List Mgmt. Contract, Trade and Draft Discussions - 2024 Post Season

[Keys]

Quick links

• Player contract status
• Draft prospect video highlights (thanks to noobermensch)
• AFL retirements and delistings
• Provisional 2025 Draft order

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Trade period
In: 12, F1, F2, F3, 73, Baker, Owies, Graham*
Out: 3, 63, F4, Barrass, Darling

*Free agent

Done deals

• Jai Culley, Alex Witherden
  23

  Alex Witherden

  Age

  26

  Ht

  188cm

  Wt

  85kg

  Pos.

  Def

  Career

  Season

  Last 5

  D

  20.7

  5star

  K

  15.2

  5star

  HB

  5.5

  4star

  M

  6.2

  5star

  T

  1.8

  4star

  MG

  386.5

  5star

  D

  13.0

  3star

  K

  10.0

  4star

  HB

  3.0

  2star

  M

  7.0

  5star

  T

  0.0

  1star

  MG

  201.0

  3star

  D

  24.0

  5star

  K

  15.4

  5star

  HB

  8.6

  5star

  M

  5.8

  5star

  T

  2.2

  4star

  MG

  380.2

  5star

  and Coby Burgiel delisted
  • Burgiel to be considered as a train on player

• Tom Barrass traded to Hawthorn
  • In: F1, F2, F3 (HAW)
  • Out: Barrass, F4

• Liam Baker and Matt Owies join West Coast in Pick 3 trade
  • In: Baker, Owies, 12, 73
  • Out: 3, 63, 68

• Jack Darling traded to North Melbourne for Pick 67

• Jack Graham joins West Coast as UFA

• Jake Waterman re-signs with West Coast until at least 2029

• Zane Trew, Jamaine Jones
  31

  Jamaine Jones

  Age

  26

  Ht

  180cm

  Wt

  80kg

  Pos.

  D/F

  Career

  Season

  Last 5

  D

  9.0

  2star

  K

  4.8

  2star

  HB

  4.2

  3star

  M

  2.1

  2star

  T

  3.8

  5star

  MG

  159.6

  3star

  D

  10.5

  3star

  K

  6.5

  3star

  HB

  4.0

  3star

  M

  2.5

  3star

  T

  4.0

  5star

  MG

  196.5

  3star

  D

  9.0

  3star

  K

  4.2

  2star

  HB

  4.8

  4star

  M

  2.4

  3star

  T

  4.2

  5star

  MG

  166.0

  3star

  and Jordyn Baker delisted

• Archer Reid (2027), Loch Rawlinson (2025), and Coen Livingstone (2025) sign extensions

 

[Spooky17]

 

[Bacchus]

Cripps replacement who can also chop out in the middle or down back if we have injuries. Like Jayden Hunt, he'd be there to fill a role while the kids come on.

Question is: how much young talent do we forgo to pick up Liam Baker? Hamish Davis for example, plus more.

 

[Get_The_Gaff]

I can't say much but and it may not happen but a lot of work has gone into making sure pick 3 is used on a much higher caliber player than Baker.

The clubs has quite a few trade targets. Hopefully get a couple over the line but still want 2 picks inside the top 20 of the draft.

Hope its not peatling. I like peatling a lot more than Baker but still not worth having pick 3 involved

 

[3agles87]

View attachment 2104973

You forgot the two top 20 picks, so you can add in Draper and Travaglia.

 

[Bender_]

Dev
Garcia
Pick 3
Hawks R1
Pick 23
Hawks FR1
Champion

(Some picks on the way out to make the first 2 happen)

Would honestly be happy with that.

Hit the preseason healthy with a new coach focusing on skills and contested ball. Dewar and Johnstone best 22. Long and Hewett back in. Bazzo and AReid pressing for selection. Club just needs to put their head down and do some hard work this off season.

 

[Get_The_Gaff]

Johnson’s hardly been tearing it up. If we had him on the list instead of Chesser, people would be calling him a bust.

Johnson plays fine in the midfield. Getting played on the flank isn't his natural role and struggles.

Cant get a go on ball at freo . He wouldn't have that trouble with us . He would have had 2 seasons in the guts at this point

 

[Elite Pete]

Can the Baker supporters explain what footballing attributes they see that makes him worthy of trading a top 3 pick down or even just pick 23?

His main attributes are speed and agility which are generally the first to go with age. He’s got the absolute best out of his ability due to being plugged into a system that essentially relied on players scrambling the ball forward at all costs with minimal regard to precise disposal.

This year he attended over a third (35%) of CBAs for an average of one centre clearance a match at the feet of a ruckman averaging over 30 hit outs a match.

He has a kicking efficiency of 56% and a disposal efficiency of 65% which is the last thing we need running out of the backline or going into F50.

He’s kicked 14 goals for the year and with Ryan, Long, Brockman and soon Champion on the list the forward line is the last third we need to reinforce.

Where is the need for a high priced 27 year old 173cm utility, particularly in a deep draft?

Known quantity is a big thing atm and he is as close as you can get to that. Been good in premiership teams and wooden spoon team.

We have a lot of star power and potential stars on our list atm. Oscar, Waterman, Gov, Harley, pick 3 or 6 and even Hewett. Getting elite role players to add to that is a good thing. Not everyone you bring in has to be the next JK, with list building adding Reddens and Stenglins help.

Plus on top of what us already mentioned. Very very clean and can play anywhere.

Ultimately you want to Increase the ceiling of your list and you do that with high picks and bringing in star players ect. While Baker imo doesnt fit in that category he does fit in the raising the Floor. Which is also critical while you are trying to achieve a list build to a flag and that should be easier to do.

While im pro bring in Baker camp it is for the right price. F2 or moving 3 to 6 if they value the rookies around the same. If they think their is a drop in star potential between those picks you don’t do it.

I assume Baker is aware of this and that why he hasn’t nominated a club publicly. Tigers and Eagles you’d think would be in discussion now and the Pyke saying what he has been might be softening the blow to fans as it would be a weird thing to say publicly unless the talks have gone down that way

 

[Get_The_Gaff]

Question is: how much young talent do we forgo to pick up Liam Baker? Hamish Davis for example, plus more.

Afl giving us a priority pick future end of 1st is an elegant solution to help both us and Richmond.

Hits at all the right points . We get a player with experience to plug and play whilst keeping our draft hand, Richmond get an extra 1st next year when they need it after trading out all their players this season .

 

[Byron_Clanger]

No deal: Eagles rule out straight swap for Baker, pick three

West Coast chief executive Don Pyke has ruled out giving up pick three in this year’s draft to Richmond in a direct trade for Liam Baker, but did not rule out parting with their top selection.

thewest.com.au

Can't get past the paywall on this one unfortunately. Like I said earlier, I'm not fussed with trading the third pick for Baker as long as Richmond send back another pick inside the top 10.

 

[Bacchus]

Johnson plays fine in the midfield. Getting played on the flank isn't his natural role and struggles.

Cant get a go on ball at freo . He wouldn't have that trouble with us . He would have had 2 seasons in the guts at this point

I like the look of what Johnson (Matt) has shown far more than that of Chesser.

If anything he shows a little too much aggression (undisciplined) rather than too little as in Chesser’s case.

I thought the conversation above began with Harvey Johnston.

Johnston has shown some promising signs in his handful of games and looks a good chance to make the grade with increased strength and fitness and “development”.

 

[Keys]

Not sure if that included my original post but the point is not the nuances of the trade the point is asking what people see Baker actually bringing into the system. Peatling for example is obvious. Baker is not. At least to me.

“Leadership”, “hardness” etc are all things we can find at low or no cost if we’re just looking for a body to protect younger players.

Questioning whether we need Baker at this stage of our rebuild is reasonable - it’s a 50/50 call that is heavily dependent on what we give up in draft capital to bring him in.

The benefits he brings imo are -
• Leadership and experience
• A reliable replacement for Cripps in our forward half who is able to provide the sort of defensive pressure we’ve lacked
• An ability to rotate through the midfield in bursts as well as being able to help in defence if required
• We have 15 players on our list who will turn 23-28 next year - 5 of whom are likely delists and includes the likes of Brockman, Hutchinson, Petruccelle, Jamieson and B Williams. It’s an important demographic we’re extremely thin in so Baker will provide a boost to that (as woukd any of Parfitt, Robertson, Peatling, Garcia, Carroll or Graham)
• He’s a known quantity who is capable of providing 5-6 years of solid football - a 100 plus game player

I’ve posted before I see him as a nice to have as opposed to a must have

To us I think he’s worth our F2, maybe with some demtel quality steak knives thrown in

I don’t think we should be involving pick 3 in any trade for him - even 3 for 6 and Baker is dubious.

But saying I don’t like that trade is not equivalent to spitting the dummy over it like it’s already happened which was my point

 

[kingcuz]

No deal: Eagles rule out straight swap for Baker, pick three

West Coast chief executive Don Pyke has ruled out giving up pick three in this year’s draft to Richmond in a direct trade for Liam Baker, but did not rule out parting with their top selection.

thewest.com.au

Can't get past the paywall on this one unfortunately. Like I said earlier, I'm not fussed with trading the third pick for Baker as long as Richmond send back another pick inside the top 10.

West Coast chief executive Don Pyke has ruled out giving up pick three on its own in this year’s draft to Richmond in a direct trade for Liam Baker.
But Pyke did not rule out parting with three and securing a top-10 pick and the West Australian premiership mid-forward.
The Tigers are in negotiations with Gold Coast over the future of Daniel Rioli with the pick six mentioned in that deal a chance to be on-traded to the Eagles.
“Not as a standalone,” Pyke told ABC Radio.
“The scenarios are varied and different with ultimately what we would be prepared to part with for Liam versus what does it look like for us in our trade hand and the draft table.
“It’s hard because the trade stuff starts in about a month’s time. I know the conversations have already started but there is a fair bit of water to go under the bridge before we get to that.

“We are really mindful and want to reassure our members and fans we are going to make sure we do this in a really diligent way and really sensible way that hopefully we can bring in some mature talent but we can also make sure we have a good draft hand to bring in our younger talent.
‘Historically that is where the club has done very well. And this year’s draft falls very deep I am led to believe. We don’t want to miss out.
“I’ve said probably from the middle of the year, where we are at, we want the best of both worlds. We want to bring in some talent, mature, that can help us but we also want to make sure we have our draft talent to keep that draft talent coming on board so that we have some high-end picks.”
He confirmed Baker, Shai Bolton, Jack Graham and Chad Warner were also part of discussions.
”We are having conversations around what that might look like,” Pyke said.
“There are negotiations around trade, around contracts, term, and we are working through that.
“We are trying to have the view that if we put enough lines in the water we will add something there. We need to be sure we are adding to the list in the right way that builds towards what we need for the future. That’s where it’s at.”

Richmond’s new CEO Shane Dunne said this week if would take an “extraordinary” deal to part with contracted players Bolton and Rioli.
Baker is uncontracted, and while he is leaning towards the Eagles, his management has told the Dockers and West Coast he is yet to come to an official decision.
The Dockers have three first-round picks in this year’s draft and are also in the mix for Baker and Bolton, along with Sydney’s Chad Warner, who is out of contract at the end of next season.
Eagles defender Tom Barrass has requested a trade to Hawthorn with the Hawks will be prepared to give up a first-round pick, which will depend on how deep the go in September.
“The situation with Tom is those conversations will have started now and we will have those with Hawthorn without necessarily putting it out there as to what we want,” Pyke said.
“Understanding he is a contracted player and is a required player. He has made a decision and so we will try and negotiate in our best interests to get what we can for that trade if it is to eventuate.”

 

[SumaGodCoach]

I can't say much but and it may not happen but a lot of work has gone into making sure pick 3 is used on a much higher caliber player than Baker.

The clubs has quite a few trade targets. Hopefully get a couple over the line but still want 2 picks inside the top 20 of the draft.

I'm going to carpet bomb whore island with chastity belts if we don't land Chad Warner.

 

[pantskyle]

My point was mainly Eddies reaction of "pfftt yeah rightio"

as in who would want Darling.



Sent from my SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app

My understanding is North want him for 2 years to play and mentor the forwards and then move into coaching.

 

[Bender_]

My understanding is North want him for 2 years to play and mentor the forwards and then move into coaching.

No offence to Jack, but what are North expecting him to coach?

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Richmond’s new CEO Shane Dunne said this week if would take an “extraordinary” deal to part with contracted players Bolton and Rioli.

Meanwhile, the Barrass trade:

inb4 melting over something that hasn't happened (yet). Have a laugh you sad sacks.

inb4 melting over something that hasn't happened yet x2

 

[Barrybran]

Question is: how much young talent do we forgo to pick up Liam Baker? Hamish Davis for example, plus more.

Let's say we trade Barrass for 12 + F2, Darling + 59 for 40, trade F2 for Baker and 23 for Peatling, pick up Graham as a free agent and use 3, 12 and 40. Edwards comes in for Barrass and we probably roll with Baker instead of another tall for Darling. That means Peatling, Graham and pick 3 are coming in for fringe players, or playing WAFL with pick 12 and Champion. We'll then have pick 2/3 next year along with Hawthorn's F2 and our F3 and F4. Another top 10 pick in 2026, maybe 2027, though I think we will be around mid-table and potentially scrape into the finals by then. And that's not even considering splitting pick 3, getting Hawthorn's F1 rather than F2, other trade outs or free agents in, etc.

F2 for Baker would be a very small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.

 

[happy_eagle]

Has there been any further word on Busslinger?

 

[Bacchus]

Let's say we trade Barrass for 12 + F2, Darling + 59 for 40, trade F2 for Baker and 23 for Peatling, pick up Graham as a free agent and use 3, 12 and 40. Edwards comes in for Barrass and we probably roll with Baker instead of another tall for Darling. That means Peatling, Graham and pick 3 are coming in for fringe players, or playing WAFL with pick 12 and Champion. We'll then have pick 2/3 next year along with Hawthorn's F2 and our F3 and F4. Another top 10 pick in 2026, maybe 2027, though I think we will be around mid-table and potentially scrape into the finals by then. And that's not even considering splitting pick 3, getting Hawthorn's F1 rather than F2, other trade outs or free agents in, etc.

F2 for Baker would be a very small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.

Richmond appear to be pushing for a lot more than F2 for Baker.

 

[WCErevival]

Has there been any further word on Busslinger?

He re-signed during the year.

 

[Dark Sharks]

Questioning whether we need Baker at this stage of our rebuild is reasonable - it’s a 50/50 call that is heavily dependent on what we give up in draft capital to bring him in.

The benefits he brings imo are -
• Leadership and experience
• A reliable replacement for Cripps in our forward half who is able to provide the sort of defensive pressure we’ve lacked
• An ability to rotate through the midfield in bursts as well as being able to help in defence if required
• We have 15 players on our list who will turn 23-28 next year - 5 of whom are likely delists and includes the likes of Brockman, Hutchinson, Petruccelle, Jamieson and B Williams. It’s an important demographic we’re extremely thin in so Baker will provide a boost to that (as woukd any of Parfitt, Robertson, Peatling, Garcia, Carroll or Graham)
• He’s a known quantity who is capable of providing 5-6 years of solid football - a 100 plus game player

I’ve posted before I see him as a nice to have as opposed to a must have

To us I think he’s worth our F2, maybe with some demtel quality steak knives thrown in

I don’t think we should be involving pick 3 in any trade for him - even 3 for 6 and Baker is dubious.

But saying I don’t like that trade is not equivalent to spitting the dummy over it like it’s already happened which was my point

Good post, was just about to post the same thing, only more eloquently.


Whilst the carry on over the potential Baker acquisition and every ******* trade from Jon Ralph which ends up with us overpaying is just cause for melts...

Let's not pretend he is shit. I don't necessarily agree with targetting him simply because HE says he wants to come home, however you'd have to be blind to totally disregard him as a decent AFL player.

I'm a stats man normally but in Baker case you can see stats can be a bit deceiving.

He's a quality player that can play in any third of the ground and have an impact. He lifts his teammates around him with his courage and leadership (for a midget) and brings others into the game.

He does the 1% things which helps you win games and bobs up at the right time to do them. I think leadership at West Coast is borderline a farce at this point. Allen and Duggan aren't a leaders arseh*le. Neither should be captain. Meanwhile our VC is attempting to walk out the door. Case could be made McGovern is a leader I guess, but his game style is also rather selfish as well.

Who else is there? Cripps? Kelly? Haha!! Biggest non leaders we have those 2, and that's along with our captain's.

Baker for mine instantly becomes potentially the best leader we have. He'd be handy during pre season given his experience, where he's come from and what he's done in the AFL.


This is all copium of course.

 

[Barrybran]

Richmond appear to be pushing for a lot more than F2 for Baker.

Stuff Richmond

I'm trying to figure out how a trade for pick 3 will work for us but I don't see it as 6 or 9 plus Baker. I'd like to think that if we were giving up pick 3 it would be for 6 + one of 13 (from GCS), 14 (from BRI) or 17 (from FRE). We'd have to give up some decent value to include Baker in that trade but I think this is why we need to push for Hawthorn's F1 now. Give that pick up for Baker and the trade winds up as something like 3, F1 (HAW) + F2 (WCE) for 6, 14, F3/F4 (RIC) + Baker, leaving us with 6, 12, 14 + 40 (assuming we give up 23 for Peatling still) with our F1, F3 and 2 x F4 to take into the 2025 draft.

Whatever the trade will be will work out favourably for both sides.

 

[RanaNaved]

Pick 6 still guarantees one of Smillie, Langford, Draper, Smith, FOS, Reid or Lalor

 

[eaglevision]

Known quantity is a big thing atm and he is as close as you can get to that. Been good in premiership teams and wooden spoon team.

We have a lot of star power and potential stars on our list atm. Oscar, Waterman, Gov, Harley, pick 3 or 6 and even Hewett. Getting elite role players to add to that is a good thing. Not everyone you bring in has to be the next JK, with list building adding Reddens and Stenglins help.

Plus on top of what us already mentioned. Very very clean and can play anywhere.

Ultimately you want to Increase the ceiling of your list and you do that with high picks and bringing in star players ect. While Baker imo doesnt fit in that category he does fit in the raising the Floor. Which is also critical while you are trying to achieve a list build to a flag and that should be easier to do.

While im pro bring in Baker camp it is for the right price. F2 or moving 3 to 6 if they value the rookies around the same. If they think their is a drop in star potential between those picks you don’t do it.

I assume Baker is aware of this and that why he hasn’t nominated a club publicly. Tigers and Eagles you’d think would be in discussion now and the Pyke saying what he has been might be softening the blow to fans as it would be a weird thing to say publicly unless the talks have gone down that way

I do agree with you that he’s clean below his knees and that is something we have struggled with this year but “elite role player” is an oxymoron. Saying he can play anywhere to me is saying he doesn’t excel at one role. Hodge is really the only player that comes to mind that could do that well, although he clearly became best in the back third.

I’m not sure what you mean by saying “value the rookies around the same”?

In regards to Pyke’s comments they are slightly concerning, but 9,10 and 17 for 3 and 23 looks a lot different to 3 for 9 (or even 6) and Baker.

 

[Elite Pete]

I do agree with you that he’s clean below his knees and that is something we have struggled with this year but “elite role player” is an oxymoron. Saying he can play anywhere to me is saying he doesn’t excel at one role. Hodge is really the only player that comes to mind that could do that well, although he clearly became best in the back third.

I’m not sure what you mean by saying “value the rookies around the same”?

In regards to Pyke’s comments they are slightly concerning, but 9,10 and 17 for 3 and 23 looks a lot different to 3 for 9 (or even 6) and Baker.

He probably could excel in a position but due to be part of a stacked Richmond team he was the used in different roles and did it well.

Value rookies should say value the Draftees. If we find it hard to spilt the top 6 sliding down would mean minimal to us as they would be all midfielders.

How recruiting teams value this draft pool and where they place them in tiers will determine how they value top 3 or 6 or 10 picks..

Still tiers of role players imo. He would be the top end of it.