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The curse is dead. -
We’re obviously trying but let’s be honest the market is very very short on options, we can’t generate players out of thin air.
Worst case scenario we go in with Buss, JOD & Lobb again and look I think it’s potentially enough with further development into Buss & JOD and a few tweaks to our system and the way we set up defensively.
The bigger issue is the small defenders, JJ, Dale & Bramble playing every week as our 3 main smalls is killing us way more than any lack of talls and even bringing in Wilkie & Butts doesn’t fix that. Not only can they not defend but they don’t even try their role is to run forward of the ball there’s not a single one trying to chop out the big guys at ground level. It’s disgusting that we allowed this set up to function like that in a professional environment and 99% of the blame goes on the coaches for this.
I think we’ll get at least one of our tall targets but even if we don’t we still have Sellwood, potentially Budarick & Jacques to come in and try to shore up the backline at ground level. And as I’ve harped on a bit my first move in preseason would be Richards to the backline and throw to Sanders & Freijah to step up and take control of the midfield. Bont, Libba, Freijah, Sanders, Kennedy & Treloar is fine, not amazing but definitely not the worst getting around in the top 8. Not like a dominant midfield compared to other lines has done us much good recently anyway
Richards solves a lot of issues down back, and by god we need him to sort out that shitshow
Sellwood, Buss, Lobb
Dale, JOD, Richards
Budarick
we can work with that IMOComment
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I just don’t get the Richard’s move to the backline. He is dynamic in the mids and will stay there. He won’t be moved down back.
I agree we do need some more defensive minded defensive options for our small to medium defenders. Sellwood seems an option and a good preseason might see him fill a need. We do need another tall though thus missing out on Butts and potentially Wilkie will have us searching for options - McGovern perhaps but he is only 191cm. Hopefully we can get Young from Richmond.
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I believe Adelaide have very few draft picks to play with if they want to bring in the likes of Petracca and Ah Cee, they are going to have to move the like of Butts. The same goes with the Saints, where are the picks coming for Aleer and the other non FAs they want. Marshall to Geelong has to happen but Geelong want Curnow too.Comment
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15:00pm - Victorian club emerges as frontrunner for in-demand Sun
The Western Bulldogs have emerged as the frontrunner for out-of-contract Gold Coast defender Connor Budarick, according to Riley Beveridge.
The 55-game Sun played in a variety of roles last season, including as a defensive forward, but Beveridge believes Budarick sees himself as a permanent small defender.
Having been courted by the Kangaroos, Demons, Bombers, Lions and Dogs, Beveridge believes that Budarick is most likely to head to the Whitten Oval this off-season.
Beveridge discussed Budarick’s pending decision with Josh Gabelich on AFL Trade Radio.
Gabelich: “He feels like a good replacement for Brandon Starcevich.
“Do you see Brisbane as the ideal fit for him, or is it the Western Bulldogs?
“Clearly the role he played this year at the Gold Coast Suns as a defensive forward is not the role he wants to play, and this is a guy that missed the best part of two years of footy with two ACLs.”
Beveridge: “I think he sees himself as being a small defender.
“Gold Coast have sort of sold him the vision of being this forward half player that can do a number of roles in the forward half, and I'm not sure whether or not that's his go, and that's probably because they brought in Dan Rioli and John Noble last year… Joel Jeffrey has popped as a half-back.
“They've sold him the vision of being a forward, and I think he sees his future more as a defender.
“The Western Bulldogs though have been hunting that sort of small defender for quite some time, Taylor Duryea has come to the end of his career now.
“I still think the Western Bulldogs are the frontrunners here, and I think that that's been the view of a lot of the clubs in the chase for Connor Budarick right the way through.
“He's got the offer to the two-year offer to stay at Gold Coast, it'll take him through to free agency, North Melbourne, Essendon and Brisbane are the other clubs that have had some interest, but I think they've been aware for some time that the Western Bulldogs would be the frontrunner if he wants to leave.”
13:30pm - AFL.com.au's Michael Whiting confirms Suns interest in Ugle-Hagan
AFL.com.au Queensland journalist Michael Whiting has confirmed the rumours surrounding Gold Coast’s interest in Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
The troubled Bulldogs star failed to make an appearance at any level across 2025, having dealt with a range of personal issues that saw the key forward step away from the club indefinitely.
The 23-year-old sat through his exit meeting with the Bulldogs earlier this week, with neither he nor the club placing any definitive interest in a trade, however as reported by Sam Edmund, it’s understood that the former No.1 pick is unlikely to play in the red, white and blue again.
Speaking on the rumours of Gold Coast’s interest, Whiting confirmed that the murmurs are true, and it remains a watch ahead of the 2025 trade period.
“I’ve loosely heard it,” Whiting told SEN Sportsday.
“Clearly if you can get what you think is a high level forward with a high ceiling, they’re going to look at it.
“I’m interested to see what they do there, because they’ve got high hopes for (Ethan) Read, they’ve clearly got high hopes for (Jed) Walter as well, but clearly Damien Hardwick’s not convinced in Jed Walter just yet.
“I’m not sure how far they’ll get with exploring trades for other key forwards, but it’s certainly a watch in a part of the ground they’re not 100 per cent sold on yet.”
Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"Comment
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If we go in with Buss, Lobb and JOD as the main backs we aren’t competing in 2026. And I’m not sure what people see in Selwood, just looks like Buss to me.
rumour is we are all over Wilkie, with an eye on Butts and Young.
im expecting none of those.
we will probably rush at the last min to get McGovern and Frost just so we have some back up for FootscrayI will never see #16 the same!!Comment
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Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"Comment
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It’s not my first choice but if we can’t bring anyone in I’d absolutely look at it, our midfield is still good without him, probably not great - Sanders and Freijah are going into their 3rd year where you start to expect exponential improvement in young mids so could potentially step up and cover him. Our backline is a disaster and he’d instantly be our best defender and solve quite a few problems there. Is he a better player as a mid, sure. Is our team better with him in defence, maybe - worth a shot IMO. IF we can’t bring in a suitable small defender which doesn’t really look like much availableComment
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Thinking outside the square, we could get really creative with our talls next year. We really need to find an edge against the comp and if we do have one it’s our versatile, athletic talls. Honestly Smith is not far off being able to compete in the centre, and with 5 on the bench (is that happening?) could we bring in the 2nd ruckman and use English as a gadget player to help out aerially behind the ball? He obviously doesn’t move the needle for us in winning defensive one on ones which is our biggest need still, but he could be an intercepting threat pushing back IMO.
Smith - centre square ruckman and ‘follower’ grunt ruck. We need a ruckman who can hold his own in the middle and offer a defensive presence, Smith is pretty close to moving ahead of English already in this regard IMO.
Naughty & Darcy two main forwards
Lobb & JOD (hopefully Butts or Wilkie) two main defenders
English chopping out behind the ball, in the front half, 2nd ruck etc feel like he could be a weapon in this role
Might be a year early on Smith but I’d like to see us get creative and try to find an edge - we can’t keep doing the same thing and expecting things to be differentComment
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