2025 List Management Thread

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Liam Jones must be one of the great turnaround stories for our club. The difference between part 1 and part 2 at our club is night and day in his maturity.

He was an absolute stalwart for us for 2 seasons. Pretty much single handedly held the backline together. I wish he could have kept going another year but age has caught up with him sadly.

I wish him well.

[GVGjr]

Is it 3 spots open based on

Walker & Sellwood in mid year +2

Duryea, Scott, Jones, Khamis, JUH -3

We need to wait a bit longer as the list gets finalised but I suspect we will open up 6 or 7 spots. There will be an upgrade or two and we could trade in two or three players.

[jazzadogs]

Is it 3 spots open based on

Walker & Sellwood in mid year +2

Duryea, Scott, Jones, Khamis, JUH -3

We had a list spot open in the first half of the season (the one that Crossley/Brew were competing for), then got a second MSD selection for Weightman being ruled out for the year. So only 1 spot 'over'.

At the moment with Duryea, Jones and Scott confirmed out we have two empty spots.

With Marra and Khamis likely out, it's up to 4. Then possible trade ins, plus Poulter, Coffield, Baker, JJ still waiting...the number is really unknown.

It has been said that we only plan to take 2 or 3 'live' picks at the draft.

[GVGjr]

Another update

Rowell* Re-signed with Gold Coast
Bergman* Re-signed with Port
Butters* Port have denied he will be traded
Silvagni* Signed with the Saints
Erasmus* 3 Year deal with Freo
Wehr* Signs with Port
Wilkie* Saints have confirmed they will not consider a trade but we are still engaging him.
Ridley* The player confirms he's staying at Essendon
Mitch Knevitt * Confirms he's staying at Geelong
* have either re-signed by their current club or have nominated someone else.

M.McGovern
Budarick
T.Young
Butts

We have 4 players still out of contract.
Baker, Coffield, and Poulter. Johannisen is a wait and see

Duryea has retired. Liam Jones and Scott have been advised they will not be offered a deal.
Doubts on Marra being at the club in 2026
Khamis has requested a trade.

[Aidan7557]

Butts and Budarick would be neat. I think Budarick will stay though so Butts out of that list is the only viable option in my opinion. Not great reading for potential targets.

[ledge]

McGovern is a free hit . How old is he ?
Build wise what we are looking for, my question is was he bad due to the club he was playing at and didn’t fit the game plan or Is he a bad footballer ?
I did read somewhere we were linked.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

McGovern is OK - would offer him a lifeline as one of the final list spots if we could make it work, but he isn't the type of lockdown player we need.

[Axe Man]

Any chance we can sign Mitch but secretly play Jeremy in his place?

[GVGjr]

Fox AFL summary

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Players that could leave

In the days after Footscray’s VFL flag, the club made its first two delistings of the off-season — saying goodbye to long-time contributors Liam Jones and Anthony Scott. The news comes after Taylor Duryea’s retirement from the top level after 219 AFL games. Troubled Dog Jamarra Ugle-Hagan will either be at a rival club in 2026, or without an AFL home as per the Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph. 2016 Norm Smith Medallist Jason Johannisen and winger Oskar Baker are no guarantee to go around again next year, although the latter you would think has done enough to earn a one-year deal. 2024 All-Australian Adam Treloar recently signed a one-year deal, after growing speculation the club would shockingly let him go after an injury-riddled season. Buku Khamis has requested a trade to Carlton with a year to run on his contract at Whitten Oval.

Players who could arrive

Intriguingly, despite the desperate need for a key defender, the Bulldogs reportedly aren’t into the idea of recruiting premiership Dee Steven May, who has been told to look elsewhere. Subsequently, could they go all-in on St Kilda stalwart Callum Wilkie? Noise around a potential move hasn’t died down entirely, which suggests it can’t be categorically ruled out despite his words that he will be a Saint in 2026. Adelaide’s Jordan Butts has been linked to the Kennel also, however these links remain uncertain. Further up the ground, the Dogs are becoming more and more interested in Gold Coast’s Connor Budarick, as he weighs up a move away from his club of six years. Expect any serious tilt for Power superstar Zak Butters to come next season, and not in October.

Who’s already gone

Taylor Duryea (retired), Liam Jones, Anthony Scott

Draft picks

10, 28

[jeemak]

As much as I want Butters to land there's another Zac I'd be chasing to really set us up outside and forward of centre...............and I'd be doing it now.

[GVGjr]

As much as I want Butters to land there's another Zac I'd be chasing to really set us up outside and forward of centre...............and I'd be doing it now.

He would be a terrific addition. I wonder if we could pry him out?

[jeemak]

He would be a terrific addition. I wonder if we could pry him out?

I feel Cody is the guy on our list who is the most forgotten and could have been the most similar to him, as prior to his injury issues he was being warmed up for more time away from goal. But it hasn't eventuated due to injury, and realistically, Zac Bailey has shown so much more than I ever thought he would while Cody has stalled.

If JUH wasn't such a bed shitter then he'd be the perfect swap. A genuine needs for needs trade in both ability and salary expectations. Alas, it will never happen because our guy is whatever he is.........

Presently I think JF has the quality and physical attributes to deliver what Zac Bailey does, but he's just one of two or three we need to compete with the best teams with quality outside forward of centre. We have so many gaps it's not funny, in fact, it's depressing as ****.

[Critter]

I feel Cody is the guy on our list who is the most forgotten and could have been the most similar to him, as prior to his injury issues he was being warmed up for more time away from goal. But it hasn't eventuated due to injury, and realistically, Zac Bailey has shown so much more than I ever thought he would while Cody has stalled.

If JUH wasn't such a bed shitter then he'd be the perfect swap. A genuine needs for needs trade in both ability and salary expectations. Alas, it will never happen because our guy is whatever he is.........

Presently I think JF has the quality and physical attributes to deliver what Zac Bailey does, but he's just one of two or three we need to compete with the best teams with quality outside forward of centre. We have so many gaps it's not funny, in fact, it's depressing as ****.

Given he can recover from his injury, I think that Cody might still be the man. During the pre-season match-sim a couple of years ago, when Ed Richards blew the socks off everyone, the other player to be given an extended run in the midfield was Cody Weightman. He was great. Apart from his tackling and attack on the ball, a standout feature of his game was his delivery of the ball. I'm hoping that notes from that game are still in someone's back pocket and that we try him further up the ground in a running role later in the year.

[GVGjr]

Surely we need to cast the net over getting Jai Serong from the Hawks?
He made the VFL team of the year and is out of contract. Good skills as well

[Willow18]

Surely we need to cast the net over getting Jai Serong from the Hawks?
He made the VFL team of the year and is out of contract. Good skills as well

He’s another 3rd key type isn’t he?