2 hours ago, Roost it far said:

Agreed, we have to be bold. How that pans out will decide next year. I still believe we’re comfortably a top 6 team with the right tweaks.

Eagles will get a compensation pick 2 for Oscar Allan compensation. Do you go JVR and Rivers for Pick 2 and a F2. We can do a lot with that pick.

4 hours ago, GS_1905 said:

Id take a slightly different approach. We need to trade players to get draft capital and then use that draft capital to essentially pay for the gaps we have. Rebuilding from the draft is too costly and runs the risk of becoming the perennial mid table team. We need to identify talent from lists that are in need of getting back into the draft. Suns, Port, Sydney, GWS, Blues have talent and gettable based on various factors. You can forget targeting FA's as they wont come to us because we are not in the window. There are enough contracted players in those clubs that we should absolutely get around. 1-2 right now would be the difference between where we are and playing finals. 3 good choice trades would give us a crack at top 4 and 4 trades would put us back in contention. Now that doesn't happen in 1 year. Aim for some bold movies this off-season and follow up again in 2026 and we are back in it for 2027.

I'd be floating JVR and Rivers to WCE who are in dire need of replenishing their midfield (Tim Kelly and Yeo likely to retire this year) to support Reid and O.Allen who is likely to leave end of year. That is potentially a 2025 1st round and F1st pick in there. Id float Oliver to the Eagles and Bombers and see if they'd be willing to take his cap for a 2nd rounder. Geelong can GAGF - 2 firsts if they want Clarry.

Go hard at several players: Ben King (for [censored] and giggles and to get Pies to give up more); Butters (2 Firsts), Bergman (1st and 2nd). Id also look at Fletcher or Wilmont from Lions (throw some money at them to see if they bite), see if Milera from the Saints would love to work with Kozzy. Brown from GWS is 1st/2nd rounder. There are lots of options.

We just have to super super aggressive. For me the immediate priority is to get 2 established ball users- A half backer and an outside midfielder and displace one of Oliver, Viney or Trac from the midfield by trade THIS YEAR. Rinse and repeat next year for whatever role we need to top up - probably a KPD or KPF based on how Petty, Turner, Jeffo or settle into their respective positions.

said with more detail and reasoning than i could muster over the weekend. i agree, let's do it. rip that bandaid and get aggressive. we've had too many years of ****ness after the flag.

When McRae took over the pies he had a demands for his ideal playing list. This included making some big decisions on fan favourites including paying out contracts and accepting "unders" in trade compensation for both Treloar and Grundy.

Can't help but feel we may be fast approaching the need to take a similar approach to re-set and rebalance the list.

The trick is finding suitors, keeping enough talent on the list to continue challanging and acquiring our desired players.

We don't have the luxury of a Daicos walking into our list.

8 hours ago, GS_1905 said:

Eagles will get a compensation pick 2 for Oscar Allan compensation. Do you go JVR and Rivers for Pick 2 and a F2. We can do a lot with that pick.

I’d put Rivers in a deal for a strong pick or part of a trade. I’m not that keen on draft picks outside the top 6-8. I’d love to see us attract a Bergman type player, I believe Lord is a possibility although I’m not sure he’s what we need. I want 2, 23-25 year olds who are strong and can kick. I’d like to hang on to JVR unless the deal is compelling. The others I’d be happy to trade are Oliver, Petracca, Sparrow, Lever and then any of the VFL players if there’s any market. Originally I wanted to keep Oliver and Petracca, both of whom have worked incredibly hard with some excellent support from the club, however their disposal is just too much of a liability now. The question is how brave will the club be?

3 hours ago, Roost it far said:

I’d put Rivers in a deal for a strong pick or part of a trade. I’m not that keen on draft picks outside the top 6-8. I’d love to see us attract a Bergman type player, I believe Lord is a possibility although I’m not sure he’s what we need. I want 2, 23-25 year olds who are strong and can kick. I’d like to hang on to JVR unless the deal is compelling. The others I’d be happy to trade are Oliver, Petracca, Sparrow, Lever and then any of the VFL players if there’s any market. Originally I wanted to keep Oliver and Petracca, both of whom have worked incredibly hard with some excellent support from the club, however their disposal is just too much of a liability now. The question is how brave will the club be?

Whispers keep surfacing from Saints on Milera. I would prioritise him over any other player atm. He is one of the best ball users and HBer in the comp. Id pay overs for him as well - without breaking a sweat.

I bloody hope we have been into his manager. Getting Kozzy, Maysie and the other indigenous crew in his ear as well. This would transform our list immediately and give us some real ball use weaponry into forward 50. Would free up Bowey too.

We'd have to clear cap space to make it happen as he'd demand ridiculous, Kozzy type money.

1 minute ago, GS_1905 said:

Whispers keep surfacing from Saints on Milera. I would prioritise him over any other player atm. He is one of the best ball users and HBer in the comp. Id pay overs for him as well - without breaking a sweat.

I bloody hope we have been into his manager. Getting Kozzy, Maysie and the other indigenous crew in his ear as well. This would transform our list immediately and give us some real ball use weaponry into forward 50. Would free up Bowey too.

We'd have to clear cap space to make it happen as he'd demand ridiculous, Kozzy type money.

Whispers he’s coming to us? I thought he was heading home to SA?

1 minute ago, Roost it far said:

Whispers he’s coming to us? I thought he was heading home to SA?

Not necessarily. Whispers that he was not happy at St Kilda. Not a go home factor but wants to go to a more successful club. I can't remember where i saw it. I reckon he'd be excited to play alongside AMW, Kozzy, Maysie, Mentha

6 minutes ago, GS_1905 said:

Not necessarily. Whispers that he was not happy at St Kilda. Not a go home factor but wants to go to a more successful club. I can't remember where i saw it. I reckon he'd be excited to play alongside AMW, Kozzy, Maysie, Mentha

We’re going to finish bottom 6, if he’s genuinely on the Victorian market he’ll end up at Collingwood or Geelong.

Edited 21 hours ago21 hr by Roost it far

8 minutes ago, GS_1905 said:

Not necessarily. Whispers that he was not happy at St Kilda. Not a go home factor but wants to go to a more successful club. I can't remember where i saw it. I reckon he'd be excited to play alongside AMW, Kozzy, Maysie, Mentha

Ridiculous take 😂 He is 0% chance of coming to Melbourne, it’s Stkilda Adelaide or Port, been the narrative all year

Where did i say he was a chance? My point was that we have to be ready to pounce on players that leave the door slightly ajar on a possible movement.

I too thought it was a go-home factor , until i saw/read that it was possibly due to Saints prospect for success. I know we are bottom 6, but we have so much more upside than St Kilda atm.

1 hour ago, Greg Schneider said:

Ridiculous take 😂 He is 0% chance of coming to Melbourne, it’s Stkilda Adelaide or Port, been the narrative all year

Probs will not go to the Crows whilst Tex is still there

18 hours ago, GS_1905 said:

Id take a slightly different approach. We need to trade players to get draft capital and then use that draft capital to essentially pay for the gaps we have. Rebuilding from the draft is too costly and runs the risk of becoming the perennial mid table team. We need to identify talent from lists that are in need of getting back into the draft. Suns, Port, Sydney, GWS, Blues have talent and gettable based on various factors. You can forget targeting FA's as they wont come to us because we are not in the window. There are enough contracted players in those clubs that we should absolutely get around. 1-2 right now would be the difference between where we are and playing finals. 3 good choice trades would give us a crack at top 4 and 4 trades would put us back in contention. Now that doesn't happen in 1 year. Aim for some bold movies this off-season and follow up again in 2026 and we are back in it for 2027.

I had been thinking along the same lines but the more I think about it the more I think we need to go to the draft again.

I’m in favour of making aggressive moves to give us capital but I think it might be smarter to invest that capital in the draft.

We have more or less a full fit list at the min,I think we would need 6 players to have us contending again. 3 quality players like you said and another 3 role type or good depth players. We would require another 3/4 the following year after some retirements.

I just can’t trust the same people that have been responsible for our player trades post flag to get that many successful trades done.

Our success rate has been much better at the draft( apart from key forwards). Maybe we just need to take our medicine and suck it up for another couple of years. I think we need to assume that both our FF are going to be top 4 picks we need to make sure we nail whatever players we bring in with them. Draft seems safer to me.

Our problem this year is that we have very little draft capital for trades and our position on the ladder makes us well down the pecking order when it comes to a player's club of choice.

Having said that, our best hope at luring a player is still Luke Jackson, assuming he is insistent that he wants to head back to Victoria and be traded to us and he would largely solve our bigs issues and give us a Gawny understudy again.

But against that Freo would have to be willing to accept our 2026 1st rounder, our 2025 second rounder (currently pick 22) and presumably a decent player - we have four WA options on this and all are potentially very good players for us - McVee, JVR, Rivers and Tholstrup. All would be missed, but if you are talking securing Jackson then almost anything should be on the table. But it seems highly unlikely Jacko will move.

So our next hope for a big will come down to whether we get Kalani White to choose us ahead of the Suns. The fact that they have four very good Academy picks ahead of him helps our chances and being under the tutelage of Gawny and TC also helps the allure, but he may still choose his mates ahead of us. Hopefully not and also hopefully a rival bid comes after our pick 22, which will end up being about pick 35 on current academy/father son expectations.

But regardless, Kalani is unlikely to impact any improvement we make in 2026 (he's just a kid after all) - that improvement will come from Langford and Lindsay and Windsor growing into their roles. Trac and Oliver will again be talked up as potential trades, but I doubt either will leave - they are on too big a salary for most teams and their disposal this year has meant clubs will have misgivings about them anyway.

Of our current list, there are a heap of players still up for contract renewal and to be honest McVee is the only one we need to sign up now - the rest can wait until the last couple of weeks of the year or post season even. This is what I'd do with them.

Billings - he was a bit stiff not to play Rd 1 and he has worked hard all year in the VFL, but he's 30 and his papers have been marked and to be honest now's his chance to enter the corporate world.

TC - He's 33, but I'd defintely ask him to go another year. He's great for our VFL side, works hard at training and from all reports is a super bloke.

Fullarton - as with Billings his papers are now stamped. Been surprised he wasn't tried as a key defender at VFL level and his body is quite ripped now, but as he showed against Richmond in Rd 7, he's just not physical enough for AFL.

T-Mac - he's soon to turn 33 and now one of our greats when it comes to games played. Goody prefers other talls to him, so as much as he adds to our gp dynamic, it's time to retire. If Lever bows to his chronic knee injury at season end or Petty heads back to SA, then I'd review that decision, but only then.

McVee - as stated above he's a must-sign. The only way he's expendable is if he's a necessity in a Jackson trade.

Melksham - he turns 34 in a couple of months, so age is against him. He is still in incredible shape and looks like a Marvel Superhero so I'd be inclined to ask him to go on for one more season. Unlike his teammates, he usually produces kicking smarts and he's a certain coach-in-waiting.

Spargo - after three injury-reduced years it's hard to feel confident about re-signing him. But he's only 25 and he's one of the few players that can hit a target, so if he agrees i'd sign him on for just one more, with his body determining whether he gets two more.

Woewodin - Taj is still only 22, but it just feels that he hasn't really come on this season. He's got nice skills but he's not mega-quick which makes it really hard to make it. He'd have to finish the year on a high for us to keep him.

Kynan Brown - Really like his attitude and his effort. Very happy if we added him to our list on a two-year deal. Even happier if the coach gave him a go in the big time.

Jai Culley - Looked good pre-season and he's done well in VFL. Probably needs one more year as a rookie before making a firm decision.

Jack Henderson - I feel sorry that Goody rushed him in for Rd 1 because I don't think it gave him a chance to settle into his role. But after five games, it was clear that he's got class but not quite enough pace or body strength to be a factor.

Marty Hore - a great bloke and lovely left-footer but it's time to let him go.

Luka Kentfield - He's made some progress this year and is now massive upper body. I'm not sure that he has enough footy smarts, but I'd certainly give him another year to be definitive.

Ollie Sestan - He needs a game or two in the AFL before season's end, otherwise it's a really hard call for any list manager. Given I already have six list departures, I'd try and sign him up for one more.

Will Verrall - He's improved this year and his intensity is now AFL standard I reckon, but he's probably never going to be quite tall enough to make it. If we get Jackson, then he's a delist. But most likely he gets another year and works with Kalani.

AMW - Clearly Andy showed enough last year and pre-season before injury to warrant an upgrade and most likely a two-year deal.

Mentha Jnr - he's shown enough to get another year as a category B rookie.

Others already contracted:

Jed Adams - as with Jeffo, he's starting to become a very good VFL player. But please Mr List manager, there is absolutely no need to sign him or Jeffo up beyond 2026 just yet. Wait until early next year to panic.

Bailey Laurie - he's a star at VFL level, but barely gets a run from Goody. Ultimately he may be just a tad slow to make it, but it would be nice for him to get a decent chance - in the midfield and not as a sub. Otherwise I'd see if anyone wants him for a third-round pick.

Shane McAdam - Injury cruelled his year, but he's 31 next year and appears a bust for us. If we like a player pre-season or need a list spot, then I'd pay him out.

2 hours ago, Colm said:

I had been thinking along the same lines but the more I think about it the more I think we need to go to the draft again.

I’m in favour of making aggressive moves to give us capital but I think it might be smarter to invest that capital in the draft.

We have more or less a full fit list at the min,I think we would need 6 players to have us contending again. 3 quality players like you said and another 3 role type or good depth players. We would require another 3/4 the following year after some retirements.

I just can’t trust the same people that have been responsible for our player trades post flag to get that many successful trades done.

Our success rate has been much better at the draft( apart from key forwards). Maybe we just need to take our medicine and suck it up for another couple of years. I think we need to assume that both our FF are going to be top 4 picks we need to make sure we nail whatever players we bring in with them. Draft seems safer to me.

We don’t need 6 new players! We need White, Sinnema and 2 good disposers of the ball who don’t [censored] the bed in traffic.

On 15/06/2025 at 12:32, Adam The God said:

We create more than enough shots to win.

And your argument is our kicking inside 50 is bad, so get rid of our best kick inside 50?

Spargo is statistically our best kick inside 50.

All very well bring an elite kick but they need possession to shot it. ((Strauss, Maric etc).

On 15/06/2025 at 20:38, Nietaphart said:

Time for Tim Lamb to earn his way.

JHF and Reid for Laurie and Billings

Get it done

If he could pull that one off he would be a miracle man.

37 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

We don’t need 6 new players! We need White, Sinnema and 2 good disposers of the ball who don’t [censored] the bed in traffic.

White won’t be ready for a few years, Sinnema isn’t lighting it up at the min either. Happy to get both of them but not sure it makes us contenders next year.

You don’t think we need more depth?! We can’t get a win at the minute with a full healthy list( more or less) to pick from. What about when we are 4/5 of our best 22 out injured? We saw how that goes in the first 5 games.

Two good users would be handy so would a ruck/forward or a forward who can kick straight, another small forward be handy too.

I think 6 players is about right, 3 to improve our top end say in our top 15 players and 3 that would fall in the 15-30 range

Just now, Colm said:

White won’t be ready for a few years, Sinnema isn’t lighting it up at the min either. Happy to get both of them but not sure it makes us contenders next year.

You don’t think we need more depth?! We can’t get a win at the minute with a full healthy list( more or less) to pick from. What about when we are 4/5 of our best 22 out injured? We saw how that goes in the first 5 games.

Two good users would be handy so would a ruck/forward or a forward who can kick straight, another small forward be handy too.

I think 6 players is about right, 3 to improve our top end say in our top 15 players and 3 that would fall in the 15-30 range

We’re no chance to get 6 good players in one off season, we’ll need to be aggressive just to get 2 ready to go types. I’m not expecting anything from White for 3-4 years and Sinnema is clearly wait and see. I think we have a good enough list we just need to change some positions and add a couple of good ball users.

Some of the comments on here are truely laughable

Half the forum thought Lever would be the next Captain, now some are saying to trade him

Ditto Rivers, was one of our best last season when Trac and Clarry were out, now he’s not any good

I’d be shopping Petty around but we’ve missed that boat big time

All l hope for the rest of the season Goodwin gives Laurie etc a fair go, if he plays the same old plodders he’s just trying to save his job

16 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

We’re no chance to get 6 good players in one off season, we’ll need to be aggressive just to get 2 ready to go types. I’m not expecting anything from White for 3-4 years and Sinnema is clearly wait and see. I think we have a good enough list we just need to change some positions and add a couple of good ball users.

Agree with most of that. I don’t think we are a chance to get 6 good players in. Although I do think that’s what we need to contend again.

But I do think for trading purposes we need to value our future picks as top 4 picks going off our current ladder position and last years.

Given our recent player trades I wouldn’t be letting Tim trade out our next 2 years first round picks as we have too many holes to fill over that period and I think letting JT go to the draft with them is a better bet.

After the review this year we were told we have a team that can challenge for finals yet we are currently heading into the bye in the bottom 4 with very few injuries. I’m don’t want to bet the farm that they can turn it around.

We need to sell before we can buy.

15 minutes ago, Billy said:

Some of the comments on here are truely laughable

Half the forum thought Lever would be the next Captain, now some are saying to trade him

Ditto Rivers, was one of our best last season when Trac and Clarry were out, now he’s not any good

I’d be shopping Petty around but we’ve missed that boat big time

All l hope for the rest of the season Goodwin gives Laurie etc a fair go, if he plays the same old plodders he’s just trying to save his job

The reality is we need to bring it more good ball users. Someone has to be traded to make this happen. Or we start 2026 with the same list?

1 minute ago, Colm said:

Agree with most of that. I don’t think we are a chance to get 6 good players in. Although I do think that’s what we need to contend again.

But I do think for trading purposes we need to value our future picks as top 4 picks going off our current ladder position and last years.

Given our recent player trades I wouldn’t be letting Tim trade out our next 2 years first round picks as we have too many holes to fill over that period and I think letting JT go to the draft with them is a better bet.

After the review this year we were told we have a team that can challenge for finals yet we are currently heading into the bye in the bottom 4 with very few injuries. I’m don’t want to bet the farm that they can turn it around.

We need to sell before we can buy.

With Tassie coming in no one’s giving us top 10 picks for our future firsts. We’re going to need to trade out some existing talent.

Cant decide who you are going to trade unless you know what is offered.

Im keeping Lever unless I'm offered huge overs - may and tmac are out the door soon, you need some experience and on field coaching.

Salem - id be moving him on for whatever we can get, just don't need him with Bowey and McVee. Hard to see a taker

Rivers - want to keep but happy to hear an offer.

Langdon - if can get a 2nd rounder I'm moving on

Sparrow - presumably on a low salary and an honest trier, worth keeping if so

Petracca/Viney/Oliver - atleast 1 needs to move on. It won't be Viney as noone will take him. Petracca - can we get an early 1st + 2nd? If so I'm dealing and that'd be my preference. If we can't, id be phoning Geelong and getting a pick for Oliver even for half his salary. Saves $850k a year from a horrible contract. (Fwiw I think the club have accepted they are shifting one of Trac/Oliver to cover Koz)

Petty - worth nothing currently and noone will take him.

JvR - stock is very low currently and until this year, showed great signs. Keep.

Chandler - keep, great little role player and clubman, wont ever be offered anything matching his worth.

Spargo - obviously you're taking a 2nd rounder, but is it worth taking a 3rd? Probably not.

The rest of our VFL/Old Brigade are worth 0 apart from Gawn.

I think we are unfortunately somewhat stuck with what we've got. We really need to have a great end to the season to increase the trade value of some of our assets (particularly trac/oliver)

P.S. "look how brave Collingwood were" is a furphy. We cant compare ourselves to them. Gifted two top 5 draftees in Daicos/Daicos. Every free agent wants to go there and happy to take unders - exactly opposite of what we are confronted with at the trade table.

32 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

The reality is we need to bring it more good ball users. Someone has to be traded to make this happen. Or we start 2026 with the same list?

Agree

30 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

With Tassie coming in no one’s giving us top 10 picks for our future firsts. We’re going to need to trade out some existing talent.

I’m not as bothered as I was about how Tassie coming in will affect the draft. Firstly who knows if they will even come in. Secondly they only get access Tassie talent next year and the year after they have to trade some of the picks they get.

If we traded Clarry or Trac with a future second and pay a chunk of salary could we get a top 10 pick?