GoRoos2023
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Will be a the Bulldogs next year take it to the bank.
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Restricted Free Agent Zak Butters
- Thread starter The Nostradamus
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Who is going to tell him next year is 2026.
He won't go into the draft, because Port won't let him go for nothing.
Who are the young SA players that Geelong or the Bulldogs or Hawthorn are going to be forcing into the deal?
I am sure they will demand lots of things if it comes to a trade, but it doesn't mean they will get it.
Anyway, the same people on here who are arguing with me will be the same ones in October next year saying Geelong future 1sts are worthless.
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Pure_Ownage
TheBrownDog
Players will put their hand up to go it just wont be anyone of massive profile (this goes right back to dangerfield and the Dean gore thing) if it was say Geelong we have a few young SA kids they would target and bulldogs they would try and target a few of their young fringe players or sanders (though i think sanders goes to tas personally).
- Aug 18, 2018
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Last time Geelong traded a big name home from SA the SA lad that put his hand up was Dean Gore. Barker, Polkinghorne, Molier all would be rated higher than Gore was.
Academic though, because the player has to put their hand up for a trade and he's going to the dogs ragardless.
If he leaves, it will be the Cats or the Hawks.
He isn’t going to a have not club if he is on the move.
He isn’t going to a have not club if he is on the move.
GoRoos2023
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Correct.
Talks are well progressed. I got no skin in the game but very reliable source.
That is called playing at Port in 2026.
Pure_Ownage
TheBrownDog
They would be 2 big chances yes but I still think the dogs given where he is from-if they can make the 8 this year and show him they are on the right path.
KanesBurner
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- Oct 16, 2025
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If he chooses to leave I think Pies will be right in the mix too, they’ll back themselves to follow a Geelong model imo. Should have loads of cap space opening up soon.
- May 20, 2014
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Port themselves are going to have enough cap space to match any offer aren't they?
Port would have to finish bottom 4 next year to just take the compo instead of forcing a trade from my POV.
Collingwood have even less to trade than Geelong do so don't see how he gets there.
Pure_Ownage
TheBrownDog
Pies are about to enter a fairly large rebuild though and I doubt he wants to leave port for a rebuild (hence why he wont pick Richmond nm etc) he wants finals. I know the pies think they can stay up but im sceptical of that.
The Geelong links are obvious and the wbd links are obvious due to the geography and them having a really good list. It's just a matter of whether he rates their coach or not. Hawthorn will also obviously have a crack.
- Mar 2, 2014
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No, it wouldn't
1 extra top round pick (5) does nothing to help our 2027 draft hand
We won't take the compo pick ... we will match and force the trade if he goes
and as others have mentioned it won't come cheap
- Mar 2, 2014
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and they will have the picks they must trade (which are picks 5, 7, 11 & 13 in the 2027 draft)
or I wonder
if another team (Hawks, Blues, Dogs or Cats) try's and gets the some of these picks from Tassie to go with their own, to then trade to Port (in some sort of 3-way trade - Port / Tassie / the Victorian club)
KanesBurner
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Yeah it will be a trade, I doubt we’d accept compo unless it was before a Cochrane bid (which is likely pick 1 or 2) and I’d be pretty confident of that not happening. We’d have to be like the Saints and spend loads of cap to hit the requirements if Butters goes would be my guess, especially after also missing out on NWM.
KanesBurner
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Depends how smart the Pies are I guess. If they can keep getting the FA’s they might not bottom out, will need to draft well though which I don’t think has been a real strength of theirs lately.
I can see Pies, Hawks & Cats. I don’t see the Dogs move, it’s pretty consistently been reported a football move as to where he goes if heading home and I don’t think the Dogs are really that big of an upgrade, regardless of it being who he supported.
- Mar 2, 2014
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To answer your question about SA players on the other teams list (those in bold are the younger players)
The Dogs have 2 South Australians on their list (Williams / McNeil), but both will be too old by 2027
The Cats have 6 South Australians on their list (Barker, Close, Polkinghorne, Molier, Stanley, Stengle) but 3 of them are too old
The Hawks have 5 South Australians on their list (Nairn, Schubert, Le Ray, Ryan & Day)
Carlton (because of all the previous Port Connections) have 6 South Australians on their list (Moir, Campo Brothers, Hayward, Hewett, Young) but 3 of them are too old
You're allowed to trade the selection.
All the best with trying to get something good out of Geelong or the Bulldogs if it plays out that way.
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- Mar 2, 2014
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one pick even if it is a top 5 compo pick (in 2026) traded away give us little for our draft 2026 / 2027 / 2028 draft
you can't use or split a top 5 pick compo pick well enough when you have at least
3 x FS or NGA picks in 2026
4 x FS picks in 2027
possible 3 x FS or NGA picks in 2028
As for the deal with Geelong or the Dogs ...
They might have to work with Tassie (or Eagles / Richmond / Essendon & Roo's) to get a deal done
- Aug 18, 2018
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Not that i think anything is actually going to happen in this space but a bit harsh on Close and Stengle. They're only 27
Pure_Ownage
TheBrownDog
and they will have the picks they must trade (which are picks 5, 7, 11 & 13 in the 2027 draft)
or I wonder
Possibly yes and I could see a club like geelong or dogs etc trading whatever players and picks to try and get picks 5 or 7 etc to use in a butters deal.
That said ports preference might depend on what they think happens with pilot and the new bidding rules. If they think say pick 5 2027 will be needed to match him then they might prefer other good players instead (as the other Geelong poster pointed out the issue is those SA players from Geelong or dogs etc have to actually be willing and keen to go to port).
Pure_Ownage
TheBrownDog
Yeah all fair. It's a long way out but theres options there.
Stanley i agree no option he wants to retire and stay on his farm here.
I wouldn't say stengle and close are too old-both have at least 5 years left so it depends on how port view their window and needs. If we sign mannagh for the rest of his career this year (which we will be trying to) i can see a world in which either stengle or close could be used as part of a trade for Butters (purely because we are so well stocked for small and med fwds). The issue is both are on long term deals and have shown no desire to move-but maybe they could be tempted. Close recently got married here and stengle has Eddie and Anna here so I would imagine the hard part would be actually convincing either to go but both are real quality players with 100 games left.
Barker is interesting purely due to the fact that he wont likely play at all next year. I will admit my first thought when we drafted him was 'is this trade collateral for Butters?'. That said Wells has said in the past we have an SA scout who we rate highly when it comes to their state talent. You can see that we draft heavily from SA (compared to some other non vic states) right back to guys like menzel stringer ghs murdoch mccarthy Hartman hayball gore gregson parfitt right through to the year we took all of Jarvis kennerley and tarca and now polk and molier last year and then barker).
So it could be as simple as Barker was our next highest rated SA after nairn and schubert (this wouldn't surprise me) but its interesting. I could see Barker molier or polkinghorne ending up in this (as much as id rather keep them).
If hawthorn were in play you would imagine port would be looking hard to get nairn and schubert (schubert in particular given the uncertainty with marshall) and to a lesser extent le ray (they would love day but I doubt he's gettable).
Williams seems settled at wbd and if he didn't go last year as FA i doubt he does now. McNeil is too fringe.
Hewett you imagine is probably too old and Hayward wont move again (he had to be convinced too much to move last year to do it again) but I can definitely see port chasing moir.
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but in 2 years they both will be 29
- Aug 18, 2018
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So you'd get like 4 years from both. In positions you're desperate in.
Not saying it's a game changer, nor am i saying that geelong, nor the players themselves, would entertain move. I'm just of the opinion that either one of them would be worth more than Barker, Polk, and Molier combined.