Trade Rumours 2025

[Pleather Sole]

I'm still a tiny bit hopeful that Wilkie comes to us. He's backline gold and we're also missing leaders in defence. Dale is a great elite attacking HB but we need a wise and articulate true defender that is an onfield coach. Liam Jones was this till injury, age and form caught up with him.
Happy to entertain the pipe dream that Wilkie lands at the kennel, almost instant leadership group. Jamarra goes to the Saints, shores up their forward line, offloads his 2026 contract $$, plays with his new mentor Brad Hill.
Wilkie and one other solid defender to foster Buss, Walker, Sellwood, Cleary, Bramble, Jaques, JOD and Lobb in his new role for his twilight.
The probability is low but I like the idea of it enough to invest a bit of hope. As long as we're still courting Butts and any other proven, ready to go available backmen.
If we only manage one big fish defender a break glass strategy might be trying James Harmes in a Taylor Duryea role. He certainly has the grunt and fight to be a reliable lockdown medium defender if coached well from pre-season. He's team oriented enough to apply himself to whatever is needed. Its not ideal or my wish but neither was Lobb as an intercept defender.

[doggies ftw]

I'm still a tiny bit hopeful that Wilkie comes to us. He's backline gold and we're also missing leaders in defence. Dale is a great elite attacking HB but we need a wise and articulate true defender that is an onfield coach. Liam Jones was this till injury, age and form caught up with him.
Happy to entertain the pipe dream that Wilkie lands at the kennel, almost instant leadership group. Jamarra goes to the Saints, shores up their forward line, offloads his 2026 contract $$, plays with his new mentor Brad Hill.
Wilkie and one other solid defender to foster Buss, Walker, Sellwood, Cleary, Bramble, Jaques, JOD and Lobb in his new role for his twilight.
The probability is low but I like the idea of it enough to invest a bit of hope. As long as we're still courting Butts and any other proven, ready to go available backmen.
If we only manage one big fish defender a break glass strategy might be trying James Harmes in a Taylor Duryea role. He certainly has the grunt and fight to be a reliable lockdown medium defender if coached well from pre-season. He's team oriented enough to apply himself to whatever is needed. Its not ideal or my wish but neither was Lobb as an intercept defender.

I do completely subscribe to the theory that our gameplan does not help our defence and we probably need to tinker there but honestly more I think about it I just don’t think we’re winning big games with this personnel no matter what our gameplan is.

Look at our starting defence in the Freo game - JOD, Buss, Lobb, JJ, Dale, Bramble. Honestly who of these guys is going to stand up and win a contest when it matters? Which at the end of the day is what you need in defence. All of these guys have some great attributes to their game, but not as a ‘whole’.

In the front half we have guys like Naughty, West, Darcy, Kennedy, Cody. Middle Bont, Richards, Libba. Guys that you can just trust to stand up when you need them. I honestly don’t trust a single one of our defenders to win a must-win contest (Dale included but obviously he’s still a star, IMO best half back in the comp) and there’s no game plan making up for that.

Whether we bring in Wilkie, Butts, Bond whoever I still think we need to rethink the backline as well. Not sure what that means but we need to move some of our ‘winners’ behind the ball - Richards maybe? Left field but West? He’d be a weapon at ground level in defence. No matter what we do we’re losing something from the front half but that doesn’t neccesarily bother me if we’re gaining something in defence.

Sellwood gives me the vibe he’ll do what it takes to win, Jacques too but his body isn’t there. Other than that the pickings sure are slim

[Pleather Sole]

Doubt Bevo or anyone is going to ask a newly minted AA mid Ed Richards to go back to the backline. Nor West who has worked his backside off to become a damaging med/small forward when he's in form and not being selfish.
I'd be very surprised if we don't get the Butts deal done. Wilkie is very unlikely but the kind of defender who would suit us and fill the leadership void.

[doggies ftw]

Doubt Bevo or anyone is going to ask a newly minted AA mid Ed Richards to go back to the backline. Nor West who has worked his backside off to become a damaging med/small forward when he's in form and not being selfish.
I'd be very surprised if we don't get the Butts deal done. Wilkie is very unlikely but the kind of defender who would suit us and fill the leadership void.

Not saying has to be one of those two, but Bevo wouldn’t be doing his job if he wasn’t doing everything in his favour to improve the side, not sure individual accolades should really come into it. I’d say 3 of the 4 teams in the prelims this weekend have worse fwd lines and midfields than us, even if we were to move a Richards or West out. None of them have even close to as poor a defence as ours.

If there’s guys out there we can bring in and leave our players where they are then brilliant, Butts is a great start but I don’t think he alone really goes anywhere near moving the needle for us IMO.

If we’re not going to bring in 2-3 quality defenders, which we won’t as there’s few available, then we need to think outside the box and we have a LOT of winners spread throughout the front half of the ground. We have 1 in defence as it stands.

Also opens the door for a Freijah/Sanders to take the next step, or Hynes to become a regular too.

[Pleather Sole]

As is likely we get Butts. Good. And we also get Tylar Young from Richmond. Assume the Wilkie deal is categorically dead, kaput, finito.
Is there another quality ready to go defender available who would steel up our backline? An unsung sound footed workhorse not getting many games at their current club.

[hujsh]

Haha that guy was posting on a BF post about his wife’s group chat, he was making a pretty convincing argument - but only convincing because I want it to be true!

Who knows, it’s definitely still in play but I suspect Saints end up doing what they need to eventually and it’s not an untenable position like Merrett for example. I’m hopeful but I don’t want us to put all our eggs in one basket if it means we miss out on Butts etc, anyway I’m sure Power is all over it either way

That was a fun read. He had a whole narrative.

[hujsh]

As is likely we get Butts. Good. And we also get Tylar Young from Richmond. Assume the Wilkie deal is categorically dead, kaput, finito.
Is there another quality ready to go defender available who would steel up our backline? An unsung sound footed workhorse not getting many games at their current club.

I don't think that's likely. Believe West Coast have a lot more money on offer.

[doggies ftw]

I don't think that's likely. Believe West Coast have a lot more money on offer.

Yup sounds like it, and even if we turn Wilkie or Butts head their clubs could still say no, as is their right. So I wouldn’t say any option is likely yet, but I’m hopeful.

Bond is now off the board too unfortunately, not sure on Budarick, would probably take him but again don’t really think he’s a needle mover for us. Honestly I feel small/med defenders are a bigger need than the talls

[Pleather Sole]

I don't think that's likely. Believe West Coast have a lot more money on offer.

Thats a shame for us.
Is there someone else of a similar ilk if we don't cough up the moolah?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Rumour has it we've now made an official offer to Butts.

Whether that is a result of the Wilkie meeting who knows. Hopefully we're going for both but it was reported once that we'd wait on Wilkie's response before dealing for Butts.

[Bornadog]

Mitch Knevitt set to remain at Geelong on a new contract, despite interest from the Western Bulldogs - Josh Gabelich

[jazzadogs]

Mitch Knevitt set to remain at Geelong on a new contract, despite interest from the Western Bulldogs - Josh Gabelich

Not sure he's particularly good but we are clearly targetting guys in the 22-25 range. Erasmus, Knevitt, Butts, Budarick, Butters. Identified that the Marra draft is now a complete dead zone and trying to rectify it.

[doggies ftw]

Mitch Knevitt set to remain at Geelong on a new contract, despite interest from the Western Bulldogs - Josh Gabelich

Were pretty keen for a big bodied inside mid by the looks of things. Which is interesting - maybe doesn’t spell the most confidence in Sanders? Either ability or staying at the club post Tassy

[ledge]

Were pretty keen for a big bodied inside mid by the looks of things. Which is interesting - maybe doesn’t spell the most confidence in Sanders? Either ability or staying at the club post Tassy

Hate to say it but Sanders isn’t the player we hope him to be .
Another Macrae which isn’t bad he just isn’t the speed we want , everything else he seems very good though , good mark, good kick.
just seems to dawdle . No urgency , is it just me that sees it ?
on another note May has just been told by Melbourne to look for another club, I posted it on another thread as it seemed to fit into the big bodied back , but I’m not a fan of.

[Aidan7557]

Hate to say it but Sanders isn’t the player we hope him to be .
Another Macrae which isn’t bad he just isn’t the speed we want , everything else he seems very good though , good mark, good kick.
just seems to dawdle . No urgency , is it just me that sees it ?
on another note May has just been told by Melbourne to look for another club, I posted it on another thread as it seemed to fit into the big bodied back , but I’m not a fan of.

Sanders is such an interesting one. I think his composure and game sense is elite at times and he can freeze his opponents and create space but when it comes off bad it makes him look low motor. I actually think he is a lot quicker then he shows and a lot of that is due to confidence. Next step is to use his legs and kick the ball more because he does have good skills. I think the challenge for sanders is in the head more then with his ability although I think his physicality is a part to improve. I'm not out on him at all and just see so much upside if he can get his head right with some help from the coaches. He is also a lot bigger then he plays which I think isn't talked about enough and is another positive for him.