Fat Tony

I like his speed and athleticism. He just needs to stay fit. Has the draft pick going to Hawthorn been decided?

Mihocek's AFL player rating was 7.07 in 2025. Petty's was 6.90. They are essentially the same player at the moment.

This seems a lot. Effectively gifting 80% of the value of the Spargo compensation back to Collingwood.

Yes the 2027 pick could be impacted by Tasmania. I maintain our strategy to overpay for current year first rounders needs to change and we need to place more value on future picks and later round picks. Running our assets like the Victorian budget makes (some) sense when we are looking to maximise our chances at premierships, but things are different now. We need to be operating like St Kilda, Hawthorn and North have been and play a longer game - clearing cap space for future recruites and turning the list over. The whole Mihocek recruitment seems out of whack with the other changes to our list. I hope it works for us and he is a player I respect and will love, but I think it is a dumb recruitement decision.

Seems we gave up a lot to preserve pick 40 this year. We should have used the preseason draft.

We were fully maximising our chances to win a premiership from 2022-2024. Of course we have salary cap issues.

No doubt, but protection means less opportunity. We will also be able to pick up a midfielder (like Shiel) who can play a role if we get injuries.

Our midfield won't be that thin. Gawn, Pickett, Viney, Langford, Lindsay, Windsor, Langdon, Culley, Rivers, Tholstrup is ok and we will likely pick up another midfielder in the draft. We might lose some ball winning with Oliver and Petracca going, but we get better kicking skill. With another player on the bench and more flexible players, I think we will likely see more midfield rotations next year. Any midfield should be ok under Max.

Prefer we get as much of Clarrie's salary off our books as possible. We will find players if we turn the list over. Our recruiting is pretty good.

I think I would be looking at the system too if I were Collingwood after this year's result. We should have done the same after Viney beat Max Gawn last year.

Have we shown interest in Steele?

The multiple first round picks.

Those picks cost Jackson, a bunch of second rounders and our first rounder this draft.

#7 wouldn't get you a player like Petracca, but this doesn't factor in the cap space relief which can be used for free agents and trades. I think the club knows we are past the premiership window and will try to lift out Humphrey or take the picks and create some salary cap room for future years. I tip we do #7 and a second round pick, but without paying any of his contract.

Let's see how it plays out with Petracca. If i was another club I would be reluctant to give a huge draft hual for a player on one of the biggest contracts in the AFL who is clearly on the decline. I wouldnt offer much more than #7 if i were GCS. I hope I am wrong. Despite that, you don't need more than one year on the contract to have the whip hand in any trade negotiation.

Yes. But for one or two years more than what we already had. 9 years turns it into a risky deal. These monster contracts rarely work out in favour of the club (as we are seeing currently). We need to be willing to lose players to manage our cap.

Kossie was already contracted to 2027. We didnt need to do anything.

I am personally glad I will get to watch Kossie play for us for his career, but I think it was a bad deal and I would not sign anyone for nine years. The club needs to realise that it is not the end of the world when you lose great players, but a bad long term deal can put you in the duldrums for years.

I love Kossie but I would rather we had just held him to his initial contract. Like Jack Viney last year, there was no rush to re-contract. The club's assets are future salary cap space, list spots and draft picks. We seem to not understand that and operate as if we are beholdant to the players/agents.

I love Kossie but extending his deal from 2 more years to 9 years and increasing the pay on his original deal was questionable business. These long term deals are risky IMO - even for great players.

Does this impact Spargo's compensation?

If Marshall goes to the Cats, is this less likely to happen?

I am guessing King will push Petty back, but imo he is too slow to play in defence and is better as a forward. He finished the season well.

Why still chase Mihocek? Seems very dumb.

What a debacle. If he stays, he will be playing inside mid or not playing at all.