Rumour GFC 2025 Player Trading, Drafting FA, Rumours and Wish lists Pt 2

[cats_09]

2025 AFL Draft and Trade Dates:​

Fri Oct 3 - Fri Oct 10: 2025 Free Agency Period
Mon Oct 6 - Wed Oct 15: 2025 Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period
Wed Nov 19 - Thu Nov 20: 2025 Telstra AFL Draft

 

[Strange Cat]

Some observers making some strong statements on someone who I do not know at all ..so I have no idea if anyones insights are hammer on the nail or hammer on the thumb….

All I will say is generally some players can be very talented when young. Get away with their own flaws but at a higher level those flaw can get exposed. Especially at the higher the comp.. when it less its about one individual winning the game thru shear talent and more about team process and team d. Thats probably the case for 99% of player at afl level that they had to learn and add to what worked at a lower level.

What you describe Pure is something that may well be correct , no idea but that type of body language thing (imo) it hints to me a an over reliance on talent.

Its looks like its not going to work today ..type attitude.
He just beat me at my best strength ..so what do I do now ..confusion...

We have seen it for as long as there has been football that sometime super talented guys can go missing or have those days while sometime other less talented types of players seem to be capable of working thru it and are consistent.

Specifically for OH. Has he ever played on the backline. Has he ever had to learnt to play a different role? No idea. My guess is his forward play would probably be not to far from Hinkley when he was a forward. Just what is his 2k time like when PS training. Where in the pack of runners at the club is he? Yep maybe he is one of these guys who need that Mindstrength stuff. No idea on that. I always wonder about that..what happens if all 36 players on the ground have done the same training in it? Anyway...

Bottom line Id certainly try a few different roles before taking his name off our list Time will reveal what it will.

Yeah you see this with the elite of the elite …when they get beaten they fall back on the fundamentals and try to take the player that is beating them out of the area of play at the very least

Something that should had been drilled into him imo in the early days of his development

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Crab Worpedo is becoming one of the apex predators of the sea again.

James 'The Kraken' Worpel.

Certainly beats James 'Useless Campaigner' Worpel.

 

[FootyLad0]

A lot of post history of people here bagging an injured Worpedo.
I believe “crab” and “useless campaigner” were terms used.

Now he’s healthy and playing his best footy come Finals time it seems to have gone very very quiet from those individuals,
ALMOST like Wells, Mackie and Scotty know what TF they are doing.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

A lot of post history of people here bagging an injured Worpedo.
I believe “crab” and “useless campaigner” were terms used.

Now he’s healthy and playing his best footy come Finals time it seems to have gone very very quiet from those individuals,
ALMOST like Wells, Mackie and Scotty know what TF they are doing.

I'm pro launching Worpedo but I probably think they're just sick of the back and forth. Their concerns aren't invalid.

I also am not sure I'd call this"back his best" either. It's an improvement, but it's still not ideal and I can understand the criticism

 

[DanA]

I'm pro launching Worpedo but I probably think they're just sick of the back and forth. Their concerns aren't invalid.

I also am not sure I'd call this"back his best" either. It's an improvement, but it's still not ideal and I can understand the criticism

He’s not back to his best, No doubt he’s still suffering from loss of fitness from interruptions. I doubt he’s done much training between May-August and I don’t see how he gets that back without a solid pre-season.

This finals campaign I do think Worpel has demonstrated he can contribute meaningful to our side though.

 

[FootyLad0]

I'm pro launching Worpedo but I probably think they're just sick of the back and forth. Their concerns aren't invalid.

I also am not sure I'd call this"back his best" either. It's an improvement, but it's still not ideal and I can understand the criticism

Look i'm not even his biggest fan, but people massively jumped the gun to lay the boots in on a guy who was very clearly injured (not even just the reports just the eye test alone)
Obviously if the Cats list management team view him as a valuable contributor to add to our squad i see no reason why we wouldn't get on board?

Not everyone you pick up is gonna be an A+ superstar. Finding the right pieces that fit in a winning system can only help us, especially as a free hit.

I'm fine with people having concerns with players, people had concerns about us picking up Bazlenka that still exist now.
What I don't agree with is people shitting on players for no reason. At least have some evidence to back it up and i'll totally be on board to hear that POV.

 

[DanA]

Last year Atkins looked kind of average as he was plagued with a persistent groin injury. He only got the rest and fitness he needed back over summer and I think his 2025 has been phenomenal…probably his best season as a 29/30 year old though he was also fantastic throughout the finals campaign of our premiership season.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Last year Atkins looked kind of average as he was plagued with a persistent groin injury. He only got the rest and fitness he needed back over summer and I think his 2025 has been phenomenal…probably his best season as a 29/30 year old though he was also fantastic throughout the finals campaign of our premiership season.

Atkins is having a massive year

 

[thegerman]

Atkins is having a massive year

 

[Turbocat]

It will be interesting this week if Worpell plays well against us in the PF….

Id expect him to be focused and even more determined to make a good show of what he offers..

 

[iameviljez]

It will be interesting this week if Worpell plays well against us in the PF….

Id expect him to be focused and even more determined to make a good show of what he offers..

It's pretty normal nowadays, the only thing about it that is slightly strange is that it's a player from a top-four team that is heading out.

Tom Mitchell is the last person I can think of that left a really, really good side against the wishes of that side.

 

[Gee Class Loco]

My little Monday Titbit. Albeit late.
From what i am hearing and heard over the weekend from those with some insight in it.
We are in the box seat in acquiring Zak Butters

9

Zak Butters

Age

25

Ht

181cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.3

4star

K

7.7

3star

HB

6.7

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.8

3star

D

14.7

4star

K

8.9

4star

HB

5.9

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.1

3star

D

17.0

5star

K

9.0

4star

HB

8.0

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.6

4star

CL

0.6

3star

for the 2027 season..
Only need to add one thing to the contract.
Just the usual & most common stuff.... Yep, money.
Yes... Cash is STILL KING.
We tick all the boxes like Club, Location, Environment, Coaching staff and the important one... Lifestyle.
So... What we'd be wishing for?
Is a 4, 5 or 6 win season that sees Port at the bottom rung of the ladder.
That dammm R before the FA is a little bugbear unfortunately as we dont want to lose any draft capital.
Cheers Boys!!

 

[Cataholic]

My little Monday Titbit. Albeit late.
From what i am hearing and heard over the weekend from those with some insight in it.
We are in the box seat in acquiring Zak Butters for the 2027 season..
Only need to add one thing to the contract.
Just the usual & most common stuff.... Yep, money.
Yes... Cash is STILL KING.
We tick all the boxes like Club, Location, Environment, Coaching staff and the important one... Lifestyle.
So... What we'd be wishing for?
Is a 4, 5 or 6 win season that sees Port at the bottom rung of the ladder.
That dammm R before the FA is a little bugbear unfortunately as we dont want to lose any draft capital.
Cheers Boys!!

I think Jhye Clark 13 has some insight on this situation?

If so, does this correlate?

 

[Turbocat]

Did I hear on agenda setter tonight …. that Brisbane and Ess might work out a deal to ensure that the Dons get Band 1 comp for Draper… as long as they trade Ridley to them.. apparently Band one might be 1.2 or 1.3 this year


More and more I hate FA comp… Its just a situation open to rorting ..but this sound like draft manipulation to me

 

[D BRIDGE]

Did I hear on agenda setter tonight …. that Brisbane and Ess might work out a deal to ensure that the Dons get Band 1 comp for Draper… as long as they trade Ridley to them.. apparently Band one might be 1.2 or 1.3 this year


More and more I hate FA comp… Its just a situation open to rorting ..but this sound like draft manipulation to me

Yep, it's terrible.

No way in the world Draper should be getting Essendon T1 compo.

 

[Turbocat]

My little Monday Titbit. Albeit late.
From what i am hearing and heard over the weekend from those with some insight in it.
We are in the box seat in acquiring Zak Butters for the 2027 season..
Only need to add one thing to the contract.
Just the usual & most common stuff.... Yep, money.
Yes... Cash is STILL KING.
We tick all the boxes like Club, Location, Environment, Coaching staff and the important one... Lifestyle.
So... What we'd be wishing for?
Is a 4, 5 or 6 win season that sees Port at the bottom rung of the ladder.
That dammm R before the FA is a little bugbear unfortunately as we dont want to lose any draft capital.
Cheers Boys!!

Gees If its just 1 as in 1 dollar ..I will just send 1 thing in myself...


I guess though its a 1 in front of whole heap of other numbers..


Be going to be hard to match some others clubs without busting our payment system

 

[cats_09]

Did I hear on agenda setter tonight …. that Brisbane and Ess might work out a deal to ensure that the Dons get Band 1 comp for Draper… as long as they trade Ridley to them.. apparently Band one might be 1.2 or 1.3 this year


More and more I hate FA comp… Its just a situation open to rorting ..but this sound like draft manipulation to me

A week or so ago they were talking about a $900k offer for Draper being enough to band 1 - curious what's changed

 

[Turbocat]

A week or so ago they were talking about a $900k offer for Draper being enough to band 1 - curious what's changed

I suspect that inflation of all the recent contracts….

… As we know the afl can really salt the meat any way they want to but ….

it has been previously understood by media reports on FA comp that band1 ..is calculated on. the top5% of all the players contracts in that fa group..

so if say 900 players in the afl and half of them are 25 and older .. so 450 player …. and 5% … roughly 23-25 players.

So with all the money being chucked around that 5% number has probably gone thru the roof.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Did I hear on agenda setter tonight …. that Brisbane and Ess might work out a deal to ensure that the Dons get Band 1 comp for Draper… as long as they trade Ridley to them.. apparently Band one might be 1.2 or 1.3 this year


More and more I hate FA comp… Its just a situation open to rorting ..but this sound like draft manipulation to me

Brisbane can't afford to trade their r1 and still match annable and ess would want to see how ridley goes under a better S & C team. He wont get traded this year imo.

 

[thegerman]

My little Monday Titbit. Albeit late.
From what i am hearing and heard over the weekend from those with some insight in it.
We are in the box seat in acquiring Zak Butters for the 2027 season..
Only need to add one thing to the contract.
Just the usual & most common stuff.... Yep, money.
Yes... Cash is STILL KING.
We tick all the boxes like Club, Location, Environment, Coaching staff and the important one... Lifestyle.
So... What we'd be wishing for?
Is a 4, 5 or 6 win season that sees Port at the bottom rung of the ladder.
That dammm R before the FA is a little bugbear unfortunately as we dont want to lose any draft capital.
Cheers Boys!!

 

[thegerman]

I think Jhye Clark 13 has some insight on this situation?

If so, does this correlate?

 

[dazbroncos]

Pretty sure the last 3 months post regarding Butters have all been $$ centric.

And we don’t break the bank to do that.

So I’d suggest it’s a stretch at this out given the same issues is being mentioned by the ITK types

Go Catters

 

[goyoucatters]

My little Monday Titbit. Albeit late.
From what i am hearing and heard over the weekend from those with some insight in it.
We are in the box seat in acquiring Zak Butters for the 2027 season..
Only need to add one thing to the contract.
Just the usual & most common stuff.... Yep, money.

It might only be one thing. But it's clearly the biggest thing. And we simply won't shred the way every other deal has been done in the history of our club to get him in.

So I still think he's long odds to end up in the hoops if we end up in anything like a bidding war for his services. If he doesn't really prefer us over others irrespective of the cashola, this deal is surely no chance of getting done.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

Watching AFL 360 last night, I saw the return of the arrogant side of Sam Mitchell, as he expressed annoyance that Geelong is always in the finals and people are growing tired of them. Then he said how he'd love Hawthorn to be the team to end that. Normally, he's quite measured and respectful when discussing opposing teams and players. However, I've seen this arrogance emerge a few times recently. Let's hope the Catters put him back in his box Friday night.

 

[Cataholic]

Watching AFL 360 last night, I saw the return of the arrogant side of Sam Mitchell, as he expressed annoyance that Geelong is always in the finals and people are growing tired of them. Then he said how he'd love Hawthorn to be the team to end that. Normally, he's quite measured and respectful when discussing opposing teams and players. However, I've seen this arrogance emerge a few times recently. Let's hope the Catters put him back in his box Friday night.

I've been expecting the 'unsociable Hawks' to make a return on Friday night.

This just strengthens my belief.