2025 List Management Thread

[Sedat]

Once a player has been branded as a poor one, it's a long, long way back. 4 good games won't get too many positive comments but a poor one will attract a lot of heat.
I pressured a mate who is always critical of Bramble despite the fact he hasn't missed a game for us as to why he didn't rate Bramble?.
When it was all said and done it was basically that he wasn't getting a regular game with Hawthorn before arriving here so he can't be that good.
Solid logic.

He was genuinely crap with his disposal (by foot and hand) early in the piece last year and it cost us every week, which was the knock on him at Hawthorn. To his absolute credit, he has improved this area of his game significantly and become a vital cog in our rebound game. He deserves all the credit and is clearly a starting 18 player for us. When Dale gets sat on, Bramble does the heavy lifting and keeps our run and rebound going from D50.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Also should this thread be on the main board?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Anyone else tired of another potential trade period where we lose a talented player and only bring in some fringe player from a other club?

All other teams strengthen their lists whereas we just seem to tread water.

[Bornadog]

Once a player has been branded as a poor one, it's a long, long way back. 4 good games won't get too many positive comments but a poor one will attract a lot of heat.
I pressured a mate who is always critical of Bramble despite the fact he hasn't missed a game for us as to why he didn't rate Bramble?.
When it was all said and done it was basically that he wasn't getting a regular game with Hawthorn before arriving here so he can't be that good.
Solid logic.

My Hawks mate thought he was a very good player but the Hawks were critical of his field kicking. I think he has improved his kicking and is a thumping kick on the run having a shot for goal.

[GVGjr]

Had a fantastic year too.
Kid cannot shake the bias against him.

Once a player has been branded as a poor one, it's a long, long way back. 4 good games won't get too many positive comments but a poor one will attract a lot of heat.
I pressured a mate who is always critical of Bramble despite the fact he hasn't missed a game for us as to why he didn't rate Bramble?.
When it was all said and done it was basically that he wasn't getting a regular game with Hawthorn before arriving here so he can't be that good.
Solid logic.

[Happy Days]

Just because he looks perpetually hungover doesn’t mean he is. Bramble is a good player who has delisting bias hanging over him.

[Rusty12]

Bramble hasn't missed a game for us, do you really he falls out of the 23 or is this just a preference?

Had a fantastic year too.
Kid cannot shake the bias against him.

[Willow18]

Bramble hasn't missed a game for us, do you really he falls out of the 23 or is this just a preference?

Hope that development sees Sellwood, Jaques & Cleary go ahead of him. But he’s likely in over those 3

[Bornadog]

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.

Gardner

[GVGjr]

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, Sellwood

C: Williams, Bontempelli, Davidson

HF: Freijah, Naughton, M. Kennedy

FF: Weightman, Darcy, West

R: English, Richards, Liberatore

I: Cleary, Sanders, Treloar, Croft, Dolan

Depth:
Small def: Bramble, 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

Bramble hasn't missed a game for us, do you really he falls out of the 23 or is this just a preference?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

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.

Hard to argue with that. We've also been bereft of a genuine small crumbing forward for what seems like a decade.

[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