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Lions and Power the big winners in the AFL's trading period

16th October, 2014
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Expert
16th October, 2014
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Most seasons in the AFL’s trade period, there are some big names that are traded to other clubs. But this year there has been more than ever.

And many of them leaving their clubs with time to run on their current contracts.

The amount of movement and audacious trading, recruiting and swapping of picks between clubs has also been helped by a reduction in the duration of the trade period.

In recent seasons, it has generally gone three weeks and the first two weeks are usually spent either making, hearing or quashing rumours, before the last frantic few days.

This year it was 10 days, which was perfect, with something happening most days. As usual, there were bombshells like Western Bulldogs skipper Ryan Griffen wanting out of the Dogs and requesting a trade to Greater Western Sydney.

The Bulldogs of course the next day had to also contend with the resignation of coach, Brendan McCartney, but were bold when pushing for a direct swap between Griffen and last year’s number one pick – Tom Boyd.

The Giants refused that trade, but the Dogs still got Boyd – although they gave up plenty. Their first pick in the draft six went to Griffen. Boyd signed a multi-million dollar contract, stunning for a player who is yet to turn 20 and hasn’t played 10 games.

It’s a risk, because Boyd is yet to prove himself, but for the Dogs to be able to entice a highly sought after player back to Victoria just a year into his career, when the majority of the other nine Victorian clubs would have also been keen to get him, is a win for one of the competition’s smaller and lower profile teams.

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However, the loss of two of their most experienced and best outside midfielders in Griffen and Adam Cooney to Essendon ensures it will be another year of development for the Bulldogs.

Three teams did nothing, Fremantle, West Coast and Richmond. The Tigers have in particular been a willing participant in the free agency and trade periods in the past few years but have seemingly decided it’s time to develop and nurture more young talent.

The Giants again have done well with three picks in the top ten, adding pick six to pick four after giving away Boyd to the Dogs and also receiving the seventh selection from Carlton for another young tall Kristian Jaksch and Mark Whiley.

As well as getting the established star, Griffen, they got one of the best defenders in the competition in Joel Patfull. Patfull is the dual best and fairest winner from Brisbane, who proved that 12 months is an eternity in football.

Last year’s trade period was a disaster, with the Lions losing all of those first and second round draft picks from 2010 and 2011 like Billy Longer and Jared Polec – along with Sam Docherty and Elliot Yeo to the go home factor.

However, their replacements all draft picks inside the top 40 have been more than handy, with one of them, Lewis Taylor winning the rising star.

This year, the Lions attracted two of the League’s leading midfielders, who wanted to move to Queensland for personal reasons in Dayne Beams from Collingwood and Geelong’s Allen Christensen.

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Brisbane had to compete against the young and exciting list that Gold Coast is putting together but they won the battle.

It’s a tremendous midfield now at the Lions, with Beams and Christensen joining Tom Rockliff, Pearce Hanley, Daniel Rich and Jack Redden – who both missed large chunks of this season through injury – Taylor and fellow youngster and high draft pick, James Aish.

They still need tall forwards and by giving up pick five for Beams they might have missed out on a very good young one in either Peter Wright or Pat McCartin, but it’s still been a profitable draft for Brisbane.

Port Adelaide has again starred. They targeted disgruntled Bomber Ryder and despite Essendon again playing hard ball, Port got their man. Their quest for a premiership is almost complete.

He and Matthew Lobbe will share the ruck duties, with Ryder also spending some time down forward with fellow talls in Justin Westhoff and Jay Schulz combining with the best medium and small forwards in the caper in Robbie Gray, Chad Wingard and Angus Monfries.

Good luck to opposition defences stopping Port in 2015.

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