Trade Rumours 2025

[Countrydog5]

Parroting some information from other sources - so as always take with a grain of salt. Silvagni to pies almost a lock, we may have lost interest due to a poor medical. Buku to request a trade, blues are leading saints in the race. Cupboard is looking sparse for us, unless we manage to pry out someone not yet spoken about. It's once again going to be a slow trade season for us gents.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

We are officially in bulldogs bizarro world where we are flush for KPFs but can't pluck a KPD to save ourselves.

[Axe Man]

Steven May looms as potential trade target for the Western Bulldogs

With a new coach coming in at Melbourne and a list shake-up on the horizon, Steven May looks to be an easy cut. Scott Gullan writes, one club stands out from the rest to be his next home.

There are many questions Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge will be seeking answers for after another blown season but there’s one he needs to address quickly when it comes to his defence.

Has Steven May got one more year in him?

The Melbourne veteran at his best, or at least somewhere near it, is exactly what Beveridge needs given the clock is ticking on whether this Bulldogs group can make a legitimate run at the premiership next year.

May is 33 and didn’t exactly do himself any favours over the last few rounds where he played like he was 63 but would the carrot of a joining a contender – who desperately needs height, experience and mongrel in its key defensive post – revitalise the two-time All-Australian?

While he’s contracted for 2026 at Melbourne, it’s more than likely he will be a victim of a list shake-up under the new incoming coach given there will be a thirst for change and May has enough crosses next to his name to be an easy cut.

In a perfect world Beveridge would probably prefer May’s teammate Jake Lever who had a disappointing 2025 and the 29-year-old might have his head turned for a fresh start even if he’s contracted until 2028.

But you’d suspect the Demons would be more likely to deal May and the Dogs wouldn’t have to give up too much for the premiership fullback.

There’s a bit of Brian Lake about the move. Hawthorn took him from the Bulldogs for a specific role and he ended up playing in three premierships and winning a Norm Smith Medal.

The trainwreck of a performance on Sunday against Fremantle rammed it home to the Bulldogs that they can’t put their head in the sand again about their defensive flaws.

If Beveridge remains determined not to move full-forward Aaron Naughton, who to be fair had an outstanding second half of the season, to defence then he has to bring someone like May in.

Carlton’s Jack Silvagni has also been linked to the Dogs but he’s not the type they need. Yes he is a nice intercept defender and looked the goods for a few weeks this year but he can’t play on the big boys in the square like Adelaide’s Riley Thilthorpe, Fremantle’s Josh Treacy or Geelong’s Shannon Neale.

May can if his body and mind is up to it.

As was obvious to all on Sunday Rory Lobb, while being a revelation in defence this year, he isn’t a lockdown man and needs the freedom of being an interceptor, James O’Donnell is improving but he’s not a key defender, more a very handy second tall, while high draft-kick Jedd Busslinger is still a question mark.

With Liam Jones’ falling off the face of the earth this season and the coach clearly giving up on the Buku Khamis experiment, the Bulldogs have to get inventive in October’s trade period.

While Sam Darcy is going to be a superstar for the next decade, there is a sense the time is now for this group with captain Marcus Bontempelli turning 30 in November and Tom Liberatore already 33.

Some would say the Dogs need to overhaul their game plan given being the best attacking team in the competition hasn’t worked this year. There is merit in that, or is it a case of changing personnel rather than style?

A fit and focused Steven May does just that.

[Happy Days]

May is washed and a dickhead please no.

[Sedat]

May is washed and a dickhead please no.

I could live with dickhead May if it was the 2020-2023 version who was a brick wall in D50 and would put the most dangerous opposition key forwards to sleep every week. The 2025 version was rubbish and will be worse in 2026.

[Warrnambulldog]

Got a bit of Stefan Martin about this, I think his cooked

[Mantis]

So, we've gone from being the dumping ground for every washed-up FF to every washed-up FB.

What a world!

[Bornadog]

May is washed and a dickhead please no.

Will be 34 at the start of next season, but he is not as good as he was. May as well keep Liam

[jazzadogs]

Got a bit of Stefan Martin about this, I think his cooked

Are you saying we're gonna make a grand final next year?

SSSM was good when he was fit.

[GVGjr]

Parroting some information from other sources - so as always take with a grain of salt. Silvagni to pies almost a lock, we may have lost interest due to a poor medical. Buku to request a trade, blues are leading saints in the race. Cupboard is looking sparse for us, unless we manage to pry out someone not yet spoken about. It's once again going to be a slow trade season for us gents.

I'm not so sure we have cooled on Silvangi. The Seddon Spy thinks he's coming in to meet the coaches this week and we can outbid Collingwood.
Any player clubs get from Carlton will be underdone with their fitness.
Buku might have already visited Carlton.

[Countrydog5]

I'm not so sure we have cooled on Silvangi. The Seddon Spy thinks he's coming in to meet the coaches this week and we can outbid Collingwood.
Any player clubs get from Carlton will be underdone with their fitness.
Buku might have already visited Carlton.

I wonder if we're willing to look past the injury history then for a player of need. I think our offer is a decent amount higher, that I believe.

[GVGjr]

I wonder if we're willing to look past the injury history then for a player of need. I think our offer is a decent amount higher, that I believe.

A lot of players who get traded have had some injuries. If you're right that he tested poorly due to a previous injury then I doubt we proceed.
If he's a bit underdone with his fitness then I doubt that would scare us off. It's a balancing act though.

[Critter]

I'm not so sure we have cooled on Silvangi. The Seddon Spy thinks he's coming in to meet the coaches this week and we can outbid Collingwood.
Any player clubs get from Carlton will be underdone with their fitness.
Buku might have already visited Carlton.

I still think Brody Mihocek is worth taking for next couple of years, to play in defence. He is good enough to remember skills he picked when winning Port Melbourne’s B&F while playing defence. Has the body and pace to match brutish forwards

[Axe Man]

I still think Brody Mihocek is worth taking for next couple of years, to play in defence. He is good enough to remember skills he picked when winning Port Melbourne’s B&F while playing defence. Has the body and pace to match brutish forwards

He hasn't played defence in almost 10 years and is 192cm - what forwards is he suited to matching up on?

Some defenders like Dale Morris, Sicily, etc can play on bigger opponents because they are that good but there is zero evidence Mihocek can do this.

[Bornadog]

Harley Reid has extended for two years - so no trade at this stage