Rumour Speculation, Rumours, Lies Thread 2026 - Part 2

[Soggy2112]

Keays has been nothing but an absolutely fantastic pick up by the club, and that's both on field and off field.The more people on this board put down his performances since we picked him up for nought the sillier they look.

Two things can be true. Keays has been a great pick up for us, and the Lions haven’t really missed him, nor would they regret letting him go.

 

[Danger in Texas]

reville can certainly play footy. i would choose him over keays with his dash, dare and kicking skills.also more a hbf. marshall only 2 years into his career will very likely better keays

i am not convinced keays would have played in any of their gfs - esp with no injuries. cc, rayner, bailey, lohmann, mccarthy all are better players

not disagreeing with supporters thoughts on him. he seems a great guy. but this is pretty irrelevant to his football value

Keays is currently better than Reville and Marshall, don’t twist the subject (fair that Reville plays a different position, though)

Lots of projection here, and a lot of recency bias with Keays’ average form this year so far (up until last week, at least)

2023-25 HF Keays would absolutely have played in Brissy’s GF teams, I still can’t believe how much our fanbase under-appreciates him tbh

 

[119others]

Lots of projection here, and a lot of recency bias with Keays’ average form this year so far (up until last week, at least)

2023-25 HF Keays would absolutely have played in Brissy’s GF teams, I still can’t believe how much our fanbase under-appreciates him tbh

hang on, what am i projecting? I havent bagged Keays out at all. He has had a very good few years overall which is what i am basing my comments on (rather than his ordinary form so far in 2026)

I am just saying watching the Lions home games for the last 4 years that ALL of:

• Cameron
• Rayner
• Bailey
• Lohmann

are clearly better than Keays imo. Keays replaces none of them in a GF side, surely you agree?

- Mc Carthy is more debateable and clearly been very injured but at his best is better than Keays

Again I am not bagging out Keays as he has extracted EVERY last drop of ability out which is commendable. He seems like a great role model, mentor and leader etc. Its just on pure footballing ability his doesnt compare favourably to the Lions top 4 (or 5) above.

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

havent we got the competitions best small forwards, or close to, collectively?

we're trying to turn our two best small forwards into mids, the rest are are role players but generally not very damaging goal kickers

 

[Danger in Texas]

- Mc Carthy is more debateable and clearly been very injured but at his best is better than Keays

No, just no

I agree about the others, but good teams make room for good players

Again I am not bagging out Keays as he has extracted EVERY last drop of ability out which is commendable. He seems like a great role model, mentor and leader etc. Its just on pure footballing ability his doesnt compare favourably to the Lions top 4 (or 5) above.

I do agree the Lions aren’t losing sleep over him, especially given they are a dual premiership side

But he’d have improved their premiership teams

 

[Blurter]

Rob out for Neale in where do we sign?

I'd swap ROB for Cowboy Neale, even though his fitness has declined markedly since he passed away in 2023.

 

[GreyCrow]

we're trying to turn our two best small forwards into mids, the rest are are role players but generally not very damaging goal kickers

I'd like u to turn our 2 best mids into - wait for it - mids

 

[jackster83]

Much like we don't care at all about letting Dudley go. We had others we wanted to invest in.

At the time our small forwards were McHenry and Murphy...

 

[Cromulant]

At the time our small forwards were McHenry and Murphy...

Rankine and Rachele ??

 

[Mutineer]

At the time our small forwards were McHenry and Murphy...

So we should have drafted Dudley in 2021 ahead of Josh Rachele, Jake Soligo and Zac Taylor?

Dudley was eligible for the 2021 draft but was overlooked in both the National and Rookie drafts in 2021/22/23/24 by all 18 AFL clubs not to mention the corresponding Mid Season Drafts in 2022/23/24 before being given a SSP opportunity with Freo in 2025. Ain't hindsight a wonderful thing hey.

 

[Velvet George]

So we should have drafted Dudley in 2021 ahead of Josh Rachele, Jake Soligo and Zac Taylor?

Dudley was eligible for the 2021 draft but was overlooked in both the National and Rookie drafts in 2021/22/23/24 by all 18 AFL clubs not to mention the corresponding Mid Season Drafts in 2022/23/24 before being given a SSP opportunity with Freo in 2025. Ain't hindsight a wonderful thing hey.

It is if you continue to use it as a poxy excuse

 

[1990crow]

So we should have drafted Dudley in 2021 ahead of Josh Rachele, Jake Soligo and Zac Taylor?

Dudley was eligible for the 2021 draft but was overlooked in both the National and Rookie drafts in 2021/22/23/24 by all 18 AFL clubs not to mention the corresponding Mid Season Drafts in 2022/23/24 before being given a SSP opportunity with Freo in 2025. Ain't hindsight a wonderful thing hey.

Acknowledging Dudley's form for Fremantle is good for them, there's still major limitations to his game that doesn't convince me he's necessarily a long term AFL player.

 

[Slim258]

Acknowledging Dudley's form for Fremantle is good for them, there's still major limitations to his game that doesn't convince me he's necessarily a long term AFL player.

He's just a better version of Jimmy Rowe

 

[Daniel6]

He's just a better version of Jimmy Rowe

Na, the only attribute Dudley has over Jimmy Rowe is his leg speed.

If James Rowe had AFL level leg speed, he would still be on an AFL list.

 

[Soggy2112]

Na, the only attribute Dudley has over Jimmy Rowe is his leg speed.

If James Rowe had AFL level leg speed, he would still be on an AFL list.

How fast you can run is one of the most important attributes in footy. Dudley being faster is part of what makes him a significantly better player.

 

[Daniel6]

How fast you can run is one of the most important attributes in footy. Dudley being faster is part of what makes him a significantly better player.

Sadly, I agree.

The modern game has changed and basically eliminated some player who don’t have that leg speed.

I don’t thing Greg Williams, Andrew Jarman, Gary McIntosh, Paul Kelly, and many more would have the same career in modern day footy.

 

[Soggy2112]

Sadly, I agree.

The modern game has changed and basically eliminated some player who don’t have that leg speed.

I don’t thing Greg Williams, Andrew Jarman, Gary McIntosh, Paul Kelly, and many more would have the same career in modern day footy.

I don’t think this is true. Speed has always been hugely important in footy.

There have, and continue to be guys who can make up for it though with their skills and smarts.

A player like Pendlebury is the perfect example. He’s actually quite slow, but he makes up for it by reading the play that much quicker then everyone else.

I once played a C grade game against Garry McIntosh when he would have been about 55, even at that age when he’d obviously slowed down, he still was able to get to the exact right spot and burst out in to space a number of times, simply because he was clean and could read the game 10x quicker than us plebs.

The four names you mention would absolutely be successful today. Jimmy Rowe just wasn’t on that level.

 

[Daniel6]

I don’t think this is true. Speed has always been hugely important in footy.

There have, and continue to be guys who can make up for it though with their skills and smarts.

A player like Pendlebury is the perfect example. He’s actually quite slow, but he makes up for it by reading the play that much quicker then everyone else.

I once played a C grade game against Garry McIntosh when he would have been about 55, even at that age when he’d obviously slowed down, he still was able to get to the exact right spot and burst out in to space a number of times, simply because he was clean and could read the game 10x quicker than us plebs.

The four names you mention would absolutely be successful today. Jimmy Rowe just wasn’t on that level.

Around the year 2000, AFL scouts started moving from drafting highly skilled players who could kick, mark and understand the game play better than others, but over the past 25 years they are moving towards athletic player who can run, jump and already showing how strong they are and then get taught how to build that skill level.

Jimmy has the skill level, he just didn’t have that athleticism required. Guess we just have to agree to disagree on this topic.

 

[GreyCrow]

Around the year 2000, AFL scouts started moving from drafting highly skilled players who could kick, mark and understand the game play better than others, but over the past 25 years they are moving towards athletic player who can run, jump and already showing how strong they are and then get taught how to build that skill level.

And that's how children Reilly O'Brien got 13 years in football

 

[Daniel6]

And that's how children Reilly O'Brien got 13 years in football

I was actually thinking about Brett Burton, but your suggestion is spot on as well.

 

[Doctor B]

I heard Mark Williams in an interview recently, saying that he's long argued with recruiters that if a kid can't kick, can't run or doesn't have high footy IQ, then don't bother recruiting them.

 

[Mostyn]

We will end up paying some of his contract, no one would want him for the very reasons we don’t want him.

A parting turd from Reidy.

Depends what he's on. Assuming he didn't get a payrise - and why should he? - then it's $550k or so.

That's not a terrible deal for a back up mature ruckman. It would make a lot of sense for a few clubs, like the Western Bulldogs. Though yeah, we're still probably covering some of it.

 

[Daniel6]

We will end up paying some of his contract, no one would want him for the very reasons we don’t want him.

A parting turd from Reidy.

Unless we just go the full salary dump for pick 100.

They get him for free but pay his entire salary.

 

[Mostyn]

How is he going now?

It's almost as though we should have an entire team that oversees talent identification. He was a free kick and we let him go. Why? Is it because we think all small forwards should actually play as small defenders and ignore the ability to kick goals?
I think it's an issue we have.

He's going okay, nothing spectacular.

No one wanted him in his draft year. Anyone could have had him, including us.

 

[Mostyn]

hang on, what am i projecting? I havent bagged Keays out at all. He has had a very good few years overall which is what i am basing my comments on (rather than his ordinary form so far in 2026)

I am just saying watching the Lions home games for the last 4 years that ALL of:

• Cameron
• Rayner
• Bailey
• Lohmann

are clearly better than Keays imo. Keays replaces none of them in a GF side, surely you agree?

- Mc Carthy is more debateable and clearly been very injured but at his best is better than Keays

Again I am not bagging out Keays as he has extracted EVERY last drop of ability out which is commendable. He seems like a great role model, mentor and leader etc. Its just on pure footballing ability his doesnt compare favourably to the Lions top 4 (or 5) above.

He'd play before Lohmann, Reville, McCarthy, Marshall and maybe a couple of others.