We started the season -1 on the maximum list size.
Two mid season additions meant we finished the year +1.
Six deletions so far, leaves us with five open slots.

Sidefx back when I started, the Recruiting Manager was the List Manager and the Footballer Manager looked after the Salary Cap stuff. Now there are all different folk doing all manner of things.

The Recruiting Manager use to sit down with the Coach and chat. The Coach would tell the Recruiting Manager how he wanted to build a team and what he required. Normally a 1st Round pick was left to the RM but thereafter it was on agreement of sorts between the two.

With that theory in place, it obviously makes it hugely difficult for the RM when a Club constantly changes Coaches every 3 years. I remember one conversation after the RM had come from a meeting with our new Coach. The RM said the last 3 years of recruiting for the last Coach was now a waste as the new Coach wanted to go with different types. He was back to square one.

That isn't to say some picks weren't stuffed up, it just means Clubs that have the same Coach and RM together for some time can build some synergy into the decision-making process. Chopping and changing the Coach has many ramifications across the board when building a team.

As an example it appears Vossy will build a team around powerful, contested ball winners to suit his style. So the Recruiter goes that way when Drafting/Trading. If McRea came in as Coach in 2025 he wants defensive runners to suit his Rebounding game style.

It is the wants, needs and nuances, within a Coaches game plan, that the RM has to factor in.

Regards Cazzesman

Sidefx back when I started, the Recruiting Manager was the List Manager and the Footballer Manager looked after the Salary Cap stuff. Now there are all different folk doing all manner of things.

The Recruiting Manager use to sit down with the Coach and chat. The Coach would tell the Recruiting Manager how he wanted to build a team and what he required. Normally a 1st Round pick was left to the RM but thereafter it was on agreement of sorts between the two.

With that theory in place, it obviously makes it hugely difficult for the RM when a Club constantly changes Coaches every 3 years. I remember one conversation after the RM had come from a meeting with our new Coach. The RM said the last 3 years of recruiting for the last Coach was now a waste as the new Coach wanted to go with different types. He was back to square one.

That isn't to say some picks weren't stuffed up, it just means Clubs that have the same Coach and RM together for some time can build some synergy into the decision-making process. Chopping and changing the Coach has many ramifications across the board when building a team.

As an example it appears Vossy will build a team around powerful, contested ball winners to suit his style. So the Recruiter goes that way when Drafting/Trading. If McRea came in as Coach in 2025 he wants defensive runners to suit his Rebounding game style.

It is the wants, needs and nuances, within a Coaches game plan, that the RM has to factor in.

Regards Cazzesman

1. If you look at the Stocker trade on YouTube it’s clear that in a room of a dozen blokes only two are running the show
SOS and Brodie
2. Are you saying that is the type of player Bolton wanted or SOS and Brodie just thought Stocker was going to be gun.
3. And If Voss wants hard at it players why delist Stocker. It give Boyd and O’Brien 2 year deals.
To me it doesn’t look like much of a system

4. It comes down to whether the LM and his assistants know talent whatever game style the coach wants.

There seems to be a lot of the “grass is greener” regarding recruiting at the moment.

I’d like to ask the question, is it the recruiter or the club/coach they’re recruiting for?

Cazzesman maybe the perfect person to answer this but I’m interested to know other opinions also.

As most of you know already I view it the latter way and would like to know where I may be wrong.

We went into the first full list rebuild ever in the AFL, a massive undertaking and it was always going to take time and we were always going to be upgrading players along the way.

Firstly, unlike other clubs our talent as a whole was hands down the worst in the league and we had little to salvage, so;

1. We cleaned out most of the players that wouldn’t’ get games elsewhere and went to the draft heavily.
2. We added depth players from other clubs because we still needed mature bodies around the ball (Setters, Plowman, all the now delisted ones etc) and were slight upgrades on the departed (that’s all we could afford and injury prone and attitude issues were all acceptable).
3. We drafted in players based on a best available talent with a macro approach to positions.
4. During this time we have had 3 coaches all with different game styles, objectives and player needs.
5. So the approach was rinse and repeat for drafting and bargain hunting/punting to upgrade the list while the key top end talent developed.
6. Due to the need to progress up the ladder and with the lack of mature support a lot of talent was thrown to the wolves too early, then shunned by the next coach to win games. We have seen this with the expansion clubs yet somehow don’t relate this scenario to us, even though it was the same albeit with less talent at hand.

A lot needs to be said about continuity and this is something neither the club nor the playing group has been able to have, especially with a revolving door of coaches.

The “grass is greener” recruiters are all from clubs that have had the same coaches for the better part of 10 years and all have well defined structures, systems and roles with in the team. As a result they have all been able to find the “gems” late in the draft, surely there is a coincidence with this and not just pot luck or the recruiters being messiahs.

I see our situation this way.
We have a lot of talent on our list and more has been through the door of recent times.
But unless they are there specifically for a role in a certain position we will never have the success in recruiting some dream of.

Have you ever wondered why some players from these so called, well recruited clubs go from said club to another and are not as good as they were. Or go from poorly recruited clubs and are all of a sudden a star at the so called well recruited ones.

I believe it’s because they are just the right cog for their system and although they are talented, they will never look as good outside of that system unless their role is the same with the same support, capitalising on their 1 or 2 strengths they were drafted/traded for. Not all players have a bag of tricks like Walsh.

I think we are now at a point with the club’s recruiting where Voss has a solid game plan, he knows what traits he wants in a player, he knows what is required to improve the list for his systems and I’m sure he will give Austin clear objectives come trade/draft.

Sorry for the waffling.

1. Yes it was the SOS and Bestie show.
2. No idea what Bolton wanted but I presume with SOS it wouldn't have mattered.
3. I suspect it has nothing to do how hard of a player Stocker is (That is not in dispute), it is about other things.
4. Sure, but no point have 4 highly paid, highly talented ruckman if 4 are never going to get a game together. It is all about Talent selection, Salary Cap, retaining players together for 4 or 5 seasons to build together and having the right balance and depth. Then get lucky with no injuries.

Regards Cazzesman

All correct except Owies moves from a Category B rookie (who wasn’t counted as part of maximum list numbers) to either a senior listed player or Category A rookie (who is counted as part of the maximum list numbers). Effectively he’s gone from a free hit to taking up a list spot with his re-signing as he served the maximum years for a Category B rookie. Suspect we see another delisting (probably Fogarty) to open up another list spot for trades and the upcoming drafts.

It's good waffling though. I agree. My biggest fear is Cook and his short term contract. He moves on then the new CEO can start the merry-go-round all again. I hope he will stay at least 5 years to ensure stability at the top.

Cat B aren’t a free hit. They’re paid a standardised salary, plus match fee, with the entire salary portion not counted in the TPP.

Maximum list size is 44 players, all inclusive. You still have to count the Cat B signings within the 44.

Primary: 36 - 38 players
Cat A: 4 - 6 players
Cat B: 0 - 2 players

We finished the year with 45 on the list.

In what universe are we living in where
S.Durdin gets a 1 year deal but a best 22 player in Marchbank could potentially be playing at another club coz we don't offer him a contract.
What the hell is going on

In what universe are we living in where Obrien gets a 2 year deal
S.Durdin gets a 1 year deal but a best 22 player in Marchbank could potentially be playing at another club coz we don't offer him a contract.
What the hell is going on

In what universe are we living in where Obrien gets a 2 year deal
S.Durdin gets a 1 year deal but a best 22 player in Marchbank could potentially be playing at another club coz we don't offer him a contract.
What the hell is going on

In what universe are we living in where Obrien gets a 2 year deal
S.Durdin gets a 1 year deal but a best 22 player in Marchbank could potentially be playing at another club coz we don't offer him a contract.
What the hell is going on

Yeah, a bit too much obsession over the LOB contract from some posters. We get it already! It's not rocket surgery why he has been given a contract. Let's move on, shall we?

I am pretty confident Marchbank will get an extension, although that data someone shared the other day about his poor 1-on-1 stats surprised me. Hopefully that will be put in context. He offers a lot of versatility so if the medicos reckon he's good to go then I'd be shocked to... well you get the picture.

Yep, I agree with you too.
They must be shaking a few trees in the background to see what's available before finalising the remaining contracts.
But I'd be surprised if he wasn't on our list, even as a rookie.