Always considered that a successful off season can only be judged by both trade and draft period

Trade period success

For me the acquisitions we got in the trade period given TDK JSOS and Diva Curnow wanted out were excellent and only maybe overpaid on Ainsworth but not by a huge amount Florent Redy and Chesser were cheap and I still think we won Charlie trade given we wanted to accumulate picks for ISON and Dean and Walker

Draft period success

Dean ISON another future first for 2026 plus maybe a later pick after ISON would constitute success

On the other hand Dean ISON and another first round pick would also be pretty good

This is particularly the case where they have tightened the f/S rule this year and most probably make it more restrictive in 2026

What do you think
Go BLUES

Who is y?

And is y on X?

Maybe y is on E?

Actually maybe y is on E whilst on X?

I think that might be right.

Simple as ABC.

Outside of that I tend to agree Frank.

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

I'm happy with the approach to date, Frank. If we can draft Dean, Ison and one other, without going into deficit for next year, it will be a good draft period as well. If we can manage to get that 3rd player in the first round, it will be an outstanding achievement.
However I'll be very disappointed if we don't get a key back as a rookie or train on player at worst.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Nailed it

I just noticed on the club socials Ethan Phillips walking into training today. So hopefully that key back expectation is occurring.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

This is my only beef to date - Ainsworth turns 28 next year and is nothing special.
I don't think he is worth a future 2nd however time will tell.
If we get Dean, Ison and another decent player without going into deficit then that would be a good draft outcome.

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'The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule it'
H.L. Mencken

I think if we could delist Lachie O'Brien from the TC Banner, that would be a successful trade.
Go Blues!

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Our tradition demands success!

We are a certainty to get Dean and a very good chance of getting Walker so yeah , if these two boys turn out as good as expected I reckon that's a good result .................. of course only time will tell .

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All my dangerous friends

Not to dissimilar to others but this would be my version.

1. Don't go into points deficit next season if possible.
2. Draft Dean.
3. Draft Ison.
4. Draft Ludowyke or Dovaston
5. Add a mature key utility like Derksen as a rookie or SSP.

Insane would be adding Grlj, Sharp, Cumming, Lindsay, Farrow or Schubert.

Dean, Schubert/Ludowyke, and Ison would be a good draft. Hopefully the Dean selection comes in close to pick 10 to give us the second pick in R1.

As for trade - given away too much in the Charlie trade and lost some decent players, but if they want out, they want out.

Drafting Dean, Ison, and getting another 1st round next year.

Or Dean, Ison and a good KPP prospect.

Swans needed our picks #31 and #42 this year to obtain their academy prospect Max King. I very much doubt they would have done the trade otherwise. This was effectively compensated for by obtaining the Swans 2027 1st rounder for our 2nd rounder. This is the best trade we could have realistically expected for Charlie based on his age and injury history.

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'The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule it'
H.L. Mencken

The Trade period was an overall success imo.
We failed to find cover for the loss of our CHF and CHB, but it gave us a young ruck to replace TDK, improved our speed and foot skills and landed us a strong small forward/mid to add to Williams in 2026.
I think Ainsworth was cheap or worse case, a fair trade.

Consider what we have given up over last 5 years for small forwards, let alone last 10 years, Ainsworth is cheap imo.
Only success we've enjoyed with small forward is the mid we traded for who played mostly at HB, and when fit, is a great small forward: Williams.
Ainsworth can also help us entice his mate Humphries next year too.

As for the rest of the smalls we invested in, other than SSP, Frank the Tank, (unproven but great depth) have cost us was our 2nd rounder in 2020 (pick 30 Fogarty), and our first draft picks, both 2nd rounders in 2020 (30 Durdin) & 2021 (27 Motlop). Tried White and Fantasia. About time we got someone fast, skilled and tough, who CAN play midfield minutes.

If we can snag a developing KPF like Schubert/Ludowyke, Dean and Ison that would be a great result from the Draft, then hopefully we top it off with Derksen/ Philips or better to play CHB in 2026, we have a well balanced list as a result. Success.

If we only get us Dean, Ison and a F1, and still have 2 SSP to fill with a mature KPD and KPF wil also be a great result. Imagine going into 2026 Draft with 3 firsts in a better draft than this year....Walker and Humphries and a mature KPF if we dont find one this year.

love it.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Thanks everyone GWS I was trying to be TOMMIESQUE but FAILED spectacularly alternatively just crap at the technology

Good as a couple said Phillips is training with us for KPD but hopefully we get another couple there training for competition for that spot or spots

What were priorities at the end of 2025????

1. Nothing we could do about TDK so tough luck.
2. Move on some players who perhaps weren't 100% committed to the cause.
3. Once details of player movement was confirmed, then get some good returns for 1. and 2.
4. Free up salary space for a red-hot crack at Butters in 2026
5. Add players of good character and AFL skills to the list, who would be in the best 25.
6. Get enough points for Dean and Ison.
7. Get enough points for Cody to overcome whatever unknown cluster the AFL deems is the F/S requirements in 2026.

I would suggest 1 to 7 is all ticks.

The icing on top now lies with what other Teams do on draft night. If a bid on Harry comes at the right time and we only have to use #9 and retain #11 then IMHO the Trade/Draft period will have been an incredible success.

Obviously a 5 * result would be if nobody bids on Harry and we use our first pick (#9) on another kid then use our 2nd pick (#11) on Harry. Yes, I know those picks will push back from early bids, but you get my drift.

If we have to use 9 and 11 on Dean then such is life. The carry over points remaining from combining 9+11 will hopefully snag something good later in the draft between picks 20-25.

I think they certainly have their eyes on a tall in the SSP

So far I give is A+. It could well end up A+++.

Fingers crossed.

Regards Cazzesman

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Ricky Gervais - “Everyone has the right to hold whatever beliefs they want. And everyone else has the right to find those beliefs f***ing ridiculous.”

Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”

Another first round pick as well as Dean and Ison would be the tickety boo result.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

I'm happy with the trade period. We got rid of guys that didn't want to be there, were not good enough or were a bad influence. We brought in serviceable players that will hopefully improve our playing style, culture and then picks that we needed.

I would like us to take four selections from the draft. I would like us to hold picks 9 and 11. I feel this gives us the best chance to get Dean and another top 20 player. We could use a forward of any size and so Schubert, Marsh or Dovaston would be handy (or Ludowyke if pick slides outside 20). Then there is Ison who will come in around pick 30. Then I hope we take a late half back type. I'll nominate Sharkie. I haven't seen him play, but I know him and he will give it all. Then we can pick up a Phillips type in SSP.

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Jagga

We all seem happy with the trade period, and appreciative of the two quality players we have connected to us via FS and NGA.

4 from Draft and 1 SSP is 5 List spots.

I thought we had 4 spots open in Total for Draft and SSP. Looking at max 3 Draft picks and one SSP, or 2 Draft picks, (plus 1 rookie upgrade) and 2 SSP picks. I may be wrong.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

O'Farrell will go onto LTI list you would think. That would allow us one more.

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Jagga

Can’t agree. If Sydney needed picks for there Acadamy prospects and wanted Charlie, they should have traded other players for the additional picks! We have for Dean and Walker and now still being balckmailed to give up more.
But we are always anticipated to play nice, because we aren’t very good at this game. Others aren’t and IMO, Charlie was worth more and will catapult them into premiership contention.

The Hawthorn pick change at the end, was us again playing nice to assist Hawthorn. I’ve actually lost how many times we have helped them?

That’s my 2 cents and I’m sure the club apologists will be replying, but don’t expect me to get into anymore ongoing debates. From now on, I’ll raise my thoughts and let it be there. Life is too short.