Rumour GFC 2025 Player Trading, Drafting FA, Rumours and Wish lists Pt 3

[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

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Since 2022, GCS have had 9 picks ( 1/2 a starting 18) in the Top 18 picks overall.

We have had 2.

GCS made a semi final last year and got 4 picks inside 18 this year....

This is the AFL's version of equalisation lol...

GO Catters

This is the AFL’s version of trying to make more $$ by having non AFL state sides successful at all costs

 

[CatToTheFuture]

L

To be totally fair, they traded out Lukosious and one of their firsts last year for 2 X F1s this year. Then did some very good work amassing a big bunch of second and third rounders as part of the Petracca deal and trading out some borderline 22 players. There was a very clear and deliberate stocking up on this draft.

They've definitely been given a leg up, but they've also matured enormously around trading and have done some excellent deals themselves.

They've definitely matured a fair bit but that leg up is wild

Flanders > Petracca
Lukosius > JUH
Borderline delistings > 4x first round selections inc 2x in the top 5

 

[Mac Chappy]

The knock is that he's too slow and can't/won't do defensive running.

Cheers.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Ok…i am a bit bored so thought I would be a bit controversial. Probably will regret it given the (probably fair) responses I will get but hey…

Are we better in 2026 than past couple of years…


Argument for:

Young stars could improve again…max still got work on his kicking, what if Dempsey jumps again…Same for COS…Clarke breakout?…Humprhies just getting going…Mullen could learn the game more and change role to use his pace and actually pretty solid skills…Neale could explode…Knevitte time to push hard for best 23?

Our “mid age” players are at their peak…and they are pretty good….Guthrie, Miers, Manner, Stengle, Close, J Henry

“New Recruits” could really push the team hard in terms of depth…Worpel adds something a bit different as does what I call new recruits in Bruhn and maybe cheekily Ollie Henry. If all 3 are best 23 then we have probably got better given 2 of them are early picks and the other a best and fairest - they can play. Kolo could also add something great to the backline.

Argument Against.

“Second year blues”…for Lawson and COS. Second year blues are real (even though it didn’t happen for Dempsey after his break out)…see SDK. Could get those blues for Baz too?

Older players peer over the cliff. We saw what we were like in the GF without good games from stewart, Jezza (both had good reasons to be fair!) and Danger and Blitz. If those players go into decline, or are in an out with injury like 2023, then we will have a patchy year

Draw is tough…although ours usually is given where we end up

Other teams are ready to really push the top 4…Gold Coast, Freo have the list profile to push up…Brisbane look great again…Bulldogs and Sydney surely will be much better…


On Balance…I still think we push hard for that top 4. I am bullish about our mid age players being consistent every week and think we have some special young players who will again be much better (Dempsey, COS, Neale, Mullen in particular). Baz and Max will dominate again with Bruhn/Worpel and maybe Clarke/Knevitte adding something different…and I think Danger will play his grear dozen games and Stewart and Blitz remain consistently good…

The confidence comes from the dread that I have to participate in the “best 23 for 2026” when a moderator opens that thread on BF - it will be very very hard. We genuinely have 30+ AFL high level players.

BUT….

I am wondering whether the best thing for the club over the next decade would be if we had a poor 2026. Not deliberately (that is not who we are) but an unluckily 2023 version. Where injuries to our stars, and a tough draw, just meant we were behind the eight ball the whole year before falling out. And we got pick 7 (8) whilst giving some of the younger ones a game.

For 2026 of course the major benefit of a pick 7 (and belief from opposition that maybe we have fallen off the cliff) would be change to get Butters. If we end up in top 4 again I can’t see how we have any chance of convincing people to value our future first rounders…

Of course the big counter argument to this (other than a frustrating year for us supporters - having that Essendon feel for 12 months again) is that we waste precious years of Danger, Blitz, Stewart and even Jezza…

The other point of course is with wildcard it is really hard to see us not being in the finals mix even if we have a bad year.

If we don’t have a great 2026, due to some injuries or bad luck like 2023, and that facilitates a Butters trade we will end up being top 4 7 of the following 10 years!

If I'm 1000% honest, I'm expecting something like a 10th place finish next year - although I'm aware I always tend to lean negative before we've seen anything of the pre-season, barring recruiting someone like Danger/Jez where the excitement is palpable.

To be clear though, I'm similar to you in that it doesn't worry me long term if it does happen.

I believe the list is in much better shape in terms of age and quality than it has been in over 15 years, and while I'd much prefer Butters, an early pick in a better draft is fine by me to add to this new core that we've built.

I'd see our 'dip' more like Sydney's in 2023 before another spike in 2024, or dare I say it, '06 (just kidding...well...sort of).

Similar to CatToTheFuture, I think we're up against a lot. The history of being runners up, and being 'the hunted' without the cup to show for it. Brisbane are a juggernaut, and the Suns are quickly becoming one.

Our draw is ridiculous, and our depth is just so young. I rate many of them, but expecting them to be suitable replacements in 2026 for a contending team is fanciful on what we know right now IMO.

I love the look of Barker and Holmes and I'm glad we took them, but they're classic examples in that we're highly unlikely to get anything significant out of them in 2026. It's '27 and beyond that the excitement will build.

It's funny really, all I really want to see in '26 is Holmes and Baz continue keeping on, Neale, Lawson, COS, and Dempsey take another leap, Worps and Bruhn to add something, and someone like Hofmann, Polkinghorne, Edwards, or Molier to really show their quality at AFL level. I wouldn't be against Ollie Henry pulling his finger out either.

The irony in that statement is if all of that happens, we probably do have a great year - but I wouldn't mind if they were mutually exclusive events if that makes sense.

TLDR: Expecting a dip, but not worried about the long-term future of the list.

 

[dudusmaximus]

Has Turbocat been online lately? Haven't heard from him in a while and he's normally active on this thread. One of the quality, polite posters on this board. Hope he's ok.

Bump.. Anyone know Turbocat IRL? Hope he is ok.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Anywhere to watch rookie draft

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Anywhere to watch rookie draft

Afl app on your phone

 

[dudusmaximus]

Anywhere to watch rookie draft

www.afl.com.au/draft/draft-mini-player?mediaType=video

 

[Tony Barber]

Not that close huh? Don't worry, I'd guess he's not expecting a Christmas present this year.

No I dont talk to both dickheads.
But I could apply it to a best mate also. I wouldn't stay because of him.

 

[D BRIDGE]

It’s wild Brisbane have so much going for them, that they could afford to let Ah Chee go and get absolutely zero in return.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

I haven't rated Greeves all year, but the kid must have interviewed like he was Dexter, or had some leaked emails including Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.

Unheard of that a player that was nudging top 5 in July misses the draft entirely.

The closest you get is guys like Emerson Jeka, and that's when they're rated 4th in January. Still a long way to go from there. Rodriguez is similar in that regard.

 

[Tony Barber]

Anywhere to watch rookie draft

As far as I know there's no viewing.
All clubs pick their players remotely.

 

[D BRIDGE]

I haven't rated Greeves all year, but the kid must have interviewed like he was Dexter, or had some leaked emails including Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.

Unheard of that a player that was nudging top 5 in July misses the draft entirely.

The closest you get is guys like Emerson Jeka, and that's when they're rated 4th in January. Still a long way to go.

I looked at his highlights once to see what the fuss was about.

Instantly didnt rate him one bit.

Will be stiff to get spoken about so much to be completely undrafted though.

 

[Tony Barber]

I haven't rated Greeves all year, but the kid must have interviewed like he was Dexter, or had some leaked emails including Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.

Unheard of that a player that was nudging top 5 in July misses the draft entirely.

The closest you get is guys like Emerson Jeka, and that's when they're rated 4th in January. Still a long way to go from there. Rodriguez is similar in that regard.

Yeah something isn't right.
Co-captain. MVP 2025.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

I looked at his highlights once to see what the fuss was about.

Instantly didnt rate him one bit.

Will be stiff to get spoken about so much to be completely undrafted though.

My thoughts exactly. Never saw anything exciting, particularly for what Chris Scott values.

Thought he would at least get picked up in the 50s or so though. Hawks get him now.

 

[thegerman]

Driscoll is not a bad late pick

 

[geelong_crazy26]

I’m confused, we didn’t select mellor??

 

[Kobe Gryant]

I’m confused, we didn’t select mellor??

Already been pre-listed. We did it after last night.

It's why most of us didn't want to take him at 40 (33). If he got through, he was ours.

 

[thegerman]

I’m confused, we didn’t select mellor??

Yes. Cat B rookie

 

[Brewskies]

I’m confused, we didn’t select mellor??

He can be put on as a Cat B automatically before the draft happened. Didn't have to select him

 

[fpm84]

I’m confused, we didn’t select mellor??

 

[BennyGan]

Rookie Me/Draft Central write up on our pick

 

[Lana]

Driscoll is not a bad late pick

I think there has been zero discussion on him on Bigfooty. Can you describe him a bit

 

[Footy Smarts]

Anyone know anything about Nick Driscoll?

Ridiculous that the AFL spends 5 minutes per pick in the regular draft and the afl app can't even give you a list of players taken in the rookie draft.

 

[Footy Smarts]

I think there has been zero discussion on him on Bigfooty. Can you describe him a bit

Classic Wells!