Strategy Trade and List Management Thread Part 8 (opposition supporters - READ posting rules before posting)

[_Mike_]

Opposition supporters coming to troll , you have been warned

 

[Zgope1]

The only thing holding as back from playing finals next year would be horrendous injury luck. We’ve just got too much talent. Teams like Adelaide, Collingwood, GWS and GC have dips in them.

Our internal drafting and development is pretty good and we’ve done well to retain the most important players although losing Dunkley still hurts it was now 3 seasons ago. Pressure will be on the club to become an actual destination clubs in the coming two seasons because if not we will probably get stuck in mediocrity. Building from the bottom must be avoided this time. We need to become more Geelong-like in remaining competitive. Our strategy is built to sustain better than the old man magpies strategy is.

 

[MaxiBont]

The only thing holding as back from playing finals next year would be horrendous injury luck. We’ve just got too much talent. Teams like Adelaide, Collingwood, GWS and GC have dips in them.

Our internal drafting and development is pretty good and we’ve done well to retain the most important players although losing Dunkley still hurts it was now 3 seasons ago. Pressure will be on the club to become an actual destination clubs in the coming two seasons because if not we will probably get stuck in mediocrity. Building from the bottom must be avoided this time. We need to become more Geelong-like in remaining competitive. Our strategy is built to sustain better than the old man magpies strategy is.

I think what’s holding us back from being competitive is having a defender that can play on the oppositions best forward.

Budarick was a smart get to play that small defender role but I’m really not confident that we have a key back that can play a lock down role.

I really rate JoD and Buss but think without someone who can play full-back to a decent level our ceiling is limited.

 

[scratchie]

Can someone actually name a defender they think we should have targeted? The only one I've seen mentioned is Tyler Young. What other KPDs are going to other clubs? Serong, Aleek??

We tried with Wilke, Silvagni, Butts and all said no. The market is very thin and we have had a crack at shaking one out.

Some are acting as we are sitting on our hands, clubs like North and Swans desperately need key backs as well and who are they getting in? Fact is there isn't a lot around this year.

I'm not comfortable with our KPD stocks next year but you can't be just getting anyone in just because. They have to be better then what we have.

Noah Balta - 25 years old - at a club 4-5 years from contending -

 

[NthBondiDoggies]

The only thing holding as back from playing finals next year would be horrendous injury luck. We’ve just got too much talent. Teams like Adelaide, Collingwood, GWS and GC have dips in them.

Our internal drafting and development is pretty good and we’ve done well to retain the most important players although losing Dunkley still hurts it was now 3 seasons ago. Pressure will be on the club to become an actual destination clubs in the coming two seasons because if not we will probably get stuck in mediocrity. Building from the bottom must be avoided this time. We need to become more Geelong-like in remaining competitive. Our strategy is built to sustain better than the old man magpies strategy is.

I agree there is considerable growth in our team:

Lest assume that Trelor, Lobb, JJ and even Libba drop off. Hopefully not as dramatic as Jones. This is 4 of our best 23 down say 10% / so let’s call that -40.

We lose Duryea but gain Buderick - so let’s cancel that out.

Naughton, Bont, Richards, Dale, Williams, Kennedy, Harmes and West are all in their prime and so barring injury we wouldn’t expect a change. So no points.

Then we have:

English (due to ruck rule change)
Weightman (rerun from injury)
Friejah
Sanders
Dolan
Hynes
JOD
Buss
Artie
Croft
Davidson
Cleary

Will all be highly likely to improve. So +120 points.

We lose JUH who didn’t play so no change. And likely Khamis but don’t know what we get for them so don’t know. Keep that as no points.

We add at least two (probably three) from the draft: let’s say Dovaston and Darcy rooky like Hok or Harley or Kobe? Never know how they work out but we draft well so let’s say 2/3 add something. So 20 points from draft.

Then we have Jacques, Gallagher, Smith, Sellwood, Walker - who we should get at least two adding to the team this year - so 20 points.

But also likely have VDM and McNeil value dropping so let’s say -20 points.

Total:

- 40
+120
+20
+20
-20

= 100+ way more likely to be better than worse next year.

And some of the improvers - Darcy, Croft, Friejah, Dolan, Hynes and JOD have shown top end talent but very high ceilings.

 

[NthBondiDoggies]

Correction - Hok next year NGA.

 

[A dog in Qld]

The thing that gives me laugh about with those who have such dogmatic opinions about trading ... is that they thiey think the club should consider their opinion ... the opinion
of basically an outsider.
Just enjoy your footy folks and work on the premise that we win some & we lose some!

 

[Smiley Boy]

Few people melting down in here.. it’s the weekend folks take a deep breaths step away from the keyboard and go outside there’s no trading this weekend

 

[BigFloppa]

The thing that gives me laugh about with those who have such dogmatic opinions about trading ... is that they thiey think the club should consider their opinion ... the opinion
of basically an outsider.
Just enjoy your footy folks and work on the premise that we win some & we lose some!

Close down this forum. No one outside the organisation is allowed to discuss the club.

 

[Beasley]

This thread does not make me happy.

Someone say something exciting

Better still ….. someone say something sensible!

 

[geoffjennings79]

Few people melting down in here.. it’s the weekend folks take a deep breaths step away from the keyboard and go outside there’s no trading this weekend

Good suggestion SB.

But I've heard that during trade period, Smiley Boy - like Sam Power, never sleeps!?

 

[Fossie 32]

 

[Doggies7]

Few people melting down in here.. it’s the weekend folks take a deep breaths step away from the keyboard and go outside there’s no trading this weekend

I refuse to touch grass until Power touches Butts

 

[redmania]

Long on rhetoric and short on solutions.

What, specifically, would you do differently?

No problem — here’s what should be done differently, in concrete terms:

1. Actively pursue players who improve the best 22

Not just depth or “upside” types — players who would start immediately in key areas of need. That means going beyond “asking the question” and actually structuring deals that get completed.

2. Be willing to trade out to trade in

You don’t improve a list by guarding every mid-tier player. Other clubs create movement by moving pieces — we hold and hope. List spots and currency should be used, not protected.

3. Use salary cap space as leverage

If you want to compete with clubs who have more pull, you need to make offers that force decisions. That doesn’t mean reckless overs — it means being assertive instead of conservative.

4. Stop treating free agency as a waiting game

Waiting a year or two for players to “maybe” leave their clubs is not a strategy. If there’s intent to land someone, start putting pressure on well before the contract expiry.

5. Combine drafting with targeted mature additions

Drafting well is only one pillar. Every contending list uses both internal development and external recruitment. Development should complement trades — not replace them.

So if someone’s asking “what would you do differently?” — it’s simple:

Be proactive, not hopeful.
Initiate deals, don’t just monitor them.
Back your list build with meaningful additions, not depth placeholders.
And treat improvement as urgent, not optional.

That’s not rhetoric — that’s execution.

 

[Mofra]

The thing that gives me laugh about with those who have such dogmatic opinions about trading ... is that they thiey think the club should consider their opinion ... the opinion
of basically an outsider.
Just enjoy your footy folks and work on the premise that we win some & we lose some!

Conversely, blindly believing the club gets it right 100% of the time and believing nobody should have a different opinion seems even more optimistic.

 

[TommyD13]

Given mid-season draftees can remain on the rookie list for 3.5 seasons, wnat is the rule regarding JOD?

Third year, but is he counted as having only served 2.5? Or the full 3? Will he need to be promoted or can he remain on rookie list for one more season?

 

[Mofra]

Good suggestion SB.

But I've heard that during trade period, Smiley Boy - like Sam Power, never sleeps!?

Nobody has seen Smiley Boy blink for 3 years

 

[doggie dog]

I’m currently in Copenhagen and the women here are next level beautiful. Like, 90%+ of them.

Not sure how this info will help you though.

I can confirm your analysis, Stockholm also has a similar % of beautiful women.
I even went into macca's to see if there were some average women .....nope good looking as well.

 

[Pencil case]

I'll bite.
Have a contingency plan for missing out on players?

We went for a 1% shot at Wilkie and a half hearted approach to Butts. Surely we knew Wilkie was extremely unlikely.

What’s the point of a contingency plan if apart from Wilkie, there are no available players that would be an upgrade?

Sure, we could do a St Kilda and bring in a bunch of C graders for the sake of it, but our list isn’t in a position where we need to do that.

Whether we all agree or not, that’s the point of view from our club’s list management team, so it makes sense why we’re “sitting on our hands”.

 

[MrChristo]

Conversely, blindly believing the club gets it right 100% of the time and believing nobody should have a different opinion seems even more optimistic.

As always, the answer is in the grey between.
Of course the Club is not right 100% of the time. No Club ever is.

But repeating the same name over and over and having mild tanties that we didn't try everything up to (and possibly involving) kidnapping the man without knowing any background conversions/mechanics isn't making or 2026 any more successful either.

Back up plans rely on players wanting to come to us.
We can't offer multiple 'overs', pick the one who agrees and turn our backs on the rest. Isn't that why we're all 'laughing' at St. Kilda?

Sometimes players get a better offer. Sometimes players motivations aren't 100% monetary.
Sometimes players weren't ever really seriously considered for one reason or another.

Meanwhile we'll all continue to discuss, speculate and be winners or losers in hindsight.

 

[Dogs Rule]

What’s the point of a contingency plan if apart from Wilkie, there are no available players that would be an upgrade?

Sure, we could do a St Kilda and bring in a bunch of C graders for the sake of it, but our list isn’t in a position where we need to do that.

Whether we all agree or not, that’s the point of view from our club’s list management team, so it makes sense why we’re “sitting on our hands”.

All I know is if and when Butters makes his decision it's going to one of two reactions from us...



Or...

 

[Mofra]

What’s the point of a contingency plan if apart from Wilkie, there are no available players that would be an upgrade?

We finished 9th. I dare say, we're overrating our list if we genuinely think there is only one gettable player in the entire trading period (Budarick) that improves us.

 

[Dogs Rule]

We finished 9th. I dare say, we're overrating our list if we genuinely think there is only one gettable player in the entire trading period (Budarick) that improves us.

Prime example are the actions of the two Grand Finalists since the final siren.

Added Draper and Allen and the other having a big crack at Curnow. They're the Grand Finalists...

We delude ourselves sometimes about how good we are and that includes the club itself.

 

[A dog in Qld]

Conversely, blindly believing the club gets it right 100% of the time and believing nobody should have a different opinion seems even more optimistic.

Funny response ... After following the club for well on 45 years I know that nothing I say will change any of the club's decisions.
That some are triggered by someone has such a laissez faire attitude is even more amusing.

 

[Mofra]

Funny response ... After following the club for well on 45 years I know that nothing I say will change any of the club's decisions.
That some are triggered by someone has such a laissez faire attitude is even more amusing.

This is a discussion forum. We are discussing the club.
Nobody is "triggered". You're welcome to spend your time elsewhere if discussing the club annoys you.

 

[BigFloppa]

No problem — here’s what should be done differently, in concrete terms:

1. Actively pursue players who improve the best 22

Not just depth or “upside” types — players who would start immediately in key areas of need. That means going beyond “asking the question” and actually structuring deals that get completed.

2. Be willing to trade out to trade in

You don’t improve a list by guarding every mid-tier player. Other clubs create movement by moving pieces — we hold and hope. List spots and currency should be used, not protected.

3. Use salary cap space as leverage

If you want to compete with clubs who have more pull, you need to make offers that force decisions. That doesn’t mean reckless overs — it means being assertive instead of conservative.

4. Stop treating free agency as a waiting game

Waiting a year or two for players to “maybe” leave their clubs is not a strategy. If there’s intent to land someone, start putting pressure on well before the contract expiry.

5. Combine drafting with targeted mature additions

Drafting well is only one pillar. Every contending list uses both internal development and external recruitment. Development should complement trades — not replace them.

So if someone’s asking “what would you do differently?” — it’s simple:

Be proactive, not hopeful.
Initiate deals, don’t just monitor them.
Back your list build with meaningful additions, not depth placeholders.
And treat improvement as urgent, not optional.

That’s not rhetoric — that’s execution.

Why does your writing style look so much like ChatGPT? All of this "it's not this - it's that" with em dashes everywhere.