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

 

[Broken_Chairs]

Thought I'd compare our trade week performance against some alternative reasonable options (AKA no walking to PSD) we could have landed with:

Option 1:
Trade for Baker with 26 + F2, trade TB for 14 and F2

Summary:
Out: 26, F2, Barras, Darling
In: Baker, Graham, 14, F2 (Hawks), 68

Draft: pick 3, 14, 63, 68

Option 2:
Trade for Baker with 26 + F2, Trade TB & F4 for F1, F2, F3.

Summary:
Out: 26, F2, Barrass, F4, Darling
In: Baker, Graham, F1 (Hawks), F2 (Hawks), F3 (Hawks), 68

Daft: 3, 63, 68

Actual:
Trade for Baker with pick 14 after splitting 3, 63 & 68 for 12, 14, 73 & Owies. Trade TB & F4 for F1, F2, F3.

Summary:
Out: 3, 63, 68, Barrass, F4, Darling
In: Baker, Graham, Owies, 12, 73, F1 (Hawks), F2 (Hawks), F3 (Hawks)

Draft: 12, 26, 73

Overall, not the best and not the worst. I'd probably say option 1 is the most optimal outcome, as it gives us more flexibility. We could have used future picks to trade back into the first or second round, or still gone ahead with our trade to Carlton and taken 12 and 14 to the draft (rather than 12 & 26 - depending on what happened with TB).

The biggest factor is what we valued and paid for Baker - 26 & a F2 may not have gotten it done, but it's not far off and we surely had options to trade those picks with someone else for a later first rounder. Which I think would have sufficed in the end. The fact Baker cost us more than Geelong paid for Bailey Smith

6

Bailey Smith

Age

23

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

is pretty damning IMO.

That said I'd take what we actually got over Option 2, so thx Hawks for being campaigners. We keep a first rounder, second rounder and all the future assets. It actually worked out for us.

All up, I'm at peace with it. We're not in the darkest timeline - somewhere in between.

 

[DanWCE]

Clark is the list manager, but he does not make the decisions on his own. The new coach would of had the ultimate say on all of this. That people think the list managers are fully in charge of all recruiting is just dumb.
A large group are involved with the senior coach having a huge say. The list manager delivers the final outcome.

The wheels were set in motion before we had a senior coach, though. Seemingly the Baker deal tabled, and TBs purse not sweetened to get those things moving. One thing Clarke did correctly once Mini arrived was state publicly that the head coach would be rapt to keep TB - ie pony up or piss off.

 

[Broken_Chairs]

Rotham will be currency for Warner next year.

Rotham for Warner, straight swap or we walking him to the ****in' PSD.

 

[KERRPOW]

Tb has been with Gov and a few other mates in Port Douglas since Monday. I've been told he was very nervous, and with 15 minutes left had conceded that it was a good chance he was coming back to the Eagles. Was getting calls from McQualter with an hour left to go, telling him he is welcome back etc.

When the trade went through, he and Gov were very emotional, but he knows it is best for him and the Eagles to move on.

Champion of our club, and although I can't wait to death ride the Hawks next year, I will be certainly supporting TB.

Hope barrass can dominate, but hawks to finish bottom.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

The wheels were set in motion before we had a senior coach, though. Seemingly the Baker deal tabled, and TBs purse not sweetened to get those things moving. One thing Clarke did correctly once Mini arrived was state publicly that the head coach would be rapt to keep TB - ie pony up or piss off.

Yes thats all fine but its no point throwing it all on Clark if you are unhappy with it all.

 

[Obeanie1]

Can you clarify what occurs if we don't budge? Given he's an out of contract player is it just "bad faith"

Well judging how we went this year after making a "commitment" to Baker if we held pick 3 next year and made a "commitment" to trading for Warner, what do you think would happen?

We would be forced to add pick 3.

 

[Bender_]

We only hired McQualter to entice Baker over. Baker is basically the LeBron of the AFL.

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

Thanks Astx and Mon.Your explanations should be required reading for all the melters on here.I had always agreed on the top few but never given much thought to the depth of this draft.
I slept a bit easier last night without “seething” running through my head.
Gee whiz maybe our recruiting staff actually know what they are doing! Thanks guys!

Glad it helps you see the bigger picture.

I’m still pissed off we overpaid for Baker. Using 14 on Liam should have given us either a later second back or a couple of R3 picks. I probably like 2 x R3 as there will be good prospects there

 

[DanWCE]

Yes thats all fine but its no point throwing it all on Clark if you are unhappy with it all.

I agree there. He's not a one man department, but he's the figurehead.

The noose around our neck was the unequivocal agreement months out from the trade period that Baker was worth the pick we were destined to acquire for TB. We put our fingers in our ears about it but the media all knew, so it must have been tied up with a pretty bow and express posted to Tigers head office very early on.

I would say it was such an open secret that Fremantle strategized around keeping Bakers value at 14 by offering their earlier pick knowing Baker didn't want to play for them, and then held off doing the Bolton deal until Baker was done so they could get access to the pick they helped set in stone.

If Clarke was steering the ship when those initial agreements were made he had the blinkers on for his boy, and he's responsible. He also got caught playing checkers while others were playing chess.

He'll learn from it and I assume some additional contingencies will be put in place going forwards, but there's no doubt that he has his fingers all over the worst aspect of our trade period, and potentially was saved from himself in the TB negotiations as he tried to recover any losses.

 

[Broken_Chairs]

We only hired McQualter to entice Baker over. Baker is basically the LeBron of the AFL.

LeBron has 4 rings - so 2x flags in the next 5 years confirmed

 

[Obeanie1]

Demons are a interesting one. 2 picks and 5 free list spots. Unlike us though they have Bombers future 1st as opposed to Hawks which holds more value.

We are massively behind in getting back into this draft. People need to lump it and accept it

I'm done.

Should have done this week's ago.

Your back on ignore.

 

[Rowan18]

I think Walley will demand the highest bid of the three. Probably second round but he's the one who could go very high if it all clicks.

Banfield is a running machine but probably won't be viewed as a top end talent. Hopefully a late second.

Evans could be a late selection unless he does something wild in the champs. Probably more of a speculative athlete with a fast, long kicking game style.

That's exciting!

Typical that the year we look to cash in with father sons/NGA, they tighten up the bidding!

 

[Ishmael_]

Firstly, loved the melts, loved having a melt - at least this trade period was entertaining.

Overall my opinion on the trade period is unsurprisingly mixed.

Strategically I'm happy with the direction. - I like bringing in some established players to hopefully raise the baseline, and also just to flush out some of the conditional trash on our list.

• I wanted 3 but am coming around to having an extra first next year. If the draft is actually as deep and strong as they say (and who knows), this is a good year to drop down.
• Barrass had to be traded and we got a good return all things considered, once they choose a club there isn't realistically anything you can do about it.
• Warner is a no-brainer at his age and with his ability.

The Caveats to the above are:

• Warner at any price is a massive strategic mistake, we both need to actually get him and not make that mistake.
• That risk will be minimised and this trade period will look a lot better if we trade a F1 out and back into this draft.

Tactically this was a mess.
- Baker was steadfast in getting to us, especially when McQualter was announced, Fremantle was not an option and yet we folded as if they were. 14 was a fine price to pay for other clubs, but not for us. We needed to have a better defined walking away point.

Something either should have come back or we needed the foresight to turn 14 into a later 1R and something else.

- If we were desperate to get something done and planned on extracting max value from the Hawks we should have been exploring the pick 3 trade from day one.

- The Hawks result was bad in that it forced us to be rash with pick 3 but good in that I think their F1 is better than 14 - at least quantitatively. If they finish anything lower than 6th it's a win for us - it's a risk but a hedged risk.

 

[pantskyle]

We only hired McQualter to entice Baker over. Baker is basically the LeBron of the AFL.

12 million over 2 years for the GOAT!

 

[Broken_Chairs]

That's exciting!

Typical that the year we look to cash in with father sons/NGA, they tighten up the bidding!

On the upside we can trade picks 2 years in advance + we have a glut of future picks

 

[Donflicted]

Demons are a interesting one. 2 picks and 5 free list spots. Unlike us though they have Bombers future 1st as opposed to Hawks which holds more value.

We are massively behind in getting back into this draft. People need to lump it and accept it

Not trying to start anything here just letting you know please don't flame me

we have Dees Future first they don't have our future first

 

[DanWCE]

I really hope we don't trade our futures two years ahead. Way too difficult to get a read on where we will sit. Couple of stars will hang em up during that period, we will have only played one year under Mini and the game plan could really click after that, or he could get the ass and we're back to square one

 

[new breed]

The Barrass picks saved us really from a Z - rating to a C ...brilliant finish .
Only had pick 3 and Barrass compensation to get all we needed , stuffed up but have the experience now in the squad , go again next draft even the mid-season draft , possibly ( hopefully not ) a high pick .
Somehow we will win games especially if Oscar Allen

12

Oscar Allen

Age

25

Ht

196cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.8

2star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.1

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.6

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

2.8

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.0

4star

G

1.2

4star

quits captaincy and goes and wins the Coleman medal , concentrate on that Oscar ....

 

[kerrazy]

I guess a positive way to spin the Baker/pick 3 trade is...

The one player we want and that we were always going to draft will be available at 12 due to the evenness of the first 12 picks.

OR

We don't care who is left from the top 12 selections as we have needs in all positions (minus forwards)

Baker then becomes the steak knives to what we were already going to do anyway.


That's all I got.

 

[squashface]

Am I correct in saying that pick trading never closed and is open until the draft? So we can (hopefully) do a trade to get back in this draft at any point?

 

[Broken_Chairs]

I really hope we don't trade our futures two years ahead. Way too difficult to get a read on where we will sit. Couple of stars will hang em up during that period, we will have only played one year under Mini and the game plan could really click after that, or he could get the ass and we're back to square one

Yeah super risky, and can see some teams really ruining themselves because of it - but would depend on how we rate our options and what the perceived value of those future picks are

 

[ghostbat12]

If Rotham is getting a list spot at the expense of Culley or Burgiel I'll be livid

I’d be livid if either of those are still on the list.

 

[Broken_Chairs]

Am I correct in saying that pick trading never closed and is open until the draft? So we can (hopefully) do a trade to get back in this draft at any point?

Not sure if it goes right up to draft night, but there's def a period in between where picks can be traded

 

[ZergMinion]

Am I correct in saying that pick trading never closed and is open until the draft? So we can (hopefully) do a trade to get back in this draft at any point?

I just looked it up, and pick swaps can be done from today till Nov 8th, and then again on draft night(s).

 

[Dark Sharks]

Am I correct in saying that pick trading never closed and is open until the draft? So we can (hopefully) do a trade to get back in this draft at any point?

That is correct