FA, Rumours and Wish lists Pt 1

[cats_09]

Don’t forget, Guthrie and Bruhn were probably expected to play.

I always saw Guthrie as something of icing this year rather than the one doing the heavy lifting in the guts after missing the past couple of years, but def feeling his loss and that of Tanner from the midfield rotations

 

[Commando]

Clark isn't putting on mass though which is the killer. He's got a body like he's running a purely cardio program and cardio like he's running a weights only program

Regardless of what physical program a player is on, butchering the football isn't going to help a players cause

 

[My Tilly]

Regardless of what physical program a player is on, butchering the football isn't going to help a players cause

He's devoid of confidence and he literally looked like he checked out which itself, is a very bad sign.
He's the type of footballer who needs a decent game and it would stem on from there but I think he did his dash and won't get back in the seniors for a long time.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

He's devoid of confidence and he literally looked like he checked out which itself, is a very bad sign.
He's the type of footballer who needs a decent game and it would stem on from there but I think he did his dash and won't get back in the seniors for a long time.

He'd want to snap out of that soon then if that's the case.

It's one things for a superstar who knows he's leaving to check out. He'll be okay regardless.

A 20 year old kid who could be trade bait, or back at university in a couple years, you just can't afford to have that mindset.

If it's serious, then wish him all the best obviously, but you get the gist of it.

 

[iameviljez]

That is true but Guthrie had hardly played in the last 2 seasons and when he did, it wasn’t at 2022 levels. Bruhn was improving but still at B grade level so far, and not big or particularly fast.

Yeah, but it was probably enough to justify not burning a draft pick on a short term fix. Don't forget, Kennedy for example cost a 2nd-rounder, and we had already given away our 2024 2nd round pick on Baz.

 

[Kitcat]

Yeah, but it was probably enough to justify not burning a draft pick on a short term fix. Don't forget, Kennedy for example cost a 2nd-rounder, and we had already given away our 2024 2nd round pick on Baz.

The club had its reasons but the result is that like last season, we will probably continue to get beaten in the midfield and that makes winning a flag difficult. It would have been worse if it wasn’t for the surprising early form of Stanley, as we are also weak in the ruck. As a result we have got an excellent Bailey Smith, but Danger won’t be playing much in the midfield, and Clark and Knevitt are not the answer yet, perhaps never. Thank goodness for Atkins, and Holmes. Mannagh is worth a try but he is small.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

The club had its reasons but the result is that like last season, we will probably continue to get beaten in the midfield and that makes winning a flag difficult. It would have been worse if it wasn’t for the surprising early form of Stanley, as we are also weak in the ruck. As a result we have got an excellent Bailey Smith, but Danger won’t be playing much in the midfield, and Clark and Knevitt are not the answer yet, perhaps never. Thank goodness for Atkins, and Holmes. Mannagh is worth a try but he is small.

Posted this in the game thread. This is the sum of my anxieties

 

[iameviljez]

The club had its reasons but the result is that like last season, we will probably continue to get beaten in the midfield and that makes winning a flag difficult.

Yeah, but I don't want to mortgage the entirety of future for the sakes of a half-tilt at a flag.

In the last three years, the club has pretty clearly pivoted to targeted recruitment for 10-year gain (Bruhn, Henry, Baz, plus draftees, Mannagh the exception). With our three stars very much the wrong side of 30, I think that's the correct approach

 

[Kitcat]

Yeah, but I don't want to mortgage the entirety of future for the sakes of a half-tilt at a flag.

In the last three years, the club has pretty clearly pivoted to targeted recruitment for 10-year gain (Bruhn, Henry, Baz, plus draftees, Mannagh the exception). With our three stars very much the wrong side of 30, I think that's the correct approach

I don’t disagree with the long term plans. I am commenting on this season only when we added just one player to a weak midfield. If that is considered to be the best way to proceed, then there can be no major criticism of the midfield performance this season as they were always going to be undermanned.

 

[iameviljez]

If that is considered to be the best way to proceed, then there can be no major criticism of the midfield performance this season as they were always going to be undermanned.

Yes, and no - I think there's some room to be disappointed at the way in which the third-year-ish players haven't yet stepped up, i.e. Clark, Knevitt.

 

[Kitcat]

Posted this in the game thread. This is the sum of my anxieties

Thanks for that. Very informative. I find some tv analysis based too much on hindsight, in that the ball could have gone anywhere and they criticise the player for not being in the exact position to get it or stop the opponent. I think we do get sucked into the contest too much. Possibly trying too hard to counter strong midfields.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Thanks for that. Very informative. I find some tv analysis based too much on hindsight, in that the ball could have gone anywhere and they criticise the player for not being in the exact position to get it or stop the opponent. I think we do get sucked into the contest too much. Possibly trying too hard to counter strong midfields.

Yeah we definitely end up pushing numbers in to even up the clearances. Low and behold we get burnt on the outside from their clearances while ours end up being clearances to nothing

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Thanks for that. Very informative. I find some tv analysis based too much on hindsight, in that the ball could have gone anywhere and they criticise the player for not being in the exact position to get it or stop the opponent. I think we do get sucked into the contest too much. Possibly trying too hard to counter strong midfields.

Jeff also absolutely deserves a regular spot on fox with this. "Ruck craft corner" or similar. Would absolutely be head and shoulders above some of their drivel.

Free to air TV could get a free hit bringing him in too.

 

[D BRIDGE]

Certainly helps having a ruck that can dictate where the ball is going to go more than their opponent.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Certainly helps having a ruck that can dictate where the ball is going to go more than their opponent.

Never used to matter when we had mids that could read the opposition taps and beat their opponent.

 

[My Tilly]

Never used to matter when we had mids that could read the opposition taps and beat their opponent.

It did though because had we had an elite ruckman after 2015, we may have won more than one premiership.
Brad Ottens was a large reason why we became a dynasty. I can't imagine us winning as many as we did without him.

Likewise Collingwood at the moment, they're not the same midfield without Darcy Cameron who is as dominant as any big man in the game right now.

I often wonder what might have been had we secured Todd Goldstein's services end of 2019. Having his brilliance in ruck throughout those finals series 2020-2024 would have been invaluable.

 

[Jumping Jack]

He'd want to snap out of that soon then if that's the case.

It's one things for a superstar who knows he's leaving to check out. He'll be okay regardless.

A 20 year old kid who could be trade bait, or back at university in a couple years, you just can't afford to have that mindset.

If it's serious, then wish him all the best obviously, but you get the gist of it.

There's a few red flags on Clark. I'm not convinced he'll live up to the hype and I think he's got to be in the gun as part of a pick / player deal with WCE for Reid or elsewhere if we're targeting a specific big name player. At the moment, I think that's a big part of the problem with him - he probably knows he's under some pressure. Barely getting a regular game with C Guthrie and Bruhn not available - he's a long way back.

His name was used in a recent discussion I had with someone inside the club system, as an example of a young draftee who has an entitled view of life, and expects to just walk into an AFL club and play senior AFL footy on day one. Some kids put their head down and work hard - others just can't deal with having to do the hard work and bide their time.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

I think having the physical presence of TDK who also taps it down to our players advantage and then gets forward for some big impact goals will go a long way. Tbh thought Knevitt was going pretty good before he got injured.
I'd bring in TDK before Harley, but that's just me.

No way.

Harley Reid all the way, and I will prefer just us to back in Conway to get himself right

 

[geelong_crazy26]

There's a few red flags on Clark. I'm not convinced he'll live up to the hype and I think he's got to be in the gun as part of a pick / player deal with WCE for Reid or elsewhere if we're targeting a specific big name player. At the moment, I think that's a big part of the problem with him - he probably knows he's under some pressure. Barely getting a regular game with C Guthrie and Bruhn not available - he's a long way back.

His name was used in a recent discussion I had with someone inside the club system, as an example of a young draftee who has an entitled view of life, and expects to just walk into an AFL club and play senior AFL footy on day one. Some kids put their head down and work hard - others just can't deal with having to do the hard work and bide their time.

Clark + 2x1sts for Reid??? Ok where do I sign up

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

No way.

Harley Reid all the way, and I will prefer just us to back in Conway to get himself right

Agree. I'm still confident we'll get something from either Conway or Edwards.

The only reason you would get TDK is if he came as a free agent, but I think Carlton would match any deal we'd do for him and force a trade.

Then we'd give up multiple firsts which would wipe out any trade we could do for a gun mid. Whether it was this year or next.

 

[Jumping Jack]

Clark + 2x1sts for Reid??? Ok where do I sign up

I think there'd be a long and orderly line forming to sign up for that.

Reid is a generational talent and immediately makes an impact. Clark might turn out an "ok" player at best and he might even play 200 games - but we're talking chalk and cheese in terms of any comparison. Clark + 2 firsts would be a deal Geelong would do in a heartbeat.

And Clark guarantees himself senior football which I think is a few years off at Geelong - if at all.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

There's a few red flags on Clark. I'm not convinced he'll live up to the hype and I think he's got to be in the gun as part of a pick / player deal with WCE for Reid or elsewhere if we're targeting a specific big name player. At the moment, I think that's a big part of the problem with him - he probably knows he's under some pressure. Barely getting a regular game with C Guthrie and Bruhn not available - he's a long way back.

I really doubt he'd be worth anything in a deal like that.

Let's set aside the GFC glasses for a sec, and just use a comparison.

Ben Hobbs (who has actually shown more) would be a like for like. Undersized, top 10 pick inside mid with questionable disposal.

Not many - if any - would be interested (kinda the point here) but what would you offer? A third round pick at most? That's where Clark is at.

I just see it as negligible. If he's involved in a trade for Reid (or similar) he'd only be the equivalent of the token third round pick in the deal.

If we had another Ollie Henry/Cooper Stephens situation lined up, he might unlock something...but I don't think he changes much in those bigger trades.

 

[D BRIDGE]

2x R1s + Clark for Reid is a fantasy.

Even 3x R1s + Clark for Reid is gold for us, and I'd drive Clark there to get that deal if I could.

I wouldn't even value Clark as being worth a second-rounder atm.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

2x R1s + Clark for Reid is a fantasy.

Even 3x R1s + Clark for Reid is gold for us, and I'd drive Clark there to get that deal if I could.

I wouldn't even value Clark as being worth a second-rounder atm.

You need to pump more noise into the trade so fans get confused by different variables.

3xrd1 + 2xrd2 + Clark
For
Reid + Tim Kelly + 2xrd3

Needs more noise

 

[Kobe Gryant]

2x R1s + Clark for Reid is a fantasy.

Even 3x R1s + Clark for Reid is gold for us, and I'd drive Clark there to get that deal if I could.

I wouldn't even value Clark as being worth a second-rounder atm.

It's a weird paradigm in footy, how we just hold onto draft position for so long. It doesn't really happen elsewhere in the world.

Ben Hobbs, Deven Robertson, Cooper Stephens, Hunter Clark, Finn Macrae, Jackon Hately, Neil Erasmus... Jhye Clark.

People add these guys in packages as if it makes a difference, when you could argue it's actually a detraction.

Would you rather the guy you know probably can't play AFL level footy? or a late pick that probably won't get you a great player, but you also don't know for sure.

Guess it depends on the draft quality, but the devil you don't know, is probably better than the one you do in these cases.

Talls are probably the exception, where you genuinely can just come good at age 26 for some reason.