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

 

[dogwatch]

I've seen quite a few comments that getting such-and-such a player (eg Budarick, Robertson) will only improve us by a very small amount. The implication being that to make any headway we need a big name signing like Butters or Wilkie.

I dispute that. (As desirable as a big name signing would be.)

We keep hearing through the year that our top end is great but our problem is the bottom six. If these smaller name trades and FAs improve us at the fringe wouldn't that go a long way to fixing this problem? Why turn our nose up at these types?

Also remember that all our nine losing games were by margins of between 6 and 22 points in 2025. You don't need your off-season trades to shift the dial much at all to go from 14 wins (9th) to say 17 wins. That's first or second place on the ladder.

The struggle for supremacy is seldom won by a single big import. It's typically by lots of little improvements in personnel, in training and conditioning, in tactics ... and in the natural improvement of the younger players exceeding the natural decline of the older ones.

 

[TiAn_]

Ainsworth isn’t a star but is definitely an upgrade on Vandermeer. He has more talent, he’s far more composed with the ball and way more natural around goals. If we can nab him I would do it.

 

[Mojorisin]

McNeil isn’t half the player Ainsworth is. Granted Ainsworth is no star but he’s a solid B grade half/small forward. McNeil is a C grader on a good day.

What would Ainsworth cost in a trade though? He is definitely a rung above Mcneil & VDM but I would rather those trade assets go somewhere that'd make a more noticeable difference.

 

[Freshwater]

The only 2 games we never looked like winning all season were v Hawks & Crows. Even the Crows game we were in it for longer, but always seemed to be a step behind. Hawks dominated us start to finish because we always let Newcombe go untouched.

Sure, it means we butchered far too many chances a professional team ever should, but only a few tweaks & personnel changes could easily flip the script.

I just hope we are looking to be bold, as every other contender looks like they will be aggressive where they can too.

Three games, we were never in the Freo game. OK first quarter but all over after that. After the result was assured goals at the end meant nothing.

 

[Dogs Rule]

So we're expecting Butters to nominate us on Monday?

 

[Munnez]

What would Ainsworth cost in a trade though? He is definitely a rung above Mcneil & VDM but I would rather those trade assets go somewhere that'd make a more noticeable difference.

Get your point about spending your draft capital wisely. We have to confront the unpalatable situation that there isn't a lot of KPD options on the table.

So might it be better to grab someone like an Ainsworth who is more composed ball in hand. Then there mightn't be as many turnovers to start the chains that expose our defensive structures.

Sometimes you just have to take what you can get on the proviso that it is going to improve the team. If there is nothing out there that you think will move the needle or the cost is too high. Then take the picks to the draft we have done pretty well on that front

 

[Munnez]

So we're expecting Butters to nominate us on Monday?

Have you heard something? Or just hoping he does?

 

[Doggy]

So we're expecting Butters to nominate us on Monday?

First Monday of trade period 2026

 

[Mojorisin]

Get your point about spending your draft capital wisely. We have to confront the unpalatable situation that there isn't a lot of KPD options on the table.

So might it be better to grab someone like an Ainsworth who is more composed ball in hand. Then there mightn't be as many turnovers to start the chains that expose our defensive structures.

Sometimes you just have to take what you can get on the proviso that it is going to improve the team. If there is nothing out there that you think will move the needle or the cost is too high. Then take the picks to the draft we have done pretty well on that front

I'd rather take the pick to the draft. Ainsworth likely costs a late second early third. This draft is pretty well stocked for half backs and small forward so they're areas I would address there. Outside of Xavier Taylor who likely plays on smalls/mediums at the top level and Carlton F/S there isn't any high end key defenders available. The lack of key defenders coming through the draft/state leagues likely has an effect on driving up the price of the fringe Key defenders like Butts and Young.

Given we already have Gardner and just chucked out Jones I would stay away from May and Frost, ideally signing someone like Blight as a DFA and drafting raw project types late like Darcy and Jett Elek.

 

[Munnez]

I'd rather take the pick to the draft. Ainsworth likely costs a late second early third. This draft is pretty well stocked for half backs and small forward so they're areas I would address there. Outside of Xavier Taylor who likely plays on smalls/mediums at the top level and Carlton F/S there isn't any high end key defenders available. The lack of key defenders coming through the draft/state leagues likely has an effect on driving up the price of the fringe Key defenders like Butts and Young.

Given we already have Gardner and just chucked out Jones I would stay away from May and Frost, ideally signing someone like Blight as a DFA and drafting raw project types late like Darcy and Jett Elek.

Agree with staying away from Frost and May. Need to invest in a project KPD Will Darcy for example or the options you mentioned to develop something long term.

As you say the current KPD Market is looking pretty inflated for probably not that much overall improvement in team performance

 

[iambrilliant]

I'd rather take the pick to the draft. Ainsworth likely costs a late second early third. This draft is pretty well stocked for half backs and small forward so they're areas I would address there. Outside of Xavier Taylor who likely plays on smalls/mediums at the top level and Carlton F/S there isn't any high end key defenders available. The lack of key defenders coming through the draft/state leagues likely has an effect on driving up the price of the fringe Key defenders like Butts and Young.

Given we already have Gardner and just chucked out Jones I would stay away from May and Frost, ideally signing someone like Blight as a DFA and drafting raw project types late like Darcy and Jett Elek.

If we could get him apart of a package with budarick for say Jamarra and our 3rd id be open to it. Definitely need to be upgrading McNeil and vdm.

 

[Bulldogs85]

I'd rather take the pick to the draft. Ainsworth likely costs a late second early third. This draft is pretty well stocked for half backs and small forward so they're areas I would address there. Outside of Xavier Taylor who likely plays on smalls/mediums at the top level and Carlton F/S there isn't any high end key defenders available. The lack of key defenders coming through the draft/state leagues likely has an effect on driving up the price of the fringe Key defenders like Butts and Young.

Given we already have Gardner and just chucked out Jones I would stay away from May and Frost, ideally signing someone like Blight as a DFA and drafting raw project types late like Darcy and Jett Elek.

Blight has meet with Collingwood so he may be off the market soon

 

[grassman75]

Hey, he's just another one they've lured 'home' (even though he's from Portland, a 4 hour drive from Geelong).

Outer suburb. East Portland is just a less fancy way of saying Geelong

 

[grassman75]

Premiership window? Hard to see it.
We weren't really competitive against 7 of the 8 teams above us on the ladder. Hard to see any natural improvement from the majority of the players, with just a couple of exceptions. No magical imports on the horizon. Highly rated midfield players are approaching the end of their careers, support players are just ordinary. Backline is only C grade. Forward line could possibly be B+ or A-, but who is going to deliver to them? Followers are vanilla. Game plan of high-press has been proven to be ineffective and needs a complete overhaul. (Wasn't it refreshing to see the VFL team play normal football? And it worked!)
It seems very likely that the WBFC will continue to butcher the careers of Bont, Darcy and Naughton.

Weren’t really competitive?

Lost to pies buy a goal, GC by 10th in Darwin, Cats by a kick or two at their dump, Lions in the dying moments at the Gabba and were flogging them in Adel…only Hawks and Crows did us over and that we as by 22pts max.

We were absolutely competitive. Every one of those teams above us got absolutely flogged at some point during the year, some by teams outside the 8

 

[0utsider]

What would Ainsworth cost in a trade though? He is definitely a rung above Mcneil & VDM but I would rather those trade assets go somewhere that'd make a more noticeable difference.

Agree on that front, I don’t even think our second alone gets it done. We could probably do a deal for Budarick and Ainsworth for our second and future second but it really depends on how much Gold Coast value him as an in contract player.

Would prefer we used that sort of capital on a key back but if it becomes clear there simply isn’t anything available who fits a more pressing need I think the team benefits more from paying up for Ainsworth than it does from taking those picks to the draft.

 

[Hobdog]

I’m nowhere near as invested as many of you appear to be (nothing wrong with that by the way!), so I’m not going to defend my opinion to the death but I’m not sure I’d say we were uncompetitive this season. A couple of games we were probably pushing it up hill but otherwise it was more bad lapses in games that did us over. In terms of recruitment, accept the uncertainty and just let it play out how it will. We are a professionally run club that is as aware, if not more aware than us of what we need and any idea that we’re sitting on our hands or ‘not having a crack’ is unrealistic in my opinion.

 

[Libbaaaa]

The saints paying JSOS 850 - 900k is laughable when they didn’t offer Battle the same last year. Who is a vastly superior player.

They scrambled to offer him more than the Hawks as they were scared the offer he had accepted wouldn’t trigger first band compo. He ended up leaving for less money in the end.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

What would Ainsworth cost in a trade though? He is definitely a rung above Mcneil & VDM but I would rather those trade assets go somewhere that'd make a more noticeable difference.

I think our high half forwards are actually a huge part of the problem. None of them are able to form an offensive link in the chain consistently enough to open space, nor do they provide creative entries, nor do they reliably close down space and protect against rebound. Our play flowed so much more freely those 5-6 weeks where Vandermeer played out of his skin.

I'm also not a huge Ainsworth fan but he's unquestionably an improvement and I think it would be more noticeable than you assume.

 

[TiAn_]

I think our high half forwards are actually a huge part of the problem. None of them are able to form an offensive link in the chain consistently enough to open space, nor do they provide creative entries, nor do they reliably close down space and protect against rebound. Our play flowed so much more freely those 5-6 weeks where Vandermeer played out of his skin.

I'm also not a huge Ainsworth fan but he's unquestionably an improvement and I think it would be more noticeable than you assume.

Ainsworth was 2nd in the comp for goal assists a few years ago. The upgrade in terms of ball use compared to Vandermeer and McNeil would be dramatic.

 

[Mojorisin]

I think our high half forwards are actually a huge part of the problem. None of them are able to form an offensive link in the chain consistently enough to open space, nor do they provide creative entries, nor do they reliably close down space and protect against rebound. Our play flowed so much more freely those 5-6 weeks where Vandermeer played out of his skin.

I'm also not a huge Ainsworth fan but he's unquestionably an improvement and I think it would be more noticeable than you assume.

I agree regarding the problem just don't think Ainsworth is the answer. Hopefully another pre season into Dolan has him competing for a half forward role. Weightman being healthy is a huge inclusion aswell and I would love to get a Dovaston or Byrne who could both fill a small forward role immediately.

HF. West Darcy Dolan
FF. Flea Naughton Dovaston
Int. Croft

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

I agree regarding the problem just don't think Ainsworth is the answer. Hopefully another pre season into Dolan has him competing for a half forward role. Weightman being healthy is a huge inclusion aswell and I would love to get a Dovaston or Byrne who could both fill a small forward role immediately.

HF. West Darcy Dolan
FF. Flea Naughton Dovaston
Int. Croft

I'm huge on Dolan, would just prefer us not to bank entirely on natural development with Libba/Bont/Dale/Treloar closer to the end of their careers than the beginning. The time is now - Brisbane weren't particularly convincing for most of the year - and the teams around us are all improving. We've got the star power, we just need role players that are ready day 1.

 

[cecil]

What is Ainsworth defensively? Is he quick?

Overall hes clearly a better player than VDM and McNeil, but they are in the team for certain attributes. We were the highest scoring team this year and will hopefully bring Cody back into that, so we don't really need more scoring power

 

[0utsider]

I agree regarding the problem just don't think Ainsworth is the answer. Hopefully another pre season into Dolan has him competing for a half forward role. Weightman being healthy is a huge inclusion aswell and I would love to get a Dovaston or Byrne who could both fill a small forward role immediately.

HF. West Darcy Dolan
FF. Flea Naughton Dovaston
Int. Croft

Our team is significantly better over the next few years with Ainsworth than it is with either Dolan or Dovaston, that shouldn’t even be up for debate.

I do love the shiny new toys out of the draft but the reality is very few first year players are able to come straight in and improve a team, especially those taken outside the top 30 which is where the pick we’d use on Ainsworth would end up landing.

 

[Dogs Rule]

Have we even been linked to Ainsworth yet? For all we know we mightn't have any interest at all.

 

[iambrilliant]

I feel like arty jones is going to have a breakout year next year. Could be the small forward we’ve been desperate for