2025 List Management Thread

[Bornadog]

Wow bit of a crap article. Put together without really looking into the list.

* "a side that has underdelivered in 2025" - last time I checked there are 4 rounds and finals to go.
* Busslinger interviewed by HUN saying he is going nowhere - no acknowledgement.
* Marra off to Sydney
* Walker contracted till 2026 (Thanks Aza )

[azabob]

Clearly the herald sun did not check in with Axeman. Zac Walker is contracted for 2026.

[Axe Man]

Verdict on every club’s off-contract players and names that could shake up the trade period

Every club is facing tough decisions on what to do with players coming out of contract. We’ve gone through every list to see who should stay and who should go. See the verdicts on 234 players.

Time is ticking for 234 players about to enter the final month of the home-and-away season without a contract for next year.

Collingwood has the most named on the out-of-contract list with 19 and GWS Giants the least, on seven.

A number of players are pondering retirement, some have offers from rival teams and other players will be desperately hoping to avoid the axe.

This is the verdict on all 234 players plus 54 other names across all 18 clubs that could shake up the trade period.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

OFF-CONTRACT DOGS

Adam Treloar, Anthony Scott, Arthur Jones, Caleb Poulter, Jason Johannisen, Liam Jones, Michael Sellwood, Nick Coffield, Oskar Baker, Taylor Duryea, Tom Liberatore, Zac Walker

TOTAL PLAYERS: 12

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The Bulldogs will have a less eventful, and stressful, off-season now Marcus Bontempelli is signed up. But that won’t stop Luke Beveridge and Sam Power from revamping a side that has underdelivered in 2025.

KEEP

Tom Liberatore has been signing one-year extensions for a while now, and that won’t change heading into 2026. Adam Treloar has struggled to get his body right this year but a one-year extension seems likely. Jason Johannisen says he doesn’t want to play anywhere else, but he would be touch and go for a new deal. Michael Sellwood and Zac Walker have shown plenty in the VFL and should hang around for 2026. Caleb Poulter has played the past four games in the senior side but hasn’t set the world on fire. Despite only playing 12 games in the past two seasons, his VFL form warrants another go round – he’s booted 22 goals in 10 games while averaging 17.6 touches as an outside midfielder.

AXE

He’s just broken back into the senior side, but questions will be asked whether Liam Jones is signed on for 2026. He’d be great depth if kept. Anthony Scott, Arthur Jones and Oskar Baker haven’t been regular senior players this year, so questions will be asked. Taylor Duryea is 34 and could hang them up after just five senior games. Nick Coffield has endured a wretched run with injury.

TRADE

Marcus Bontempelli was never going anywhere, but he’s signed a four-year deal in recent weeks. Jedd Busslinger made his debut this season but has played just two games and is coming out of contract in 2026, so teams will inquire. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan seems destined to be at another club next season – Sydney has been heavily linked to the former No.1 pick.

[Bulldog Joe]

in the absence of BT, I know that we must turnover a minimum of 3 players. To replace those players do we have to draft them or can we trade in?

My understanding is we need a minimum 3 spots on draft night but can use any (or all) on rookie upgrades.

Everyone we trade in requires someone else to depart and I think we already have one surplus because we used Weightman's spot as an inactive to take Walker mid-season

[kruder]

I'm fine with the running joke but when people who should know better go googling info I take the time to maintain here it's a little frustrating.

I didn't google was literally on the couch reading a graphic on fox thought it was worth a chat in this thread.

[Bornadog]

We are pretty well aligned here but does Arty Jones deserve another year?
He's young, a great person to have around the club but he's had 4 years to show his value and hasn't delivered on his talent.

As I mentioned I understand if he is delisted. I guess depends on how many we want to delist.

[doggies ftw]

Found Bevos wording in his presser interesting today when talking about Butters. Basically spoke about how it’s not his go to court players publicly, but finished with “the balls in Port Adelaide’s court”

Might be nothing in it but just find the wording interesting, not the balls in Butters court but Port Adelaide’s. Sort of reads to me like Butters is keen but inevitably going to come down to whether Port trade a contracted player or not…

Anyway, probably reading too much into it :P

[GVGjr]

ok with the real list, players out of contract for 2025

Adam Treloar: Keep
Liam Jones: retire
Arthur Jones: 1 Year
Oskar Baker: delist
Anthony Scott: delist
Caleb Poulter: delist
Nick Coffield: keep
Tom Liberatore: 1 Year
Taylor Duryea: delist
Jason Johannisen: retire
Michael Sellwood: keep

11 Players.
* Keep 5
* delist/retire 6

I can understand if Arty is delisted

We are pretty well aligned here but does Arty Jones deserve another year?
He's young, a great person to have around the club but he's had 4 years to show his value and hasn't delivered on his talent.

[mighty_west]

This is not the year to cut deep with a heavily compromised and shallow draft. Perhaps if we are able to bring in 3 or 4 players through trade we could cut a little deeper as I can't see us taking too many picks in the drafts. We have also essentially taken Walker as a 2025 draft pick 6 months early (and need to delist someone just for his spot).

You would never delist a model citizen like Gardner under contract. It would be a good way to get opposition players to avoid coming to us in the future.

I am all for going in hard at the trade table to fill a few gaps in regards to helping out our depth even if it costs us a bit with draft capital as you said, shallow draft, sounds like we may have a or a few NGA draftees later in the draft as well as Darcy who isn't ranked highly by experts, maybe even a dead eye Dickson, we looked as though we did extremely well in last years draft plus quite a few developing younger players already on the list, we need to fix our depth as most would regard our bottom 6 in most weeks side quite a bit weaker than the better sides in the comp and we must do something about that, as those players i had as delistees just don't cut it for mine.

[Pedro Sanchez]

Agree with those numbers but above you had potentially 8 outs which only works for me if we get 3-4 trade ins.

Gardner is doing everything asked of him and performing very well in the VFL. His one AFL game was poor but anyone can have an off game. Supporters only seem to remember his downsides and forget when he was a solid defender for a while. I think he is fine depth, particularly given his versatility to also play ruck/forward in case of emergency given our lack of depth in that area.

If it came to the crunch and a choice of two between Coff and Gards, I lean towards the latter. His positives are he cracks in and can play on genuine key forwards, where as Coff isnt big enough for that and is an inceptor who appears to have lost his speed and ability to intercept. Which to say the least is concerning. Both are massive turn over merchants though which always scares me when they are in space and have possession.

[Mofra]

I'm also wary of cutting too hard in a weak draft year.

I suspect quite a few state league players get a chance this year.

[Axe Man]

I get your take on not cutting too deep, but my position is delisting/retiring a total of 6 players means we'd draft in 3, maybe 4, and trade back another 2/3. Which i see as pretty standard year on year.

With Gardner its all well and good to honour a contract, but the flip side is, in my book he's not up to it. And you then run the risk of setting a low bar to the playing group along the lines of, dont worry about not performing, we'll let you sit in the twos nice and comfortably.

Agree with those numbers but above you had potentially 8 outs which only works for me if we get 3-4 trade ins.

Gardner is doing everything asked of him and performing very well in the VFL. His one AFL game was poor but anyone can have an off game. Supporters only seem to remember his downsides and forget when he was a solid defender for a while. I think he is fine depth, particularly given his versatility to also play ruck/forward in case of emergency given our lack of depth in that area.

[Bornadog]

ok with the real list, players out of contract for 2025

Adam Treloar: Keep
Liam Jones: retire
Arthur Jones: 1 Year
Oskar Baker: delist
Anthony Scott: delist
Caleb Poulter: delist
Nick Coffield: keep
Tom Liberatore: 1 Year
Taylor Duryea: delist
Jason Johannisen: retire
Michael Sellwood: keep

11 Players.
* Keep 5
* delist/retire 6

I can understand if Arty is delisted

[Axe Man]

in the absence of BT, I know that we must turnover a minimum of 3 players. To replace those players do we have to draft them or can we trade in?

I believe you need to draft/rookie upgrade at least 3 players. I don't think drafting 3 players will be an issue but I'm not sure we would bring in 5 or 6 this year.

[Pedro Sanchez]

My points above to Mighty West also are relevant to your proposed moves. I would be interested in your counter arguments?

I get your take on not cutting too deep, but my position is delisting/retiring a total of 6 players means we'd draft in 3, maybe 4, and trade back another 2/3. Which i see as pretty standard year on year.

With Gardner its all well and good to honour a contract, but the flip side is, in my book he's not up to it. And you then run the risk of setting a low bar to the playing group along the lines of, dont worry about not performing, we'll let you sit in the twos nice and comfortably.