2025 List Management Thread

[Mofra]

Agreed, but he's a small defender with a bit of experience and we are aware of his character and development requirements.
We may not have to cough up a lot to get him.

Sellwood and Jacques are developing as smaller defenders, and I've been impressed with Cleary's improvement this year.

Should we just get an experienced guy (e.g. Budarick, and we're interested in Wehr) and back what we have / potential draftee to develop? Lual looks like he has pace but is he better than what we have or could get cheap?

[GVGjr]

He is in a poor team, but I haven’t been hugely impressed by what I’ve seen of him. Not sure he’d be high on the priority list.

Agreed, but he's a small defender with a bit of experience and we are aware of his character and development requirements.
We may not have to cough up a lot to get him.

[The Underdog]

We should be in the ear of his manager given he does have some strong ties with us.

He is in a poor team, but I haven’t been hugely impressed by what I’ve seen of him. Not sure he’d be high on the priority list.

[GVGjr]

Lual is still out of contract for Essendon. I wonder if he gets squeezed out by all their mid-season draft picks that all look likely to get new contracts. There's going to be a big squeeze on list spots at the Hanger this off-season.

We should be in the ear of his manager given he does have some strong ties with us.

[Sedat]

Lual is still out of contract for Essendon. I wonder if he gets squeezed out by all their mid-season draft picks that all look likely to get new contracts. There's going to be a big squeeze on list spots at the Hanger this off-season.

[jazzadogs]

I like Boyd. Vibes say he's a good option for the nuggety back pocket but not sure if the data backs that up.

[Warrnambulldog]

He can definitely play. Might be a good low cost option to top up our bottom 4 players/depth

[GVGjr]

Different grade of player but anyone think it’s worth us pursuing ex scray player Jordan Boyd from the Blues. Always liked him, I don’t know why he seems to be out of favour at the Blues this year. He fights hard, beautiful kick. Think he has another year on his contract but might be worth checking in with him

Good suggestion. I had a look at his stats for this year
He's come into the senior side 3 times this year but dropped the following week, His last game was as a back pocket.
It look like he has mainly played forward this year in the VFL but he hasn't kicked a goal
He gets a bit of the footy at the VFL level and kicks the footy vastly more than handballing.
He is contracted for next season and he turns 27 this year.

It's hard to get excited about those numbers but perhaps Voss is trying something else and he doesn't fit.

[Warrnambulldog]

Different grade of player but anyone think it’s worth us pursuing ex scray player Jordan Boyd from the Blues. Always liked him, I don’t know why he seems to be out of favour at the Blues this year. He fights hard, beautiful kick. Think he has another year on his contract but might be worth checking in with him

[doggies ftw]

I think the reason Starvcevich is considering a move elsewhere is to also do with a shift into the midfield.

I’m not sure why everyone is so against being a good specialist forward or defender! They’re probably more valuable than dime a dozen midfielders these days which is realistically what he’d be, but yeah I guess lower clubs can potentially offer that to him over us!

[azabob]

Hope behind the scenes we’re into Starcevich, provided we medically tick him off I think the risk is worth it. Would be such a nice piece of our defensive puzzle

I think the reason Starvcevich is considering a move elsewhere is to also do with a shift into the midfield.

[azabob]

Hope your tongue is in cheek to some degree... Lipinski the only one of those four who would be getting a game for us in their preferred role.

Good luck to them, but Young is horrible 1v1, Caleb's decision making has deserted him, Macrae was behind four other mids so needed to move, Sweet was never getting picked ahead of English so needed to move...

Buku has strengths and I'm sure we'd like him to stay, but he will never be a consistent best 7 forward alongside Naughton and Darcy IMO. If he moves because a team without two elite key forwards is offering greater opportunities, that is the right call by him and not necessarily a fault of our list management or coaching.

It has to be right? No one could say with a straight face that Carlton and North are happy with the players they received.

Saints would be ok with Macrae but one could argue Kennedy has helped us more than Macrae has helped the saints.

[doggies ftw]

Hope behind the scenes we’re into Starcevich, provided we medically tick him off I think the risk is worth it. Would be such a nice piece of our defensive puzzle

[GVGjr]

Five trade targets for the Western Bulldogs

Here are the suggestions from Zero Hanger on who we might target

Neil Erasmus
Last year's Simpson Medallist, as the player adjudged best on ground in the WAFL Grand Final, Neil Erasmus is a midfielder positively starved of opportunity since Fremantle called his name on draft night, in 2021.
The top 10 pick averaged 28 disposals over the course of 17 WAFL appearances last season, but has featured at AFL level just 35 times in four seasons in purple.
The young and dynamic Dockers' midfield appears set for the foreseeable future, with key components Hayden Young and Andrew Brayshaw locked away until 2033 and 2031, respectively.
Largely owing to Young's injury-enforced absence this season, Erasmus has featured in Fremantle's senior side 12 times, in a substitute role on four of these occasions - hardly reassuring for the South African-born Erasmus, in a contract year.
Erasmus shapes as a low-risk, high-reward recruitment for the Western Bulldogs, as they begin preparing for life after the ageing Adam Treloar and Tom Liberatore. The ball winner will need to be pried from his home state, but the lure of opportunity could prove too strong for him to refuse.

Alex Davies
Alex Davies presents as another player who could seek a fresh start at the Whitten Oval, facing similar circumstances to Erasmus.
A 2020 draftee, the Cairns-born Suns academy product has played just 32 games for the Gold Coast, while prime movers Noah Anderson, Matt Rowell and Touk Miller dominate centre bounce attendances for the finals fancies.
With two games before Touk Miller's estimated return from injury, the next fortnight presents as an opportunity for Davies to showcase his abilities to interested parties, one of whom, could be the Dogs.
His big frame is an in-demand trait amongst modern midfielders. Although contracted until the end of 2026, Davies would presumably not command a hefty price at the trade table.

Jack Silvagni
The versatile Carlton defender has been in the news recently, after an unlikely defection to traditional rivals Collingwood gained traction.
The third-generation Blue remains unsigned beyond this season, with The Age's Peter Ryan and Michael Gleeson recently reporting the Dogs' interest, which was later confirmed by Dogs football boss, Matthew Egan.
The acquisition of Silvagni addresses a well-documented need for defensive stability, and with his price tag rumoured to be around the $600,000/year mark, the Bulldogs would not be breaking the bank to secure his services.

Zak Butters
Power brokers at Alberton reportedly offered Zak Butters what could very well be the largest deal in AFL history, in a bid to secure his services beyond 2026.
Geelong and the Western Bulldogs have emerged as the two likely landing spots for the exceptional midfielder, given their relative proximity to Butters' family ties in the Bacchus Marsh area.
A prospective partnership with the likes of Marcus Bontempelli and Ed Richards understandably sends tails wagging, with the Darley product's tenacious attack on the football and the man firming him as a ready-made replacement for fan favourite, Tom Liberatore.
A dual All-Australian, Butters does not come with the bargain price tag of previous names on this list, but what a coup he would be to represent for the Sons of the West.

Brandon Starcevich
Another potential piece of defensive stability, Brisbane Lions premiership player Brandon Starcevich, is out of contract at the end of this season. His restricted free agency status, coupled with question marks over his playing future that would accompany another concussion, means interested parties may tread cautiously.
The lockdown small defender is adored in Brisbane, and the Lions would love to keep him, but interest from his home state of Western Australia has surfaced this year, while Essendon and North Melbourne have enquired about his services as well.
The Dogs could do with a 'set and forget' defensive stalwart, to complement the suite of aggressively offensive-minded small defenders Beveridge likes to play, and Starcevich represents just that.

[Uninformed]

Hope your tongue is in cheek to some degree... Lipinski the only one of those four who would be getting a game for us in their preferred role.

Good luck to them, but Young is horrible 1v1, Caleb's decision making has deserted him, Macrae was behind four other mids so needed to move, Sweet was never getting picked ahead of English so needed to move...

Buku has strengths and I'm sure we'd like him to stay, but he will never be a consistent best 7 forward alongside Naughton and Darcy IMO. If he moves because a team without two elite key forwards is offering greater opportunities, that is the right call by him and not necessarily a fault of our list management or coaching.

Not so much tongue in cheek as acknowledging win wins. All players struggling to find a spot with us but who developed solid careers elsewhere. Win for them, win for the teams getting them and win for us in refreshing and reshaping our list. The only players we have lost who would be perhaps making us better are Dunkley and Smith.