Rumour Speculation, Rumours, Lies Thread 2025 - Part 2

[Fud#3]

Based on player movements I would think that Brisbane, Sydney, Saints should be big risers.

Collingwood surely start ageing out soon, staggered they did not trade anyone in. Forward line seems quite thin also, struggle to see where they get their goals from.

If Adelaide are rolling with Berry as a key component of the midfield, we are in strife. He is depth at best, no offensive weapons.

We rolled with Berry as a key component of the midfield for most of last year...

 

[Slim258]

We rolled with Berry as a key component of the midfield for most of last year...

This is Sid's spot and he needs to make it his very early in the season this year.

 

[fuic08]

Based on player movements I would think that Brisbane, Sydney, Saints should be big risers.

Collingwood surely start ageing out soon, staggered they did not trade anyone in. Forward line seems quite thin also, struggle to see where they get their goals from.

If Adelaide are rolling with Berry as a key component of the midfield, we are in strife. He is depth at best, no offensive weapons.

Forward line even thinner with no Mihocek

 

[Crow till I die]

This is Sid's spot and he needs to make it his very early in the season this year.

That means day 1 preseason in my eye

 

[Slim258]

That means day 1 preseason in my eye

Its hard to argue, but there's a high chance Nick's will just run it back to what we had last year expecting a different result.
There is no doubt in my mind that Sid will win most of the running in preseason, so lets just hope they see it.

 

[BRL121]

Not "of the Jungle" George?

Yes: he pulls them by the hair.

 

[Crow till I die]

Its hard to argue, but there's a high chance Nick's will just run it back to what we had last year expecting a different result.
There is no doubt in my mind that Sid will win most of the running in preseason, so lets just hope they see it.

The other big difference will be that Sid should be good to go day 1 preseason and have a full preseason (barring injury) as opposed to last preseason where he was held back and managed. I would expect we will see a different Sid round 1 next year

 

[Cromulant]

My initial ladder prediction I think I had us 8-10, can’t remember exactly but then I did the ladder predictor. Based on our draw I had us 3rd.

I think we have a very talented list, midfield is our weakness and unfortunately we realised how much so in the finals. Soligo hasn’t come on as hoped, hopefully he does next year because we need him to get to an A grader given our lack of recruitment.

As for our coaching staff, I expected even with the Nicks handbrake, our list and talent would elevate us. I expressed on more than one occasion I was concerned Nicks would **** it up in the finals and he did. I was also concerned that some of our wins exposed glaring issues and we were lucky in some of them. I was labelled negative, unable to enjoy winning and the least deserving person to enjoy a premiership. That flog isn’t around anymore to share his opinion post our capitulation.

So am I negative for thinking we might come back a bit, possibly, but it’s a clear possibility and not one I think is locked in, but a lot is going to have to go right for us to get close to 2025 and unfortunately we’ve seen how far Brisbane are ahead of the competition and that was before their recruits.

I wouldnt say negative at all, I think we'll slide back next year to where I thought we'd finish this year.

Maybe 5th or 6th and win a final.

 

[Scorpus]

I think people are putting too much weight into our finals capitulation and failure to address our midfield.

This is a team that only lost 5 games for the year in the H&A. Won more games than any other team.

Beat Brisbane, Collingwood, Hawks, GWS, Gold Coast and WB with our terrible midfield. Yes we’re lucky to win a few of them but we were also unlucky to lose the Hawks and GC away. Could have just as easily been 20-3 season.

We took a lot scalps we haven’t been able to do for close to a decade.

I do this minor premier was the worst thing that could have happened. It was there for the taking, and with not playing finals in 7 years, the team went flat out. Can’t blame the coaching panel for that. Add in the Rankine drama and the team were spent by the time finals came around.

They’ll be better placed next year and will be happy to lose a few for the bigger picture. 4th or 3rd should be the target instead of outright first.

We’ll add Ah Chee without losing anyone of note. We lost Rankine for finals, Rachele for most of the year. We got nothing out of our pick 3 midfielder (understandably).

Meanwhile the teams around us other than Brisbane and Gold Coast stood still. WB still don’t have a key defender (worse than us not getting a midfielder IMO), Geelong still no ruck man and Hawks no midfield depth.

While we need to find a replacement for Berry (maybe Draper or Dowling) the team isn’t far off it.

It’s not all doom and gloom and expect the team to be around the mark again for 2026.

The biggest thing for us is injuries. We had no significant injuries in 2025. By the time Rachele got injured in round 18 we were sitting 12-5 for the season

We basically had our entire best 22 available for the entire year

In 2026 we need to cop no injuries to our midfield to make finals. Just one injury to that part of the ground and we're going to the well of Berry and Dowling. There's not much beneath that.

 

[Gtowncrow]

And leave us with no 2026 1st pick to chase free agents or top end proven talent. Put the 2nd we put on the table for Ah Chee or even the 2027 2nd but no 1sts please

Yep.

I'm even inclined to trade out of 16 this year for a future first from a struggling team who want to rebuild now.

That gives us two first rounders next year to fishing with.

Can we trust 'organic growth for just one year?

Unless we have a definable target this year, 16 is a speculative pick and probably won't change anything next year anyway. Next year is the year to sell the farm. Bailey as FA regardless of the dollars and two first rounders to get a proven midfielder.

Next year is 'all in' for our rebuild.

 

[Thrillthorpe7]

The biggest thing for us is injuries. We had no significant injuries in 2025. By the time Rachele got injured in round 18 we were sitting 12-5 for the season

We basically had our entire best 22 available for the entire year

In 2026 we need to cop no injuries to our midfield to make finals. Just one injury to that part of the ground and we're going to the well of Berry and Dowling. There's not much beneath that.

Brisbane winning the flag with their injury list is not the norm and quite rare. It’s extremely hard for any team to compete if they miss key players for chunks of a season. They also struck gold with the Ashcroft’s in years they make GFs, not really a luxury many teams get and was certainly a major factor in them covering injuries to players like Neale.

I understand you’re more of a glass half empty person, but our depth isn’t that bad. Ah Chee coming in certainly strengthens that depth profile.

 

[Scorpus]

Brisbane winning the flag with their injury list is not the norm and quite rare. It’s extremely hard for any team to compete if they miss key players for chunks of a season.

I understand you’re more of a glass half empty person, but our depth isn’t that bad. Ah Chee coming in certainly strengthens that depth profile.

I don't necessarily mean key players, we will struggle with any injuries outside of defense. Ah Chee is a best 22 player too.

This is our depth outside defense from most to least experienced (I'm assuming Draper plays AFL)

Jones (if he plays midfield)
Sholl
Berry
Pedlar (assuming he's not in the AFL side)
Nankervis (on the wing)
Cook
Taylor
Dowling
Maley
McAndrew
Edwards (if we move him back to the midfield)
Welsh
T. Murray
(Draft picks)

Our depth mostly consists of failed AFL players with little coming up in the way of draftees, and there aren't many "pushed out of AFL due to quality" types. We're not the final product yet and that's shown in our depth.

I can't see us covering for a Hayden Young type injury that Fremantle copped but still made finals with 16 wins

 

[dylan123]

The biggest thing for us is injuries. We had no significant injuries in 2025. By the time Rachele got injured in round 18 we were sitting 12-5 for the season

We basically had our entire best 22 available for the entire year

In 2026 we need to cop no injuries to our midfield to make finals. Just one injury to that part of the ground and we're going to the well of Berry and Dowling. There's not much beneath that.

100% this.

Minimal injuries for the season and had a great draw.

Will be tougher next season, teams will have a better idea on how to play us. We haven't really addressed much in the trade period so we're banking on the development of our younger players surpassing that of other teams and anyone they've brought in.

Do think some of our young core should improve which hopefully holds us in a good position but other teams will be expecting similar.

 

[Syd Crow]

Yes: he pulls them by the hair.

who is George pulling? lol

 

[Scorpus]

100% this.

Minimal injuries for the season and had a great draw.

Will be tougher next season, teams will have a better idea on how to play us. We haven't really addressed much in the trade period so we're banking on the development of our younger players surpassing that of other teams and anyone they've brought in.

Do think some of our young core should improve which hopefully holds us in a good position but other teams will be expecting similar.

We basically have to develop players now that we've moved on experienced depth like Crouch, Smith, Murphy, Schoenberg and Burgess

Not sure if some are underestimating the massive difference between some of our AFL players and our depth

For example, the fall off from Curtin to Sholl (our next best winger) is enormous. I like Taylor and Pedlar but they are significant downgrades on Neal-Bullen or (now) Ah Chee. Berry is quite far beneath even Peatling in quality IMO.

Some also want Walker out of the 22 (including me) but the reality is the next best forward we have for that role will be far off what Walker provided in 2025. There is no depth player in our squad I'd be confident of getting 40 goals out of next year.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Brisbane winning the flag with their injury list is not the norm and quite rare. It’s extremely hard for any team to compete if they miss key players for chunks of a season. They also struck gold with the Ashcroft’s in years they make GFs, not really a luxury many teams get and was certainly a major factor in them covering injuries to players like Neale.

I understand you’re more of a glass half empty person, but our depth isn’t that bad. Ah Chee coming in certainly strengthens that depth profile.

Reckon your glass is so full you’re constantly making a mess

 

[Fud#3]

This is Sid's spot and he needs to make it his very early in the season this year.

It will be Curtin's spot, Sid to the wing.

 

[Slim258]

It will be Curtin's spot, Sid to the wing.

Spot in the 23, and agree

 

[Crow till I die]

Spot in the 23, and agree

Sorry,are you saying draper will take Curtin's spot in the 23?

 

[MarcusP2]

Sorry,are you saying draper will take Curtin's spot in the 23?

Curtin takes Berry's midfield spot, Draper takes Curtin's wing spot, Berry is out of the team.

 

[Eagleboy2011]

Curtin takes Berry's midfield spot, Draper takes Curtin's wing spot, Berry is out of the team.

Berry is still in the best 23 imho atm.

 

[SLOWNE]

I still cannot fathom why after an eternity of an awful midfield that NVB's job has never been questioned.

I know you need the cattle, but our group seems to be so tactically inept that opposition can literally tell you how they are going to beat us and then do it unencumbered.

Surely with Burgess off the books soft cap could've allowed us to aggressively target some great assistant coaches. Hombsch seems great, but Rahilly leaving has clearly hurt and Burns/NVB seem very much like yes men. The problem is that the man they say yes to is about as straight lines, unimaginative as you can get.

 

[Cromulant]

Berry is still in the best 23 imho atm.

Surely not after his end to the year.

 

[Eagleboy2011]

Surely not after his end to the year.

Had a few mates.

 

[Scorpus]

Surely not after his end to the year.

His effort on Newcombe was as "papers stamped" as you'll ever see