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

[Aura]

I’m in Tongala right now. Recruiting

 

[Turbocat]

Our second NGA starting to get noticed ...

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/localfooty/afl-draft-2025-scouting-notes-from-young-guns-v-vic-country-as-sam-toner-jesse-mellor-excite/news-story/023f0a47b0c02c095ab1c07ebc29ab24

#14 Jesse Mellor (Geelong Falcons/Geelong West)

This six-goal haul will see Mellor shoot up draft boards as his eye-catching start to the season continued. Unfortunately for rival clubs, he is tied to Geelong’s Next Generation Academy. The game was up for grabs in the final quarter and Mellor took it by the scruff of the neck with four last quarter goals – and it could have been more with a couple of other misses. Mellor kicked two goals in almost as many minutes, one from a low mark and the next an excellent crumb and snap from 30 metres out.

Mellor leaps for a mark. Picture: Rob Lawson/AFL Photos

Got 30 seconds at the end of Gettable this week…( athough Cal got his christian name wrong)

Making judgements on video is fraught with danger… but the snippets shown would indicate some overhead ability and some evasive traits so elements of players like Dempsey, Miers etc. If he can continue to develop then he will be worth strong consideration

 

[bruce lindner]

Well, the location sounds nice enough! So it's probably not that then.

I have a good mate who used to be a coach at Essendon. He said the players often pulled up quite sore playing at Marvel Stadium (which carried over to the next week, particularly for the shorter breaks) and some players who were being head hunted in the recruitment process would also say their preference was to play with a Vic based team who played more often at the MCG. Interesting observations and may or may not be barriers to recruitment for the Saints.

 

[Turbocat]

I’m in Tongala right now. Recruiting

Perhaps someone who would be Davenport to to Ablett ? Any mates up there that might make a WA resident happier to be in Geelong ?

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

On Gettable:

Port - have offered Butters multiple deals including an 8 year deal which would be the most lucrative deal in the AFL to date if he takes it. Port has also a 2 year deal which would take him through to FA.

Cal still says Port won't trade him this year if he decides to leave.

Reid - Cal said multiple clubs are chasing him Cats, Hawks, Saints, Dees but it all depends on where Harley wants to play in 2026.

Also mentioned he thinks any club has the picks to trade for him this year (yes that means Geelong) and it doesn't matter who has the best assets to satisfy WCE it's where Harley wants to play.

TDK - Still between Blues and Saints. If TDK picks Saints, then clubs will go hard for Marshall but is contracted so need a compelling offer for Saints to let him go.

Rowell - Has about 10 clubs chasing him will have a domino effect depending on what he decides to do.

Worpel - Depends on Rowell. If clubs miss Rowell, they'll come for Worpel

Oliver - Same as Worpel will have clubs come for him if they miss out on Rowell

 

[And_ROOS]

St Kilda are chasing Worpel but they are not confident he wants to go their

Story of their ̷o̷f̷f̷s̷e̷a̷s̷o̷n̷ ̷y̷e̷a̷r̷ ̷d̷e̷c̷a̷d̷e̷ history.

If all reports are true (and I'm not saying this isn't), it blows my mind how they repeatedly throw big money at name after name (and even "no names" like Worpel) without getting anyone to bite.

I mean, they're hardly North. Sure, not the most exciting team in the comp or even the most competitive, but they're OK to good - I mean, they beat us. Most people say Ross is a pretty solid coach, and there's local appeal being a Melbourne club.

I wonder if there's a different reason...or if it's just a perception of being boring/unattractive?

So did Carlton, just because we are a lot of teams Grand Finals doesn't mean they do much else for the year. Look at this year, Saints get on a 3 win run beating us, then spank the Tigers and then beat the Paer in SA before losing to an up and down GWS before being embarrassed at Marvel Stadium in back to back weeks by the Dogs and Lions.
They have the Blues at the MCG then the Eagles at Optus in 2 weeks what are the odds they have a rousing victory against the Blues and Rossball is back before losing to the Weagles in a "Saintsy" performance.

If Rowell can't break the tag when he's surrounded by players such as Miller, Anderson or Flanders, how's he suppose to do so in our midfield?

Do his teammates do much to help break tags? Our team is usually good at supporting that. Also I don't think teams could afford to let Smith/Holmes be left unchecked, so if they want to tag Rowell it won't last long because then you are either leaving Holmes gamebreaking speed go free or Smiths run and long kicking aka metres gained go free.
Also considering how we have changed Smith from what he was at the WBD to what he is for us, who is to say we don't change Rowells game and teams just can't deal with him?

 

[Aura]

Perhaps someone who would be Davenport to to Ablett ? Any mates up there that might make a WA resident happier to be in Geelong ?

10 year age gap between Reid and I but have 3 younger brothers closer to his age and they all play in the Murray Footy League. Tongala isn’t apart of that despite being very close.

 

[And_ROOS]

I still don't get why they got rid of McRae - he is tearing it up at the Saints!

High possessions and in some games very damaging, in other games no so much.
Knowing what we know about CGuth and Bruhn if he was cheap I wish we would have gotten him because this year he has been a consistent ball magnet and there are games where we would rather control possession especially when teams get a run on against us.
But he is turning 31 soon, so we are likely only getting 2 years out of him and we also are pushing this as "Holmes and Smithys midfield" which is why Danger is rarely in there. And considering we will be definitely adding a midfield weapon in the next year or so, it makes sense we wouldn't go for him.

I think he was a victim of Bevo having a favourites club and if you aren't in it you are out of the Dogs.
If Caleb Daniels hadn't gone to North I think he would be having a better season too but even though his numbers are decent his team isn't so he looks worse than he is. If Daniels was having the season he is right now at say the Saints/Bombers/GWS then people would be asking why the Dogs got rid of him too.


As for Gettable, as per the AFL subreddit:

• Port Adelaide has presented the biggest contract offer in AFL history to Zak Butters, which is a two year deal to 2028 with a player option through to 2034
• Clubs are not keen on this year's draft and don't think the depth is there
• Brisbane NGA prospect Daniel Annable is supposedly in the top 5 on most teams draftboards currently
• Tasmanian list bosses Derek Hine and Todd Patterson join the show
• Reminder of Tasmania's draft and trade concessions. Access to 10 first round picks across 3 drafts including Pick 1, access to uncontracted players as free agents across two trade periods, sign on bonus fund of $1 million, multiple 17 year old mini draft selections to trade, access to Tasmanian father sons
• Access to Tasmania as an Academy Zone, up to 10 pre-listed 17 year olds ahead of 2027 draft year, access to multiple Tassie prospects eligible for 2026 draft who opt out, multiple early selections in rookie and mid-season rookie drafts
• If TDK goes to St Kilda, clubs will be interested in Rowan Marshall, also Carlton will need to look for a ruckman
• A lot of clubs are waiting to see what happens with Matt Rowell before they look at James Worpel
• A lot of Hawthorn's team come out of contract in 2026, which could be an issue for them
• Zac Harding, Tom Mathews and Jesse Mellor (Geelong NGA) all impressed for Vic Country over the weekend

 

[Gazza Greatness]

Jesse Mellor is a dead set ringer for former champion Melbourne player in Robbie Flower but even with leap and the way he takes the chest mark high off ground is so Robbie Flower like..... sign him up now!

 

[Son_Of_God29]

Jesse Mellor is a dead set ringer for former champion Melbourne player in Robbie Flower but even with leap and the way he takes the chest mark high off ground is so Robbie Flower like..... sign him up now!

Jesus no pressure on the boy from West Oval

 

[Turbocat]

Jesse Mellor is a dead set ringer for former champion Melbourne player in Robbie Flower but even with leap and the way he takes the chest mark high off ground is so Robbie Flower like..... sign him up now!

NOOOOO. dong do that. … Flower was such a good player.

 

[Turbocat]

I have a good mate who used to be a coach at Essendon. He said the players often pulled up quite sore playing at Marvel Stadium (which carried over to the next week, particularly for the shorter breaks) and some players who were being head hunted in the recruitment process would also say their preference was to play with a Vic based team who played more often at the MCG. Interesting observations and may or may not be barriers to recruitment for the Saints.

Good point. Think about where all the big blockbuster games are played. Not often one can think that its not a mega stadium… so probably multiple factors about the club preferences and grounds they play at.

I think on the Dogs, with them getting their undies in a knot about the tactless but factual comment by BS ..and maybe they should put into the AFL to say they want to make DogsCats a new mega rivalry …and play some games at the G …instead of getting all anal about defending a crowd of less than 5000.

 

[Turbocat]

I still don't get why they got rid of McRae - he is tearing it up at the Saints!

sal cap ..and making room for young cheaper players that they think can do the role.

 

[Gazza Greatness]

NOOOOO. dong do that. … Flower was such a good player.

He was more than good Turbocat:.... the guy was a out and out champion and you could guarantee with those high profile interstate games where there was so many outstanding players from all around Australia playing in those games, that Robert Flower for the 'BIG V' would invariably be in the top 3 players on the ground, he was that 'good' and furthermore I just loved to watch him play as I reckon Robbie was the most balanced and graceful footballer I've seen play!

 

[Reg Hickey]

They should have given us all the way around the coast to Warnambool!


For anyone else unsure of the boundaries, they're here:

AFL - News, Fixtures, Scores & Results - AFL.com.au

Australian Football League. All the latest AFL news, video, results and information

www.afl.com.au

When were these zones created?

Just thinking of some of the current stars who came from within our current NGA area. Just from Cobden you have Zac Merrett, Sam Walsh and Sean Darcy, all of whom I'm guessing predated the NGA... would've been some very nice pickups in that lot!

 

[moond0g]

I don't see Franklin as a success.

From an off field perspective yes, but they didn't get a flag out of it.

He didn't become a millstone around their neck, as such, so I suppose it wasn't a total bomb.

Winning a flag as a binary marker of success for trades isn't a great one IMO. There's so much that has to go right for you to win one that it seems unfair to judge a trades success based on the outcome of one game that occurs 5 years after the fact.

e.g., In 2021 would you have said that our recruitment of Dangerfield was a success despite having not won a flag? I definitely would have. Or does that trade only become a successful one in the last few years? Would it have been successful if we lost in 22?

The swans made 3 GFs with Buddy. He won the Coleman twice and was their leading goalkicker 7 times. I think you have to judge his time there as successful on most measures. Especially when you consider that they paid nothing for him in a trade because he was a FA.

 

[Del216647]

Winning a flag as a binary marker of success for trades isn't a great one IMO. There's so much that has to go right for you to win one that it seems unfair to judge a trades success based on the outcome of one game that occurs 5 years after the fact.

e.g., In 2021 would you have said that our recruitment of Dangerfield was a success despite having not won a flag? I definitely would have. Or does that trade only become a successful one in the last few years? Would it have been successful if we lost in 22?

The swans made 3 GFs with Buddy. He won the Coleman twice and was their leading goalkicker 7 times. I think you have to judge his time there as successful on most measures. Especially when you consider that they paid nothing for him in a trade because he was a FA.

Then there is the financial element....membership increase, crowd numbers, merchandise sales etc.

 

[Gazza Greatness]

Winning a flag as a binary marker of success for trades isn't a great one IMO. There's so much that has to go right for you to win one that it seems unfair to judge a trades success based on the outcome of one game that occurs 5 years after the fact.

e.g., In 2021 would you have said that our recruitment of Dangerfield was a success despite having not won a flag? I definitely would have. Or does that trade only become a successful one in the last few years? Would it have been successful if we lost in 22?

The swans made 3 GFs with Buddy. He won the Coleman twice and was their leading goalkicker 7 times. I think you have to judge his time there as successful on most measures. Especially when you consider that they paid nothing for him in a trade because he was a FA.

It's absolute BS with flags being a main criteria. We recruited Gary Ablett Snr but ultimately no flags, so under flag criteria of a recruiting success Gazza Snr was not a success, that's just madness thinking and shows that the criteria is flawed and just plain wrong with there being many other examples over the journey as well. Buddy was a huge success up in Sydney for many reasons outside 'not winning a flag'. More than anything else, you've gotta be plain lucky to win flags, being in the right place at the right time as they're effen hard to win, just ask St Kilda and Freo.

Bloody hell, Bobby Skilton who was a champion footballer and won 3 Brownlow Medals, the poor bastard only played in 'one final', not grand final but 'one final'.

 

[moond0g]

I agree with that but the biggest issue or nativity around that is the AFL thinking that those 2nd & 3rd tier players are going to be on a single playing list for 8 years to reach FA status

Maybe this is where they need to have different FA levels but where it's not simply years on the list & salary earned in the final year of it, and instead introduce a lower level of FA to capture those 2nd & 3rd tier players, especially the 3rd tier

Why not something like, '5-yrs completed and played less than 50 games' to open up potential movement for those players in the wings. For anyone who thinks that's a little crazy in terms of not many games played for that length of time, so how many players would that capture - GC currently have 4 players in their 6th year who'll be out of contract at seasons end, with 3 of them having played less than 50 games


Maybe we then also see a change in the upper tier of FA where instead of 8yrs may mean FA or UFA, while 10 means FA confusion type thing, we change it a straight 9yrs and the player becomes a FA with no restricted category. 9 years could easily equate to 150+ games given to their original team and the chance to then set themselves up for the next stage of their life

Isn't that literally what the distinction between unrestricted FA and restricted FA is for atm?

2nd and 3rd tier players are universally UFA, whereas 1st tier players are universally RFA.

 

[moond0g]

If all reports are true (and I'm not saying this isn't), it blows my mind how they repeatedly throw big money at name after name (and even "no names" like Worpel) without getting anyone to bite.

I mean, they're hardly North. Sure, not the most exciting team in the comp or even the most competitive, but they're OK to good - I mean, they beat us. Most people say Ross is a pretty solid coach, and there's local appeal being a Melbourne club.

I wonder if there's a different reason...or if it's just a perception of being boring/unattractive?

Also reminds me how different I am than an AFL player, aside from the obvious.

If someone was going to offer me $300-400k/year more to do the exact same job, I'd be signing before the paper hit the table.

 

[moond0g]

How do you see it playing out?

For mine …it will get down to what the player wants the most. Is his hearts desire to return to Victoria? Is it to return to one particular team. If its Geelong and only Geelong ..and Geelong have black holed all their picks .. and Port refuse to take comp , offer him a two year contract and are hoping like hell that he stays … what happens? I doubt a Bailey Smith lever would work as another club would take him in the draft and Butters would not want to risk that anyway. Is he so unhappy at Port that he simply must get out of there? Woudl he be willing to stay two more years ..on ridiculous money ..and then be a UFA?

For mine.. it all may work out if Port fall like a stone , and have mentally decided they need to add picks and kids before its too late and Tas come in. It becomes far more problematic if Port are team in contention. The value of late R1..is becoming more an more like an R2 …in a way that encourages teams to be belligerent. What picks would Bulldigs have? Could they persuade the player that they should be his destination? Could Port end up persuading a player on our list to move so a trade did not involve picks?

The second paragraph can't be overstated IMO. How this would play out if Butters wanted to come here, and it's a big if, would have far more to do with where Port finish next year than anything else i think.

If Port are bottom 3 next year, Port will just accept the compo with minimal fuss, especially if we trade out our picks this year or happen to finish top 4 next season - even If he's probably worth a bit more on the open market.

 

[And_ROOS]

Lets not compare Mellor to Robbie Flower or others might come in for him, lets tell everyone he is Kane Tenace

Kane Tenace

Age

40

Ht

182cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.7

4star

K

9.3

4star

HB

4.4

3star

M

2.9

3star

T

1.3

3star

No current season stats available

D

12.6

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

0.8

3star

v2.

 

[Turbocat]

When were these zones created?

Just thinking of some of the current stars who came from within our current NGA area. Just from Cobden you have Zac Merrett, Sam Walsh and Sean Darcy, all of whom I'm guessing predated the NGA... would've been some very nice pickups in that lot!

… but would they have qualified for nga. It may seem loose but there are factors that one must qualify for. Just this year Hawks were after a kid rate R1 ..but got denied . So were any othese guys born overseas..have parents born overseas etc.

It does seem however that the afl have gone somewhat backwards and introduced a defacto zone recruitment mechanism.. which most dislike till they can get a star kid for their own club

 

[Heckler]

Can they? Are there Salary Cap complications? Would the AFL say .. Sure cancel the contract but you must keep the numbers in the cap? Who knows as the AFL sometimes appear to rule as if they are the Vatican and they are their own country.

Technically if Oliver was in the last year of his contract right now …he would be about to become a Free Agent. That would change things substantially id have thought. I highly doubt the AFL would give any FA comp.

I wonder if both Melb and CO were able to petition the AFL to cancel the contract based on mental issues if it would be could be done. As a straight player id not have CO above Geelong top 5 players atm. …it would cost Oliver millions but how much is peace of mind worth?

Demons will want to make a stand and ask for a lot for him, and it will depend on what our other trade goals are.


I mean just look at Smith, he wasn't producing to this level at the Dogs before he did his knee. And with Treloar and Macrae gone they would love current Smith smashing the midfield for them like he is for us.
I have no doubt no one at Melbourne is really enjoying being there.

Yes but it's more complicated because he's on 1.3mil a year (and rising).
Geelong won't pay him that (7-800 Max and that's still a lot)
Melbourne are unlikely to agree to pay him 500k a year to play elsewhere.
Clayton is unlikely to agree to a 500k a year pay cut assuming the afl would even agree. Remember he's contracted til he's 33 so the deal can't have extra years added and extended to smooth it out.
Normally I'd agree to you it's a done deal. But because of this contract it's complicated and I reckon it's unlikely there will be a compromise that's good enough to solve it (but I could be wrong).

Except Oliver from a pay perspective.

Art of the Deal says....Cats hold all the leverage
Successful club now and building future success.
Cats don't need Oliver, but he is welcome to come.
Oliver is unhappy at Melbourne... ie: lack of success
If he wants the money he should stay at Demons.
He may earn more at another club but
Have pressure to perform and have no success

Melbourne want to save face for their bad deal
What they say publicly and do privately, differ
Can force him to stay but can't make him play..
An unhappy player is a cancer / free up cap.
Will make a deal to make this matter go away.

 

[Turbocat]

He was more than good Turbocat:.... the guy was a out and out champion and you could guarantee with those high profile interstate games where there was so many outstanding players from all around Australia playing in those games, that Robert Flower for the 'BIG V' would invariably be in the top 3 players on the ground, he was that 'good' and furthermore I just loved to watch him play as I reckon Robbie was the most balanced and graceful footballer I've seen play!

Lets not quibble about adjectives etc. Robbie Flower was a HOF quality player of a rare quality ..who would be a star today … I feel one should be careful optimistic comparisons to this level player with someone not even drafted. If he gets to Dempsey level id bet most would be very happy. Im just glad he looks draftable if continues to play and progress.