There was an article in todays AGE, listing players soon to be out of contract, free agents etc.  The MFC didnt  crack a mention as a major suitor for any of the players.  

Has any body heard if we are really interested in anyone?

The fact that it’s been 7 years now (Steven May) since we’ve recruited anyone from another club who’s been consistently fit and a walk up start for the senior side is an indictment on the list management team.

Since then it’s been bargain basement NQR’s like Schache, Billings, Hunter, McAdam, Fullarton and Dunstan.

Ben Brown gets a pass as he contributed to us winning a flag but could never get himself fit enough and played only 45 games in his 4 years with us.

Of course the priority has been re-signing our best players, which largely we’ve been able to do well, but you still need to be bringing in solid best 22 players in areas you’re weak in to augment the list.

Edited February 9Feb 9 by Dee Boys

12 minutes ago, Dee Boys said:

The fact that it’s been 7 years now (Steven May) since we’ve recruited anyone from another club who’s been consistently fit and a walk up start for the senior side is an indictment on the list management team.

Ed Langdon would qualify.

1 hour ago, Demonstone said:

Ed Langdon would qualify.

Quite right - he was a year later. Still, nobody since the end of 2019…

1 hour ago, Dee Boys said:

The fact that it’s been 7 years now (Steven May) since we’ve recruited anyone from another club who’s been consistently fit and a walk up start for the senior side is an indictment on the list management team.

Since then it’s been bargain basement NQR’s like Schache, Billings, Hunter, McAdam, Fullarton and Dunstan.

Ben Brown gets a pass as he contributed to us winning a flag but could never get himself fit enough and played only 45 games in his 4 years with us.

Of course the priority has been re-signing our best players, which largely we’ve been able to do well, but you still need to be bringing in solid best 22 players in areas you’re weak in to augment the list.

We’ve been going to the draft with high picks. This ensures we don’t fall off a cliff and if we can keep doing it we should stay thereabouts. We will occasionally attract a big name especially when our top end retire and free up millions of dollars.

1 hour ago, Dee Boys said:

The fact that it’s been 7 years now (Steven May) since we’ve recruited anyone from another club who’s been consistently fit and a walk up start for the senior side is an indictment on the list management team.

Since then it’s been bargain basement NQR’s like Schache, Billings, Hunter, McAdam, Fullarton and Dunstan.

Ben Brown gets a pass as he contributed to us winning a flag but could never get himself fit enough and played only 45 games in his 4 years with us.

Of course the priority has been re-signing our best players, which largely we’ve been able to do well, but you still need to be bringing in solid best 22 players in areas you’re weak in to augment the list.

two methods since premierships - mfc and the filth

we have prioritised continually going to the first round of the draft to bring top tier talent into the club; jvr, jefferson, windsor, tholstrup, langford, lindsay

the filth have gone with established afl-level players as a priority; schulz, houston, membrey

On 05/02/2025 at 09:09, Demons11 said:

He has huge potential but is still not consistent enough at this stage and will never be as good as Max 

demons11 no one ever will.😁

1 hour ago, Dee Boys said:

The fact that it’s been 7 years now (Steven May) since we’ve recruited anyone from another club who’s been consistently fit and a walk up start for the senior side is an indictment on the list management team.

Since then it’s been bargain basement NQR’s like Schache, Billings, Hunter, McAdam, Fullarton and Dunstan.

Ben Brown gets a pass as he contributed to us winning a flag but could never get himself fit enough and played only 45 games in his 4 years with us.

Of course the priority has been re-signing our best players, which largely we’ve been able to do well, but you still need to be bringing in solid best 22 players in areas you’re weak in to augment the list.

You know there's a trade off with recruiting high priced players from other clubs....

Not only does it mess your salary cap relativity, you essentially give up draft picks and have to go fishing for talent at the bottom end of the draft.

The adage that you recruit for needs and draft for talent is pretty apt.

Aside from our fwd line what need do we have that hasn't been filled?

I say fwd line because it has obviously been a touchstone issue. But then look at what has been available and what astronomical cost it would have come at. Then look at what we would have missed out on had we tried to recruit a key fwd like say McKay. You have too give up a lot to get something

I'm interested because punters seem to think you draft/trade freely and there is no real cost to doing so. But the costs are huge.

26 minutes ago, Dee Boys said:

Quite right - he was a year later. Still, nobody since the end of 2019…

Dee Boys I’m thinking that our $$$’s have been pretty tight given our AA List after Ed. Gawn, May, Rick, Tracc, JV, Clayton Oliver, Langdon and Kozzie. Schache, Hunter, Dunstan & Fullarton cost us nothing. I think that losing Gus and BBB may have opened the purse strings to make a bid for Houston and we now have to hold onto our rising stars in Rivers, JvR, McVee, Windsor, Tholstrup, Langford, Lindsay, etc.

17 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

You know there's a trade off with recruiting high priced players from other clubs....

Not only does it mess your salary cap relativity, you essentially give up draft picks and have to go fishing for talent at the bottom end of the draft.

The adage that you recruit for needs and draft for talent is pretty apt.

Aside from our fwd line what need do we have that hasn't been filled?

I say fwd line because it has obviously been a touchstone issue. But then look at what has been available and what astronomical cost it would have come at. Then look at what we would have missed out on had we tried to recruit a key fwd like say McKay. You have too give up a lot to get something

I'm interested because punters seem to think you draft/trade freely and there is no real cost to doing so. But the costs are huge.

Very true. I think if we hadn't had the internal blow up late last year we may very well have Houston, however if that was the case I don't think we would have Xavier Lindsay. That probably would have been better for 2025 and maybe 2026, but who knows how good Lindsay could turn out to be.

34 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

You know there's a trade off with recruiting high priced players from other clubs....

Not only does it mess your salary cap relativity, you essentially give up draft picks and have to go fishing for talent at the bottom end of the draft.

The adage that you recruit for needs and draft for talent is pretty apt.

Aside from our fwd line what need do we have that hasn't been filled?

I say fwd line because it has obviously been a touchstone issue. But then look at what has been available and what astronomical cost it would have come at. Then look at what we would have missed out on had we tried to recruit a key fwd like say McKay. You have too give up a lot to get something

I'm interested because punters seem to think you draft/trade freely and there is no real cost to doing so. But the costs are huge.

Sure - but I’m not saying we should’ve thrown the farm at big name players. As @DeeZonepointed out I’m not sure we’ve had the salary cap room. But Ed Langdon’s needed a mate on the other wing for a while now while we mixed and matched with Brayshaw, Hunter, Billings, Woewodin, Windsor etc.

While Hawthorn gave up pick 60 for D’ambrosio who was in the AA squad and Carlton gave up pick 50 for Blake Acres who’s been more than serviceable. Both of whom would’ve been cheap as chips salary wise too.

Of course recruiting and list management is easy in hindsight but there’s no doubt ours hasn’t been good enough in the last few years. We’ve been saved by Jason Taylor largely nailing the picks he’s been left with.

51 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

You know there's a trade off with recruiting high priced players from other clubs....

Not only does it mess your salary cap relativity, you essentially give up draft picks and have to go fishing for talent at the bottom end of the draft.

The adage that you recruit for needs and draft for talent is pretty apt.

Aside from our fwd line what need do we have that hasn't been filled?

I say fwd line because it has obviously been a touchstone issue. But then look at what has been available and what astronomical cost it would have come at. Then look at what we would have missed out on had we tried to recruit a key fwd like say McKay. You have too give up a lot to get something

I'm interested because punters seem to think you draft/trade freely and there is no real cost to doing so. But the costs are huge.

Carlton getting Judd is the prime example. Not only did they give up Kennedy but they gave up cap space for years. Sure they won the occasional final but the Judd trade can't be seen as a success.

16 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

Carlton getting Judd is the prime example. Not only did they give up Kennedy but they gave up cap space for years. Sure they won the occasional final but the Judd trade can't be seen as a success.

HAWTHORN are an interesting case in point. They have traded in 2 key defenders. One fairly average and one good IMO but it was a clear need.

They got Battle who was a free agent for not much but paid handsomely for Barass - The Hawks gave up their 2025 first-, second- and third-round selections to West Coast in order to secure Tom Barrass, while receiving a fourth-round pick in return. We'll watch 2025 with interest.

They aren't the quality we got in Lever and May but I doubt anyone argues against our trade that netted us a flag.

3 hours ago, Dee Boys said:

The fact that it’s been 7 years now (Steven May) since we’ve recruited anyone from another club who’s been consistently fit and a walk up start for the senior side is an indictment on the list management team.

Grundy? 

Granted, that didn't work out for the player, nor club and I agree with your POV. Though I'd give some credit that we were able to attract a 'name' player.

1 hour ago, DeeZone said:

demons11 no one ever will.😁

Who !’?!? 

1 minute ago, 58er said:

Who !’?!? 

Oh Grundy well it wasn’t the forward ruck that we required.

He can play but maybe is just past his best. Looked fairly average on that one day in September against medium to poor quality IMO.

4 minutes ago, 58er said:

Who !’?!? 

No one will ever be better than Max.!!!!!

43 minutes ago, BLWNBA said:

Grundy? 

Granted, that didn't work out for the player, nor club and I agree with your POV. Though I'd give some credit that we were able to attract a 'name' player.

Not a walk up start by the end of it! 😜

31 minutes ago, Dee Boys said:

Not a walk up start by the end of it! 😜

Ain't that the truth!

According to reports, GWS Giants rising star Finn Callaghan has already rejected a verbal offer from St Kilda and is expected to commit to the Giants beyond this season.

The 21-year-old’s contract expires at the end of 2025 and recent reports claimed the Giants had made Callaghan’s contract extension the club’s priority over the off-season.

Now Channel 9’s Tom Morris reports Callaghan is close to ticking off a four-year contract extension with the Giants — valued at around $4 million.

According to the report, St Kilda came hard for Callaghan’s signature and was preparing a 10-year, $17 million offer. It would have been the richest contract in the history of the AFL.

 

We like to complain about not being able to snare a big name player, but surely there is a player out there who'll bite off one of these mammoth St Kilda contracts, just shows how "equalisation" doesnt always exist for the smaller clubs.

Callaghan deal with GW$ confirmed - takes him thru to free agency, where he will be a restricted free agent

Saints big offers makes it hard for us to compete too. We haven't landed a big trade for awhile and with Gus premature retirement, we might have enough to lure a free agent.

We wouldn't be able to compete with saints level money and you would think North would still have a large amount of salary cap space too.

46 minutes ago, roy11 said:

According to reports, GWS Giants rising star Finn Callaghan has already rejected a verbal offer from St Kilda and is expected to commit to the Giants beyond this season.

The 21-year-old’s contract expires at the end of 2025 and recent reports claimed the Giants had made Callaghan’s contract extension the club’s priority over the off-season.

Now Channel 9’s Tom Morris reports Callaghan is close to ticking off a four-year contract extension with the Giants — valued at around $4 million.

According to the report, St Kilda came hard for Callaghan’s signature and was preparing a 10-year, $17 million offer. It would have been the richest contract in the history of the AFL.

 

We like to complain about not being able to snare a big name player, but surely there is a player out there who'll bite off one of these mammoth St Kilda contracts, just shows how "equalisation" doesnt always exist for the smaller clubs.

Saints are a rabble!!!

That is a genuinely stupid offer from St.Kilda. I'm astounded Callaghan knocked it back.

18 minutes ago, KozzyCan said:

That is a genuinely stupid offer from St.Kilda. I'm astounded Callaghan knocked it back.

Seriously why would you want to play for the Saints?