Trade Rumours 2025

[Mofra]

Is Mitch McGovern worse than what we have?

We can all think of every reason not to bring him to the club, and we shouldn't if all of those reasons outweigh the amount he could improve us. But if he improves us why wouldn't we bring him in?

I'm not sure he moves the needle much next year.
I don't think he moves it at all in any subsequent year.

[comrade]

Do good players hate the Westgate with a passion or something?

[jazzadogs]

Do good players hate the Westgate with a passion or something?

Maybe we should include tours of the new tunnel in our pitch?

[lemmon]

Maybe I've just spared myself from watching the Blues, but I feel like McGovern is an upgrade on Buku as a defender and isn't a bad footballer when he gets out there.

[Go_Dogs]

Cats are talking to Rowan Marshall

Of course they bloody well are…. When will it end?

[Sedat]

Do good players hate the Westgate with a passion or something?

They start falling in love with it after they pass Little River

[Grantysghost]

They start falling in love with it after they pass Little River

That's Princes freeway. Westgate stops at the Ring Road.

*suspects Sedat isn't truly one of us*

[Grantysghost]

Of course they bloody well are…. When will it end?

Footy sucks really. It's the same teams every year. How many outliers have won flags? Dogs.....um.....then all the usual suspects. So annoyed with Freo, bloody hell! C'mon ? Crows? (spew but I think im over it), or Suns (nepo babies).

[GVGjr]

I'm not sure what to make of any genuine interest in McGovern. Does it mean we are covering our bases with Wilkie? Does it put a line through Coffield and Jones?
I would think this is more of a SSP option but who knows.

[hujsh]

I'm not sure what to make of any genuine interest in McGovern. Does it mean we are covering our bases with Wilkie? Does it put a line through Coffield and Jones?
I would think this is more of a SSP option but who knows.

Sounds like Wilkie is no chance.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Sounds like Wilkie is no chance.

Im still waiting for him/his management to come out and squash it.

The delay must be renegotiating his deal with the saints. Thats my expectation anyway.

[Sedat]

Maybe I've just spared myself from watching the Blues, but I feel like McGovern is an upgrade on Buku as a defender and isn't a bad footballer when he gets out there.

McGovern is a plenty good enough AFEL footballer and better than most other defenders currently on our list. Problem is he doesn't lockdown defend and he also has durability issues. I don't want him only because he is not fit for purpose with what we really need.

Wilkie is currently on a consecutive games streak of 155 games, only behind Jack Crisp. We've clearly gotten his attention but need to turn his head with something compelling that St Kilda cannot come close to matching. If needed, I would up the ante to $1.25m a season, maybe even add a 5th season trigger. What do we have in key/mid sized defensive stocks coming through - Buss is unproven, so is JOD. Lobb is nearing the end, Jones is probably already there. Gardner is VFL level. Wilkie is a magnet down back that you can put away for the next 4-5 years. Happy to go hard at Tylar Young as well.

To hell with draft picks this year - we need to be bold this off-season with targeted established players and deal with pick 55, 68 and 72 (rookie upgrade) on draft night. In case you didn't see the finals on the weekend, have a look at all the winning teams. They have 4-5 defenders (tall and small) all of whom can defend one-out when needed. Hawthorn finished 8th - they have Battle, Barrass, Sicily, Hardwick, Scrimshaw, Impey and Amon (5 acquired from trades) - the last 3 are attacking distributors but even they can defend when needed, and nobody ever talks about Hardwick but he put Greene to sleep on the weekend. We are absolutely miles off this level of talent down back of the 8th placed team - we have Dale (awesome attacking option but can't defend), Bramble (Temu Dale - great attacking drive but suspect when isolated one-out), JJ (just about done and can't defend one-on-one), Cleary (can defend but needs to bulk up). Won't even talk about our tall defensive stocks because it's been done to death.

If we tinker around the edges this off-season and end up doing bugger-all, we aren't contending in 2026 and the Bevo era will likely end in 12 months. I love the proactiveness (so far) but we need to get some signatures. You've gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelette.

[GVGjr]

Sounds like Wilkie is no chance.

Yeah, I wouldn't be holding my breath.

[Sedat]

Yeah, I wouldn't be holding my breath.

I hope this isn't some BS throw at the stumps to be seen to be doing something, and instead is a behind the scenes full club courting of Wilkie and his family, providing a compelling case for him to join our club and be part of something special, paying him what he is really worth.

[josie]

They start falling in love with it after they pass Little River

It’s a long way there, it’s a long way to where they’re going…..