Rumour GFC 2026 Player Trading, Drafting FA, Rumours and Wish lists Pt 1

[thejester]

The thing that stood out for me with Barker's video highlights was that he constantly hit targets. (Mind you, they are only highlights).
That is the thing with Hawthorn, particularly in their successful years, they draft players who kick well. They often draft left footers, but they have to be able to kick the footy accurately.

Think Footy Stuff shows every touch, so you see the good with the bad. Barker just hits a lot of targets, and thing that stands out here is how calm he is even under pretty intense pressure. Good pick up IMO.

 

[thejester]

Also as an aside - fairly representative of the post-COVID AFL that we still have the two night bullshit draft full of 'yeah nah' interviews that everyone hates, but they don't do highlight videos of the draftees - surely the way most supporters interact with the whole process.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

My issue with our pick isn't the kid himself or his ability. It's drafting in a player to spend a year in rehab.

If he manages to rehab his knee in an expected timeline, he MIGHT get a look at a game in the VFL late season (but I expect the club will put him in cotton wool).

He then has to get through the 2027 preseason without injury, and play some VFL that year.

If he manages that and keeps his spot on the list, at best he gets a look at AFL level in 2028 as a fringe player. Everything would need to go above expectations for that to happen, so I'd suggest more likely 2029, if at all.

I think we have some holes to fill before that with player retirements which we'll do through trade period, so he may be overlooked in that scenario also.

Time will tell I guess

1st round kids get 3 years noe so he's here for 28 anyway

 

[fpm84]

Happy Hunter Holmes Day, everyone!

 

[Lana]

Also as an aside - fairly representative of the post-COVID AFL that we still have the two night bullshit draft full of 'yeah nah' interviews that everyone hates, but they don't do highlight videos of the draftees - surely the way most supporters interact with the whole process.

That would take a lot of work

 

[BigCat1]

Hope we target one of the talented flankers still available.

The chance of key position players making it in the 30s and beyond is low (of course there have been plenty) but the vast majority are top 20 picks. We already have projects in Molier, Edwards and Pike.

Phillipou looks like a guy who in the right environment could take off. I love guys that can take contested marks like he does. You can literally play those types anywhere. There’s a bit of Enright/Zac Guthrie about him. We are also light for Half backs.

Shame we don’t have that 3rd pick for a Holmes. Bews and Whiltshite are very lucky lads. Reserve playing mature agers are marked men. Hoffman as well. As per most Geelong draftees injured most of the year but was underwhelming in the 5 games he played averaging less than 9 possessions.

 

[jnrburger]

1st round kids get 3 years noe so he's here for 28 anyway

Picks 1-20 get 3 years, everyone else gets 2.

 

[BigCat1]

Happy Hunter Holmes Day, everyone!

Holmes is interesting. Everyone says he is the same as Max at the same age which ishould be awesome and is scary to think about.

Max had almost zero games of footy and footage which made it nigh on impossible for anybody to have a decent discussion on him. Good or bad. There was basically half a school game of footage.

Hunter has put plenty of footy on tape and it’s been pretty blah. He barely hits a target. I’m not sure he remotely gets looked at without Max or the Holmes surname.

However you’d back wells in to know if he is at the same level as Max or whether that’s just AFL pre draft fluff. A Max Holmes if worthy of pick 1.

 

[bombersboy]

He'll be in full training about mid-late year.

He did the knee in July, so it wouldn't surprise me if we just wrapped him in cotton wool in terms of playing until 2027 to be honest, and just built him back up again physically over '26.

Given how well Bailey Smith came back from his ACL would it be worth the club giving him the responsibility of mentoring Harley through his rehab.

 

[PzBlinky]

Think Footy Stuff shows every touch, so you see the good with the bad. Barker just hits a lot of targets, and thing that stands out here is how calm he is even under pretty intense pressure. Good pick up IMO.

Yeah, his composure was what stood out for me. I saw a few mistakes in the highlight vids but they seemed to be just miscalculations or skill errors rather than panic or getting flustered. I know this comes with experience, but if he's already got that built in, will be a big advantage once he's fit and firing.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Not much reporting on night two predictions… isn’t there usually phantom night 2 predictions by now

 

[Sttew]

Think Footy Stuff shows every touch, so you see the good with the bad. Barker just hits a lot of targets, and thing that stands out here is how calm he is even under pretty intense pressure. Good pick up IMO.

He looks very poised and a natural. A lot to look forward to

 

[Warhorse]

Hope we target one of the talented flankers still available.

The chance of key position players making it in the 30s and beyond is low (of course there have been plenty) but the vast majority are top 20 picks. We already have projects in Molier, Edwards and Pike.

Phillipou looks like a guy who in the right environment could take off. I love guys that can take contested marks like he does. You can literally play those types anywhere. There’s a bit of Enright/Zac Guthrie about him. We are also light for Half backs.

Shame we don’t have that 3rd pick for a Holmes. Bews and Whiltshite are very lucky lads. Reserve playing mature agers are marked men. Hoffman as well. As per most Geelong draftees injured most of the year but was underwhelming in the 5 games he played averaging less than 9 possessions.

Hoffman was training the house down in the pre season and was likely to debut early before his injury

 

[#6 Thorp #7 Selwood LOL]

Sorry I have missed something, how did our pick 40 go to 33?

Steve Hocking used his old AFL House lanyard to sneak into the back room and swap the draft order on Dillzys laptop.

 

[Gee Class Loco]

Hoffman was training the house down in the pre season and was likely to debut early before his injury

Very True.
Another of the forgotten men.
Kolo... Bruhn... Hoffman... can we get a Conway?

 

[Catman]

Would love us to get Phillipou. Having that X-factor added to our midfield group is something we haven't really had since peak-PFD.

Same for H-H. Those traits he has are ones you can never have enough of.

Will probably miss out on both now!

 

[Warhorse]

Would love us to get Phillipou. Having that X-factor added to our midfield group is something we haven't really had since peak-PFD.

Same for H-H. Those traits he has are ones you can never have enough of.

Will probably miss out on both now!

I would of been happy with Phillipou at our first pick. Would be a dream at our 2nd

 

[year of the cat]

Ro

Would love us to get Phillipou. Having that X-factor added to our midfield group is something we haven't really had since peak-PFD.

Same for H-H. Those traits he has are ones you can never have enough of.

Will probably miss out on both now!

Those two or Rodriguez for me. Holmes if they are all gone.

 

[thejester]

That would take a lot of work

Work that they used to do (and that a bunch of unpaid amateurs still do).

 

[Sttew]

OK, so I don't normally get too involved in draft discussions as I admit I have no clue. But I'm hearing rumours that Tom Blamires has spoken to club and could be in Club's sights as next pick. Won VFL Rising Star medal 2025. Not sure if this name has come up previously.

 

[ninjahcat]

Hoffman was training the house down in the pre season and was likely to debut early before his injury

The wraps on this guy were really good, from the sound of him I was surprised to see the Saints let him slip through, here's hoping they rue that one!

 

[Kobe Gryant]

OK, so I don't normally get too involved in draft discussions as I admit I have no clue. But I'm hearing rumours that Tom Blamires has spoken to club and could be in Club's sights as next pick. Won VFL Rising Star medal 2025. Not sure if this name has come up previously.

Don't mind it. Probably just a smidge early, but that's the position we've put ourselves in list spots wise.

If we really want him and think he'll make it then I'm all for it. He won't last to pick 17 in the rookie draft, so we'll have to pull the trigger.

 

[dudusmaximus]

..
It would be even worse if a team had pick 20, used it to bid on a player with that bid matched meaning the matched player gets a 3yr deal, but the team who had pick 20 now has pick 21 and their selected player only gets a guaranteed 2yr deal
..

In other words, a great way to stick it to another team!

 

[year of the cat]

OK, so I don't normally get too involved in draft discussions as I admit I have no clue. But I'm hearing rumours that Tom Blamires has spoken to club and could be in Club's sights as next pick. Won VFL Rising Star medal 2025. Not sure if this name has come up previously.

Prefer others but I'm a "matureageist". Which is both hypocritical being the age I am and flawed seeing Tom Stewart and Mannagh have been fine additions to our list by being drafted from the VFL.

 

[cats_09]

In other words, a great way to stick it to another team!

It also seems to kinda stick it to the player you take - we like you enough to take you and would have taken you at pick 20, but by taking you at pick 21 instead we only need to offer you this 2 year deal