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

 

[stefoid]

I hope Hynes can be that guy for us. He lacks the "excitement" of Petracca but has alot of everything else.

I see him as more of an oliver type than petracca.

 

[stefoid]

Im not giving up on the kid but he doesn't seem to have the defensive killer instinct to hunt the ball at all costs. Not saying he doesn't tackle, but he just doesn't seem to type to want to destroy the opposition when he has the chance defensively. Also noticed his man spreads quite a bit out of packs while he seems to get caught ball watching.

He's still a boy though, so give him time.

Lets all so remember not every top 10 pick becomes a superstar. Apparently he gets praise for his work effort at training which is natural and can't be taught so it might just mean with a new game plan he gets told the right act to tighten up defensively and become more aggressive around the ball.

Nothing against Sanders at all, he is a good, dedicated kid. And I wont blame him for going home to tassie on a zillion dollar contract, if he does.

Well.... I mean, we would have grilled him mercilessly on that point before blowing our draft picks, right?

 

[Sentinel]

LOL. Most of these players are bog average

They do at least have a very solid young core so aren't relying on the recruits alone (unlike Essendon when they went all in on Sheil, Stringer, Smith etc).

 

[Doggy]

Ah look, the Saints nuff is back laughing in here. No wonder they are getting a shit reputation on BF with so many of them getting bans. What a shit supporter base, must be all that success that has made them cocky

 

[DannyB4]

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.

Exactly. If any defender can help us stop another 1 or 2 more goals per game that is the difference between 9th where we finished and top 4.

 

[Scragger77]

So Flanders will get GC pick 7 so either 6 or 7 is still up for grabs Noting Melbourne will get one of them for Petracca

 

[DannyB4]

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

If you mean Monday 5th of October 2026 then hopefully.

 

[BigFloppa]

They have had a big off season. Good on them

It'd be very exciting for their fans anyway and allows them to dream of having a real crack next year. Their list was pathetic this year.

 

[DannyB4]

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.

This board won't understand projects like Darcy. If he isn't delivering his potential by the time he's 21 they'll say he's worthless.

 

[Freshwater]

Nothing against Sanders at all, he is a good, dedicated kid. And I wont blame him for going home to tassie on a zillion dollar contract, if he does.

Well.... I mean, we would have grilled him mercilessly on that point before blowing our draft picks, right?

View attachment 2446099

Sanders will go home to Tassie. They need local talent to legitimise their start up team/club. It will definitely happen. You can’t blame the kid at all, he will be set up for life, and be part of history. And it may be a good thing that we know now. Only one player per club can be poached, so that means Frejiah or Darcy or Croft or Hynes and Dolan, it won’t be.

 

[DannyB4]

Operation keep NAS has gone into complete overdrive.

I think you mean "Operation Sell Memberships before NAS goes to Port Adelaide"

He's Gawnnnnnn

 

[BLACAE]

Earlier on, someone mentioned a "Moneyball" approach. That is exactly what the Saints are doing, and good luck to them. None of the players brought in move the needle a lot, but that's not the point. It's the collective movement that matters.

JSOS may offer a couple % improvement on the player he replaces.
Flanders the same,
Leek Aleer the same,
Ryan the same,
De Koning the same.

With these players, you're talking a 10% increase in output. I personally wouldn't have paid what they did, but that 10% could make the difference in playing finals. Add 10% to our team, particularly defensively and we probably make top 4. Time will tell. People need to let it go though, what they're doing has nothing to do with us.

 

[Norm De Guerre]

Be funny if the saints go past us next year with all these jabs at their strategy

The league is so stacked against smaller clubs good on them for having a shot

It'd be funnier still if it all blew up in their faces and they had to sack Ross the Boss for a second time.

Id rather they fold than have success.

 

[RWnBluey]

Earlier on, someone mentioned a "Moneyball" approach. That is exactly what the Saints are doing, and good luck to them. None of the players brought in move the needle a lot, but that's not the point. It's the collective movement that matters.

JSOS may offer a couple % improvement on the player he replaces.
Flanders the same,
Leek Aleer the same,
Rioli the same

What the Saints are doing is the complete opposite of Moneyball

 

[DannyB4]

Also you're forgetting the Saints have done this before with Howard, Hannebury, Hill, Butler, Higgins etc.

Where did that get them?

 

[DannyB4]

So the inclusion of Flanders probably means o7 to Jack Macrae? He's already been on the outer with him riding the bench for longer periods during important sections in the game.

Case in point the comeback against Melbourne where Macrae was on the bench for most of the quarter.

 

[DannyB4]

Earlier on, someone mentioned a "Moneyball" approach. That is exactly what the Saints are doing, and good luck to them. None of the players brought in move the needle a lot, but that's not the point. It's the collective movement that matters.

JSOS may offer a couple % improvement on the player he replaces.
Flanders the same,
Leek Aleer the same,
Ryan the same,
De Koning the same.

With these players, you're talking a 10% increase in output. I personally wouldn't have paid what they did, but that 10% could make the difference in playing finals. Add 10% to our team, particularly defensively and we probably make top 4. Time will tell. People need to let it go though, what they're doing has nothing to do with us.

Add 10% to our team and we make finals and maybe Top 4.

Add 10% to the Aints and they're still bottom 9 such is the gulf between Top 9 and Bottom 9 teams this year.

 

[0utsider]

Ah look, the Saints nuff is back laughing in here. No wonder they are getting a shit reputation on BF with so many of them getting bans. What a shit supporter base, must be all that success that has made them cocky

Has been banned for it twice already that I know of. What’s that saying about third strikes?

 

[DannyB4]

Has been banned for it twice already that I know of. What’s that saying about third strikes?

For such an unsuccessful team they really do have the noisiest fans.

Imagine coming on to another teams board and talking shit when you've never even seen your club win a flag...

 

[Bulldogs85]

Ah look, the Saints nuff is back laughing in here. No wonder they are getting a shit reputation on BF with so many of them getting bans. What a shit supporter base, must be all that success that has made them cocky

Just ignore that saints poster has a reputation on here but on the main board

 

[Bulldogs85]

For such an unsuccessful team they really do have the noisiest fans.

Imagine coming on to another teams board and talking shit when you've never even seen your club win a flag...

I just laugh at them

 

[bulldogs54]

Don’t disagree with most of what you’re saying but to suggest that Dovaston or Dolan have more impact than Ainsworth just seems so unlikely.

It’s also worth noting that with Weightman back and West’s breakout we’re don’t really have room for another proper small forward like Dovaston, more the high half forward VDM replacement. I’d love Dolan to become that player for us long term but I think you’re underrating Ainsworth.

I'd argue Dovaston is and will be capable as a HFF.

In his highlights he often pushes up the ground like an extra midfielder and crashes into and through packs, you don't do that sitting in a forward pocket all day.

 

[Libbaaaa]

They do at least have a very solid young core so aren't relying on the recruits alone (unlike Essendon when they went all in on Sheil, Stringer, Smith etc).

In all seriousness who is the young core they have?

 

[Mojorisin]

I'd argue Dovaston is and will be capable as a HFF.

In his highlights he often pushes up the ground like an extra midfielder and crashes into and through packs, you don't do that sitting in a forward pocket all day.

He will start closer to goal but ideally he'd be able to play half forward and add some burst into the middle for a CBA or two per quarter like a Pickett or Rankine/Rochelle.

 

[0utsider]

I'd argue Dovaston is and will be capable as a HFF.

In his highlights he often pushes up the ground like an extra midfielder and crashes into and through packs, you don't do that sitting in a forward pocket all day.

Fair enough I’m not as on top of this years draft class as most years, doesn’t change much though, we wouldn’t be using our first for Ainsworth which would be the only pick we’d realistically have a chance of getting Dovaston with. Both sounds good to me.