Right now, we have one good small forward in Paps. We 'think' Jesse is going to be good but don't know yet. Hannily is a marginal prospect, albeit with a few signs this year. And that's it. It's an area where we are badly lacking. Not saying we don't need to improve elsewhere too, but compared to other contenders, we're light on for small-ish forwards. And Rosas should come cheap.
2025 List Management
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good talent Jnr
lots of ceiling to extract
low cost trade etc
invaluable lead up smalls with wicked left kickLast edited by Auntie.Gerald; 29 September 2025, 04:46 PM."be tough, only when it gets tough"
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So, I a) don't think Carlton will or should for their own sake let Curnow go, b) have any idea if the Rower rumour is true, and c) come to this as a Rowey fan.
But, if you want to make a case for something like this it's approximately as follows.
The club is right to think laterally and act aggressively. We have at least a two year window and it depends from there. I have always felt we needed to nab a flag while Isaac, Mills and Paps are at their peaks and whilst injuries cost the latter two this year (and last year with Mills), they're still young enough to lead the younger elite brigade to a premiership in the right circumstances. But we just don't know post-2027 - does Chad stay or go, how long can Isaac and Grundy play at such a stellar level as they go through their 30s, etc etc.
Next is our forward set up. The only one we can count on for good long-term production is McDonald, who'll be fine to go again next year and is at a minimum, a 40+ (and potentially more) goal player. Amartey is crucial to our fortunes at his best, but has had one injury free year on the list, and Hayden is no more than serviceable. (Plus, it looks like we botched the retention of Buller). Whether it's a priority compared to other parts of the ground is a legit question, but it's an issue.
Then there is our midfield mix. You can't play Rowie, Jordon, Gus and Mills in the one midfield. And I'd play Mills there every day of the week. I get the Peter-Paul argument about his best position. But his two best years were '21 and '22 when he played permanent mid. He won a B&F and an AA. He's an elite two way midfielder. He's better than Josh Dunkley - who rightly gets a bucket of plaudits for his two way work. Jordon is flexible and he'd always be best 22 for me. I totally get what Rowie does for the other players and think there's times he's been asked to sacrifice too much of his own ball-winning instincts, but Mills is still better at it by a fair margin.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not pushing for Rowie to leave. I want to keep him. And there'd be downside risks on culture and team balance when a co-captain (as he effectively was in the first half of the year), selfless and well-liked player moves along (voluntarily or otherwise), and as Liz points out, not convinced GC is the best avenue for him.
But as part of a merry-go-round trade involving Flanders and Curnow, I could see why it's being looked at.Comment
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John Ralph has just said what every media person is sayting, CURNOW WANTS TO GO TO CATS. We don't need a player who doesn't want to be at the Swans. FORGET CURSENOWComment
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AFL have given West Coast assistance package with additional 2 end of first round picks (19 & 20). Pushes picks further down, with more to come pending matching F/S & Academy picks.
Here is the updated draft hand picks for each club:
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Apologies for the multiple postings, catching up with trade news whilst site was down.
JUH in GC to meet with the Suns who are also after Petracca.
With Geelong reportedly not having the hand to land Curnow, particularly with them also chasing Rowan Marshall from the Saints. This potentially leaves us as Curnow's only preferrred destination.
I think he is most likely to remain at Carlton for at least another 12 months.Comment
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AFL site is reporting that Ladhams has signed on for another two years. Good luck to him. I've been quite pleased how he no longer does the sort of stuff that gets himself suspended.👍 3Comment
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AFL have given West Coast assistance package with additional 2 end of first round picks (19 & 20). Pushes picks further down, with more to come pending matching F/S & Academy picks.
Here is the updated draft hand picks for each club:
https://www.afl.com.au/draft/draft-orderComment
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Yes, with Ladhams signing, Lloyd and Buller are the only current players who haven't signed. Fair chance that Buller is going to Collingwood. So it'll be interesting to see how the Lloyd negotiations pan out. It sort of makes sense to offer him a rookie spot, as I think we still need to make space on our primary list, but it seems a bit harsh for a former Skilton Medal winner.Comment
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The Age has added to the Rowbottom speculation, saying he is one of Gold Coast’s priorities. Who knows?Comment
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He was rotated to the HFF so had less time in the guts. As I posted earlier the 75 rotations had a lot to do with resting him and Warner up forward. Rowbottom is purely an in and under player and more effective than Sheldrick who seemed to be promoted to this role.Comment
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Our problem with 2024 was that we were too outside. Once we got back to our contested footy our form flipped in the 2nd half of 2025. That's why we can't afford to lose a hard nut.👍 1Comment
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