Trade Rumours 2025

[Bornadog]

Then why such enthusiasm for moving Sanders?

I can't believe why there is any talk about Sanders leaving. FFS he is a kid in his second year and we rated him highly with an early pick.

Book mark it, he will be very good.

[jazzadogs]

I can't believe why there is any talk about Sanders leaving. FFS he is a kid in his second year and we rated him highly with an early pick.

Book mark it, he will be very good.

Talking about Sanders leaving and not rating Sanders are two different things imo.

If the trade is either a first round pick (which would be a good prospect who we rate highly) or Sanders (a known good prospect who we rate highly), but the saints will ONLY release Wilkie if it's a trade for Sanders...then I think it is worth a discussion.

It's not about not rating Sanders. I saw it as we want Wilkie, Saints have inquired about Sanders...what's the highest price we would be willing to pay to get Wilkie in?

[jazzadogs]

I know it's not all about stats but at which point has Robertson ever been more productive than Sanders (I don't rate Garcia so I won't compare)?

https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/...&fid1=S&fid2=C

Matt Kennedy had never been more productive than Sanders either, but I know who had the better season.

I think Robertson would offer more to us in 2026 than the names I listed. He has never had a clearly defined and consistent role at AFL level, and when he has got games he has not been around the ball.

Again, I'm not saying Sanders is bad. But he hates the contest at this stage of his career with very limited defensive ability, and I don't think we can carry that. My view of Dev is that he is well suited to the Dunkley void that we still have.

Clearly my views are shared by the footy department to some degree, because if we were confident in our young mids we wouldn't be looking to bring in Erasmus, Knevitt, Robertson and co.

[jeemak]

Matt Kennedy had never been more productive than Sanders either, but I know who had the better season.

I think Robertson would offer more to us in 2026 than the names I listed. He has never had a clearly defined and consistent role at AFL level, and when he has got games he has not been around the ball.

Again, I'm not saying Sanders is bad. But he hates the contest at this stage of his career with very limited defensive ability, and I don't think we can carry that. My view of Dev is that he is well suited to the Dunkley void that we still have.

Clearly my views are shared by the footy department to some degree, because if we were confident in our young mids we wouldn't be looking to bring in Erasmus, Knevitt, Robertson and co.

Matt Kennedy was excellent for Carlton in 2023 and 2024, finishing tenth in their B&F last year.....although seven years older than Sanders is today. His numbers were similar to Sanders 2025 numbers in both of those years except he had a higher balance of kicking which I think Sanders will develop over the coming years.

I'm fine with the football department looking for more midfield depth, but I don't agree that's a direct reflection on Sanders and I also think saying a 20 year old who like Robertson hasn't had opportunities in his most preferred role means he hates the contest - albeit I do agree he needs to work on his defensive stuff. At some point we actually have to start looking at what players do, versus what they might be able to do and Robertson can't get his hands on it whereas Sanders clearly can. How many players in the side do we have to have that can't get the footy and finish with class? Sanders can do both, Robertson hasn't shown he can get anywhere near Sanders productivity.

Appreciate you don't want to get rid of Sanders, however, I think he's an absolute must keep and his progression is a tad underrated. I won't smear shit all over the walls if he's part of a trade for Wilkie, but I'll be really annoyed if we don't have a better replacement in mind for him than Dev Robertson that is a certainty to be landed this year or next (and that's including Butters potentially coming on board).

[GVGjr]

AFL Trade Radio
@traderadio
"The Western Bulldogs offer is very attractive for Cal Wilkie. There is a 3-400k gap between the Dogs offer and what the Saints are paying him.
The Saints haven't shut this down and the Dogs still think they are alive."
- Sam Edmund

[Aidan7557]

AFL Trade Radio
@traderadio
"The Western Bulldogs offer is very attractive for Cal Wilkie. There is a 3-400k gap between the Dogs offer and what the Saints are paying him.
The Saints haven't shut this down and the Dogs still think they are alive."
- Sam Edmund

It's the hope that kills you...

[doggies ftw]

The determination to bring in a big bodied inside mid has to reflect on the clubs thoughts on Sanders at least a little bit right? That’s the sort of player we expect him to be, do we have no confidence in him becoming that or possibly just not confident he’s staying long term? I’m not sure but there has to be something in it.

I wanted Dev 2 years ago, he’s sort of tread water since then (terrible decision on his part to stay at the lions) - I do think it’s clear we’re not sold on the mix of our midfield so I’m all for trying to adapt that.

On Wilkie, yeah it’s clear now that this is on - it’s been over a month with no one moving to shut it down. It’s 100% in play, sounds like it’s pretty much just ball in our court to satisfy the Saints. Wilkies not the sort of guy to kick up a stink and force a trade, at least not this early in the piece so he’s not going to come out and burn any bridges until he knows we can convince the saints to play ball. That’s where this is right now IMO, and probably why we’re trying to get Suns pick 6 which is pretty on the money for Wilkies worth with maybe some late picks floating around in Saints favour.

Hopefully we can move Marra to suns as part of the pick 6 deal, send that to Saints for Wilkies, pick up Dev & Budarick on the cheap and we’ve gone a long way to rounding out the list with mature bodies which is what’s holding us back really

[Bornadog]

Interesting
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[bulldogsthru&thru]

AFL Trade Radio
@traderadio
"The Western Bulldogs offer is very attractive for Cal Wilkie. There is a 3-400k gap between the Dogs offer and what the Saints are paying him.
The Saints haven't shut this down and the Dogs still think they are alive."
- Sam Edmund

Wilkie finished 2nd last night in their best and fairest. Rumours were not squashed at all by himself or the club. That was the time to do it if he wasn't leaving.

One has to think it's well and truly alive and getting closer to just a matter of getting a suitable trade done. Which of course won't be easy at all.

[Sedat]

Then why such enthusiasm for moving Sanders?

There's not. He is progressing ok and the expectation would be that he continues to improve, and we need more young midfield quality coming through, not less. The main issue is he's an obvious flight risk with Tassie on the horizon. If Butters is 100% in play for next year, and if we add to our young midfield stocks with Robertson, and if we need additional leverage to secure Wilkie and Sanders was the missing piece of the puzzle, only under those criteria would Sanders be expendable IMO.

[GVGjr]

There's not. He is progressing ok and the expectation would be that he continues to improve, and we need more young midfield quality coming through not less. The main issue is he's an obvious flight risk with Tassie on the horizon.

I don't think there is any genuine chance that the club considers trading Sanders.
As is many peoples nature the lure of heading back to Tas was being talked about when we drafted him and given he hasn't been a star so far people are still keen to salvage something via a trade.
Ultimately we are very likely get a lot more from Tas than any other club,

I'm not trading him but I get why some people would shop him around. We just need to have some faith in him.

[Axe Man]

The determination to bring in a big bodied inside mid has to reflect on the clubs thoughts on Sanders at least a little bit right? That’s the sort of player we expect him to be, do we have no confidence in him becoming that or possibly just not confident he’s staying long term? I’m not sure but there has to be something in it.

I wanted Dev 2 years ago, he’s sort of tread water since then (terrible decision on his part to stay at the lions) - I do think it’s clear we’re not sold on the mix of our midfield so I’m all for trying to adapt that.

On Wilkie, yeah it’s clear now that this is on - it’s been over a month with no one moving to shut it down. It’s 100% in play, sounds like it’s pretty much just ball in our court to satisfy the Saints. Wilkies not the sort of guy to kick up a stink and force a trade, at least not this early in the piece so he’s not going to come out and burn any bridges until he knows we can convince the saints to play ball. That’s where this is right now IMO, and probably why we’re trying to get Suns pick 6 which is pretty on the money for Wilkies worth with maybe some late picks floating around in Saints favour.

Hopefully we can move Marra to suns as part of the pick 6 deal, send that to Saints for Wilkies, pick up Dev & Budarick on the cheap and we’ve gone a long way to rounding out the list with mature bodies which is what’s holding us back really

If the Suns interest in Petracca is genuine then that may complicate any attempt to land pick 6.

[whythelongface]

I don't think there is any genuine chance that the club considers trading Sanders.
As is many peoples nature the lure of heading back to Tas was being talked about when we drafted him and given he hasn't been a star so far people are still keen to salvage something via a trade.
Ultimately we are very likely get a lot more from Tas than any other club,

I'm not trading him but I get why some people would shop him around. We just need to have some faith in him.

agree. We would all love a raging bull young gun to come out of the blocks eg will Ashcroft but sometimes it takes time for young players to adjust. The third year is the key. A couple of years of being in the system and the rigours of top line footy is potentially where we see the most improvement. Let’s see how he has fared in 2026 before thinking of trading Sanders.

[whythelongface]

I like that we are chasing Robertson. A no frills footballer like Kennedy that we need. He will actually complement Kennedy as they can work in tandem through the mids. As much as I like the Bont, Richard’s, Libba set up when it doesn’t go our way we struggle to stop the run on. Throw in a Kennedy or Robertson, whom are more defensively minded, then this potentially helps negate opposition offensive movement from stoppages.

[Bornadog]

I like that we are chasing Robertson. A no frills footballer like Kennedy that we need. He will actually complement Kennedy as they can work in tandem through the mids. As much as I like the Bont, Richard’s, Libba set up when it doesn’t go our way we struggle to stop the run on. Throw in a Kennedy or Robertson, whom are more defensively minded, then this potentially helps negate opposition offensive movement from stoppages.

I don't know much about him, but looking at stats, he is a no for me. But stats aren't everything

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