2025 List Management Thread

[The Bulldogs Bite]

If we head into 2026 with only Lobb, Buss and JOD after losing further depth in Jones and Khamis, our list management team should find another job.

[Willow18]

So likely Budarick, a first rounder & Will Darcy into the squad.

my best 23 going into the off-season:


FB: Lobb, O’Donnell, Budarick

HB: Dale, Busslinger, Bramble

C: Williams, Bontempelli, Davidson

HF: Freijah, Naughton, M. Kennedy

FF: Weightman, Darcy, West

R: English, Richards, Liberatore

I: Sellwood, Sanders, Treloar, Croft, Dolan

Depth:
Small def: Cleary, Jaques
Midfield: Baker, Harmes, Hynes, Garcia
Small fwds: Vandermeer, McNeil, A. Jones
+ whoever the 1st rounder is.

The rest:
Key backs: Gardner, Walker, W. Darcy
Small def: Coffield, JJ
Runners: L. Kennedy, Gallagher, Poulter
Ruck: Smith

[GVGjr]

THE WESTERN Bulldogs are "pretty confident" young defenders Jedd Busslinger and James O'Donnell can improve in 2026 if Luke Beveridge's side is unable to bring a new key defender through the door in the trade period.

Despite missing out on Callum Wilkie and Jack Silvagni, the Bulldogs have decided to not pursue Melbourne veteran Steven May, who is set to stay at the Demons despite being told to explore his options.

Beveridge has identified his key defensive stocks as an area for improvement, but AFL.com.au's Josh Gabelich says unless they can lure one from a rival club late in the trade period, the Dogs will look for improvement from within.

Busslinger, taken at pick 13 in the 2022 draft, has played just seven AFL games but the club is confident of getting more out of the 21-year-old in 2026 and beyond.


Jedd Busslinger in action during Footscray's clash with Werribee in VFL round three, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

"The Western Bulldogs have been searching for a key defender, but the age profile (of May) doesn't quite fit what they're looking for. They don't want a stop-gap key defender, they want someone to build around going forward," Gabelich said on Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period.

"If they don't land anyone, they're pretty confident on Jedd Busslinger and James O'Donnell popping next year after a full pre-season. Jedd Busslinger has never had one.

"They're pretty bullish on him improving, but the jury is out on him because he hasn't quite performed just yet given where he was taken in the draft."

[Aidan7557]

Given we are having trouble finding a suitable key defender to bring in, should we consider keeping Khamis to his contract rather than trading him?
He's capable of playing forward or as a defender but clearly more of a depth player.

I still have the feeling he gets traded but if we get literally no one then I'm not sure we can afford to get rid of him

[lemmon]

Question, not a statement.
Is Jack Billings a better small forward than McNeil or VDM?
I have done no research.
He is free. Fits our age profile.
Forgot about who is coming through, they will anyway, if they outplay any of the older guys, they will play either way.
?

It's more about role for me - VDM and McNeil play because of their running capacity and ability to harass and pressure. I've never seen Billings show any of the traits that we're looking for in those smaller pressure forwards. Sam Butler is one I would've liked to have been in the running for as I think he fits that type.

Weightman will also come in and reshape the forward line - whether that's asking him to do more of that grunt work, or having to modify West's role.

[Rusty12]

Question, not a statement.
Is Jack Billings a better small forward than McNeil or VDM?
I have done no research.
He is free. Fits our age profile.
Forgot about who is coming through, they will anyway, if they outplay any of the older guys, they will play either way.
?

[SonofScray]

Given we are having trouble finding a suitable key defender to bring in, should we consider keeping Khamis to his contract rather than trading him?
He's capable of playing forward or as a defender but clearly more of a depth player.

I wouldn’t.

Buku doesn’t advance his career staying with us, if he goes, we aren’t putting ourselves at any bigger disadvantage than we already experience down back, and aren’t making Carlton significantly better relative to us either.

He’s earned the security of a role there I think, paid his dues with us. We should honour the request.

[Grantysghost]

Given we are having trouble finding a suitable key defender to bring in, should we consider keeping Khamis to his contract rather than trading him?
He's capable of playing forward or as a defender but clearly more of a depth player.

I doubt we would block his desires for job security.

So no we should not block.

[Willow18]

Yeah I’d hate to see us block a Khamis trade only to hardly play him and potentially delist him next year. He’s not what we need. Croft has gone ahead of him up forward and I don’t really rate him as a defender

[EasternWest]

Given we are having trouble finding a suitable key defender to bring in, should we consider keeping Khamis to his contract rather than trading him?
He's capable of playing forward or as a defender but clearly more of a depth player.

Trade him. He's been a dedicated, loyal soldier and obviously he's filled plenty of roles for us. But his future has always been, and really continues to be, tenuous with us.

Carlton and four years is security for him and he's always put his head down and got on with it. Personally I think blocking this trade would be bloody minded bastardry and the kind of thing that would stick firmly in the minds of our players.

[GVGjr]

I think Buku is a better forward than a defender. I wouldn't have him in front of JOD, Buss or Lobb so it would be only for backup. He's very reliable in front of the sticks and I think that's his best place.

I do as well. It might come down if we think offering Coffield another deal as some depth coverage or if we rate Khamis ahead of him or not.

[Hotdog60]

I think Buku is a better forward than a defender. I wouldn't have him in front of JOD, Buss or Lobb so it would be only for backup. He's very reliable in front of the sticks and I think that's his best place.

[GVGjr]

Given we are having trouble finding a suitable key defender to bring in, should we consider keeping Khamis to his contract rather than trading him?
He's capable of playing forward or as a defender but clearly more of a depth player.

[Uninformed]

While I think Croft is better suited as a forward, I'm aligned with doggies ftw view of being open to a change.
At the moment the forward spot is a bit easier for him as he has two huge targets playing alongside him and some crumbers around if he misses his marks .
As a defender it has the potential for him to be isolated more in 1 v 1 contests. As a forward his flair and athleticism can be rewarded.

Even though recent weeks haven't been favorable for us to land a KPD, ultimately we are very likely to be able to cover that position.
The trade period really hasn't started yet and we will find some suitable players.

As a side note, I'm still hearing Naughton to the back line calls from our supporters, I would suggest that they undervalue how hard it can be to find KPF.

At times I have found myself tempted with the Naughton going back idea to strengthen our most obvious weakness. But your point about how hard it is to find a KPF is the key. And Naughton is a gun KPF.

I am sure he was hampered in the first half of this year with either injury or the aftermath of glandular fever or both. But after the break he was going at 4 or 5 goals most games. Darcy might have helped, but the difference in the way he clunked his marks and moved was huge. He is also one of the few who have learned to implement an improved method of ball drop and massively improved his set shot accuracy.

Also I don't think our defence was that bad this year. Not as good as when Jones was in form, but a long was from the worst in the comp. We can expect a lot of natural improvement in the younger players there and Lobb should hold or improve his output. With a bit of a tweak in training we should be fine.

[Pleather Sole]

With Budarick nominating us, does it likely impact Johannisen getting a new deal?
It has to shrink his chances doesn't it?

Given JJ is a great and valued clubman, I highly doubt he would've been asked to wait if there wasn't genuine reasons. The kennel staff are loyal and respectful. They would've prepared JJ for all possible scenarios. Must be more in the works.