seventyfour

I think 2025 will be even more competitive than 2024. West Coast and North will both get better through youth experience and recruitment of senior players. Could imagine then getting 5-6 wins each. Adelaide, Essendon and St Kilda will remain competitive (but not that good). I can't see any other teams sliding significantly, other than Richmond, who could go winless. I think Port will get worse too and Hinkley will resign mid year. Will split the ladder into thirds rather than exact finishing positions: Top six: Sydney, Carlton, Freo, GWS, Brisbane, Collingwood Mid six: Melbourne, Geelong, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Hawthorn Bottom six: Port, Essendon, St Kilda, North, West Coast, Richmond

Having broken ribs myself, the recovery is mainly about pain tolerance. You can do pretty much everything you would normally, but some things are just a lot more painful. Even things you wouldn't expect, like pull ups. It's an upper body exercise, but having your arms in the air pulls on your ribcage. Hurts. So you can train and play but it'll be uncomfortable. Trac I expect it will be in the yellow bib at training for a bit so it heals fully.

The I think the ones to watch out for are those who make podcasts about it for a living, rather than being out there practicing it behind the scenes of organisations.

Terrific news. We may be on track for a full group - no rehab - when preseason resumes in January? I expect Spargo will start the year in the VFL but he is an important depth player and has proven that he can contribute in finals and big regular season games.

It'll be a massive concern if they aren't. That's 3 weeks away, if they aren't fully training by then, you can properly say that they haven't had a full pre-season. Sets them back massively, especially Lever. Really frustrated with his suspension to start the year. If you look at the best small forwards recently Rioli, Betts, Papley, C. Cameron, Walters - they all really exploded in season 5 or 6. Kozzie is heading into season 6. He's already a gun and statistically better than those players at the same point of his career. All-Australian should be his goal.

I hope Lever is out of rehab soon. We've only seen patches of his best form since the flag.

That confirms it - flag in 2025. Thank you!

Is Petty still training with the backs?

If Oliver and Trac keep this up, we'll have a draft haul like Richmond at the end of next year!

I don't think we have any spots. We retained all six 2024 rookies without drafting any of them to the primary list, so we're still full.

I trust JT but this pick reminds me of Tim Smith. Feels very weird to take him in the AFL draft as we can't even delist him next year if he's not up to it.

Wonder if we're looking to trade a pick from next year into this year. We've got a couple in the 50's next year, Brisbane have a ****load of picks to come from 46 onwards.

Every picture i've ever seen of Langford, he looks depressed. My point is that it has nothing to do with Melbourne drafting him, it's just him.

A lot of talk of replacing Nibbler with someone else on the list, but we might not be looking to do that. Firstly, we don't really have anyone like him on the list, and secondly, to steal a term from Moneyball, we might replace him 'in the aggregate' i.e. multiple players filling his role throughout the game.

First round picks are a gamble. You're trading an established, AFL-ready player for a kid who could be a bust. We traded Luke Jackson for picks that drafted Jefferson (2022) and Windsor (2023). If we had Luke Jackson in 2023 I am convinced we win the flag. Neither of the finals losses would've happened. But we lost him, and had Jefferson instead, who so far has contributed nothing. It may turn out in the end, but for now, we may have one less flag because of Jackson's wish to go home.

Kentfield is one of the youngest players in the AFL (until draft night), positive he is stacking on size so early.

Would be nice to have another pick in the top 20~ that we could use on a slider, or a tall. Someone like Trainor if he slides, or maybe one of the Whitlocks? Would Richmond take 5 for 10 and 20? So we'd have 9, 10, 20. The draft points don't match but if Richmond are really keen to get in on a few of players before the Saints, they would have 5 and 6 to do so. 9 and 10 would likely still leave us with options of Smillie/Reid/Travaglia/Lindsay.

Have read that he doesn't really get moving much as a forward, more of a stay at home option. In another draft where other forwards were available it sounds like he'd drop out of the first round? Don't want us to reach, take the best available at 5 and 9 which doesn't seem to be Armstrong.

Required depth. Good for him as a person too, would've been rough if he got dumped again after one year (in terms of his ability to build a different career outside of footy etc).

Pick 5 i'm not so sure, may be better to go with someone less spectulative there. With pick 9, absolutely.

19yo 203cm forward. Only 2 years in the system then dumped. Kicked 20 goals from 18 games for Port SANFL this year. Not great but Port won the wooden spoon so it's not all his fault. Interesting prospect for a rookie spot?

I'm not sure exactly but the VFL salary cap for AFL-aligned clubs is $110,000. 26 players on Casey's squad this year= $4,200~ each. I assume match payments as well. Could easily double that taking $500 a game at local footy. Had a mate who played VFL, left it to get paid $250 a game at a local club and his agreement was that he didn't have to train during the week. Was still BOG almost every week.

Not sure why you would at his age. AFL list or go take local club money instead.

When Melbourne and Essendon needed him most, he couldn't deliver. He's 27 years old. It'll never click.

Couldn't make it at 2 clubs before, including Geelong who have proven to be incredible at identifying and developing talent. No reason to think he would work here.