The 2013 trade period revisited: The full fallout from Brisbane's 'go-home five'

Using draft picks to make a trade always carries a degree of risk, but the number of times that backfired in 2013 is quite extraordinary.

The 2013 trade period will always be remembered for the ‘go-home five’, a quintet of young, promising Brisbane players who simultaneously demanded trades interstate due to homesickness.

How badly this set the Lions back in actuality will be touched on, of course, but it’s amazing how many teams lost players and ended up doing better with the draft pick in return this time around.

Lance Franklin’s shock move to Sydney, fresh off a premiership win with the Hawks, was the other headline-grabber.

Given free agency compensation picks were a specific selection – rather than the vague ‘end of’ or ‘middle of’ Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney compensation picks – I’ll list the specific pick in the trade summary and make note of whether it was a free agency compensation pick in the blurb.

The full series goes all the way back to 2010, and you can check it out here.

Trade 1

Richmond received: Shaun Hampson
Carlton received: pick 32

Oh, Carlton. You were this close to pulling off a trade heist here but you just had to trade the pick again at the deadline and end up on the wrong end of that deal. Injuries plagued the first two of Hampson’s three seasons at the club, so the Blues still get the points given they got three better seasons out of Andrejs Everitt with pick 32 – although they could have done better.

Winner: Carlton

Trade 2

Hawthorn received: Ben McEvoy, picks 24 and 59
St Kilda received: Shane Savage, picks 18 and 19

This has proved to be one of the more interesting deals from 2013. While this technically took place across two transactions, it was negotiated as one deal and I’ve presented it as such.

Contrary to what you might think, McEvoy did not request a trade, with the Saints telling The Age at the time they “had to get creative to climb the ladder”.

Giving up a 24-year-old (at the time) former pick No.7 for another club’s fringe player is certainly ‘creative’ and, given St Kilda haven’t climbed the ladder since then, it’s hard to see how they came out ahead.

McEvoy’s ruck work was integral in turning Hawthorn’s 2013 premiership success into an eventual three-peat, while Savage has been a solid – if unremarkable – contributor on the half-back line for the Saints.

That said, St Kilda did get the better of the draft picks here, turning pick 18 into the reliable Luke Dunstan and pick 19 (the compensation for losing Franklin and Xavier Ellis) into the slightly less reliable Blake Acres. Really though, you should be doing better with picks 18 and 19 versus 24 and 59, which Hawthorn used on Billy Hartung and a rookie elevation for Jonathon Ceglar.

You can argue this trade was a win-win for McEvoy and Savage, but it wasn’t a win-win for their respective clubs.

Winner: Hawthorn

Trade 3

Melbourne received: Viv Michie
Fremantle received: pick 58

After just one game, Viv Michie – the man Freo picked over Alex Fasolo – was dealt to the Demons in exchange for pick 58, which was used on Brady Grey.

Incredibly, both players appeared 21 times for their new clubs. Given neither warrants further discussion, I’m splitting the points.

Winner: not a win-win. A draw.

Trade 4

Melbourne received: Dom Tyson, picks 9 and 57
GWS received: picks 2, 22 and 72

This is another intriguing deal that goes to show two teams are, in fact, capable of negotiating in good faith and working out a mutually beneficial outcome.

The Giants shipped hard nut Dom Tyson and a couple of picks Melbourne’s way to tee-up the selection of Josh Kelly at No.2. Clearly, that’s worked out wonderfully.

I still reckon Kelly has another gear left in him, but he’s been such a matchwinner that just about any price would have been worth it.

Josh Kelly has been superb for GWS. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

But the Demons didn’t come out of this with a black eye. Christian Salem has been excellent at pick 9 and probably goes top five in a 2013 re-draft, while Jayden Hunt has put together about as a good a career as you can expect for a pick 57. Tyson also had a good run at Dees, with the impact of his post-2018 departure on their 2019 freefall unfairly overshadowed by Jesse Hogan’s.

When you run this alongside the fact GWS traded pick 22 for more picks and passed on 72, it’s suddenly not such a clear contest.

Kelly is clearly the best player to (effectively) change hands in this transaction, but Melbourne got excellent bang for their buck and it’s tempting to call this a win-win.

Winner: GWS, only just.

Trade 5

GWS received: Shane Mumford
Sydney received: pick 39

The first casualty of Franklin’s mega-contract wasn’t Sydney’s controversial cost of living allowance but fan-favourite ruckman Shane Mumford, who announced his intention to cross town one day after the Buddy deal was revealed.

The Swans were able to flip pick 39 quite effectively in the last deal of the period, but they weren’t in a position to drive too hard of a bargain – the Giants were always going to come out on top.

Winner: GWS

Trade 6

Melbourne received: Bernie Vince
Adelaide received: pick 23

Pick 23 was probably a little on the high side for Vince, but it was actually just the compensation pick received for losing the late Colin Sylvia in free agency. Vince ended up enjoying the best years of his career at Melbourne too, including a 2015 best and fairest award.

That’s a good return for pick 23, but the Crows managed to do a bit better with the selection of Matt Crouch, who’s averaged 30 or more disposals for three straight seasons and is just 24 years old.

Winner: Adelaide

Trade 7

Collingwood received: picks 6 and 44
West Coast received: picks 11, 31 and 49

Who knew a simple swap of draft picks could prove so heartbreaking? The Magpies thought they were quite clever flipping pick 11 (the Dale Thomas compensation pick) West Coast’s way to nab pick six, but struck out on Matthew Scharenberg.

The real kicker? West Coast used pick 11 on Dom Sheed.

Yes, that Dom Sheed. The man who plunged a dagger into the hearts of Pies fans everywhere on the last Saturday of September, 2018. He could have been in black and white – as could the 2018 premiership cup – but alas.

Collingwood traded Sheed’s pick away. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images)

Looking at this through a more objective lens, Sheed’s career handily trumps Scharenberg’s, even if picks 31 (Malcolm Karpany) and 49 (Dylan Main) did little. Collingwood sent pick 44 Sydney’s way for Jesse White, which doesn’t quite close the deficit.

Still, you’ll probably never see a pick swap produce such theatre ever again.

Winner: West Coast

Trade 8

Collingwood received: Jesse White
Sydney received: pick 44

As mentioned just above, the Magpies found a stopgap solution in the forward line with the acquisition of Jesse White from the Swans. Emblematic of mid-2010s Collingwood, White was adequate and not much more.

Unfortunately for Pies fans, they got the short end of the stick here as the Swans were able to use pick 44 on Sudanese sensation Aliir Aliir.

Winner: Sydney

Trade 9

St Kilda received: Luke Delaney
North Melbourne received: pick 77

Delaney played every game in his first season with the Saints, averaging a whopping eight disposals. He played just 15 across the next two, before being delisted.

The Kangaroos passed on pick 77, however, making St Kilda the winners by default.

Winner: St Kilda

Trade 10

Essendon received: Shaun Edwards, Kurt Aylett
GWS received: pick 48

Not much to say here. Edwards and Aylett combined for 15 appearances with the Bombers, while the Giants traded pick 48 onwards and eventually got it back, only to pass on it at the actual draft.

Winner: Essendon

Trade 11

GWS received: Heath Shaw
Collingwood received: Taylor Adams

This is the stuff trade romantics dream of. An out-of-favour veteran gets a chance to turn his career around at a new club, while a young cub gets the chance to blossom in greener pastures. Some Magpies fans bemoan the loss of Shaw as heavy-handedness by Nathan Buckley, others reckon his time was up, but they’d all have to be pleased with getting Adams as compensation.

The tackling machine has been a mainstay in the Collingwood midfield since crossing, with his strong work at the coalface often pivotal.

Giants fans, on the other hand, have been just as rapt with Shaw. The veteran defender immediately gave the team a sense of legitimacy after a difficult two seasons, providing equal value on the stat sheet as to the morale of his teammates.

I’d be surprised if anyone argues against this being a win-win.

Winner: genuine win-win

Heath Shaw’s career was saved by his move to GWS. (AAP Image/Joe Castro)

Trade 12

Western Bulldogs received: Stewart Crameri
Essendon received: pick 26

I remember a fellow uni student at the time, who was a Bombers fan, tearing his hair out over Crameri’s trade request and bemoaning the impact it would have on Essendon’s short-term future.

I imagine he’s feeling just fine about the trade now, thanks to the Dons landing none other than Zach Merrett with pick 26.

Crameri did manage 69 goals in his first two (and only full) seasons with the Doggies, but will probably be best remembered for planning his wedding the same week as the 2016 decider.

Merrett, on the other hand, is a two-time best and fairest winner who still has improvement in him.

Winner: Essendon

Trade 13

Carlton received: Sam Docherty
Brisbane received: pick 33

Now we get to the ‘go-home five’. Docherty, two missed seasons due to knee injuries notwithstanding, is clearly in the upper echelon of the five and it was always going to be hard for the Lions to be compensated fairly.

Could they have asked for more than pick 33? Yes, but they were negotiating five deals at once and they were on the back foot in all of them. Eventual draftee Tom Cutler was okay, but only managed more than 12 games in a season twice and is now at Essendon.

Winner: Carlton

Trade 14

West Coast received: Elliot Yeo
Brisbane received: pick 28

Clearly the best player of Brisbane’s lost quintet, the Lions would have had to strike serious gold with pick 28 to come out ahead here.

They ended up picking Lewis Taylor, the man who beat Marcus Bontempelli for the rising star award. Again, Taylor was fine but never took the next step and is now with the Swans.

Winner: West Coast

Trade 15

Port Adelaide received: Jared Polec, picks 21 and 45
Brisbane received: picks 22, 34 and 48
GWS received: picks 14 and 29

We stay with the Lions, with Jared Polec the man on the move this time. Ironically, of all the players involved in this deal, Brisbane’s acquisitions are the only ones who haven’t moved again since.

This deal required the intervention of GWS to pass and the Giants nearly ended up the winners, landing Cam McCarthy with pick 14 and Rory Lobb at 29. Both players are now at Freo, with McCarthy the ultimate flash in the pan but Lobb a good chance at continuing his strong career.

Four of Polec’s five seasons with the Power were nice, with pick 21 Jarman Impey also putting together four good seasons before flying to the Hawks. Pick 45 Mitchell Harvey never debuted.

Brisbane landed Darcy Gardiner at pick 22 and Nick Robertson at pick 34, sending pick 48 away in another trade. Gardiner is only 24 and could remarkably end up the crown jewel here. Robertson is the bartender you trust to kick out troublemakers – but has anyone actually seem him make a cocktail?

Very, very hard to call this one. Port gave up the least, so they get the nod for now, but the siren hasn’t gone on this deal yet.

Winner: Port Adelaide, for now.

Jared Polec during his time with the Power. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Trade 16

Gold Coast received: compensation pick (Josh Fraser)
West Coast received: pick 43

Hey, we haven’t seen Gold Coast yet! What did they get up to this time?

Give up the draft pick West Coast used to select Tom Barrass and use their compensation in a trade for Mitch Hallahan the next season? You bet! #justGoldCoastSunsthings

Winner: West Coast

Trade 17

Collingwood received: Patrick Karnezis
Brisbane received: Jackson Paine

This didn’t really work out for anyone, with Paine’s ten games with the Lions trumping Karnezis’s six with the Magpies.

Winner: Brisbane

Trade 18

St Kilda received: Billy Longer, pick 48
Brisbane received: picks 25, 41

Concussion issues forced Longer into early retirement last year, but he hadn’t really done enough to justify the pick 25 price tag beforehand. If you’re going to spend that kind of pick on a nine-gamer, you need a better return than 57 games across six seasons.

Still, the Saints can’t be too upset as pick 25 wasn’t theirs to begin with – it was the compensation pick for losing Nick Dal Santo. They also did extremely well with pick 48, plucking Josh Bruce from GWS for it in the next trade.

The Lions, on the other hand, would be happy with Daniel McStay so far at pick 25. He’s a 24-year-old key position player, so there could still be time for them to come out on top in this deal, although Trent West – acquired from Geelong for pick 41 – never got going.

Winner: St Kilda, for now.

We’ll take a quick break here to summarise the entire ‘go-home five’ situation.

In total, the Lions gave up Elliot Yeo, Sam Docherty, Jared Polec, Billy Longer and Patrick Karnezis, while trading away the rights to Rory Lobb and Mitchell Harvey. In return, they essentially received Darcy Gardiner, Daniel McStay, Lewis Taylor, Tom Cutler, Nick Robertson, Jackson Paine and Trent West.

You know what? That’s not bad. Expecting them to ever come out ahead was folly, but they managed to do about as well as can be expected in such an unprecedented scenario. Yeo and Docherty still hurt, but Brisbane broke even across the other three transactions.

Trade 19

St Kilda received: Josh Bruce
GWS received: pick 48

Having just drafted Tom Boyd and already boasting Jon Patton and Jeremy Cameron in the forward line, the Giants had little choice but to let Bruce go for cheap. It was the second time this trade period GWS received pick 48 from another club, but they ended up just passing on it.

Bruce kicked 168 goals in his six seasons with St Kilda and has to go down as one of the biggest bargains of the decade.

Winner: St Kilda

Trade 20

Adelaide received: James Podsiadly
Geelong received: pick 64

The big ‘J-Pod’ only managed one season for the Crows, but it was a solid 21-game, 26-goal campaign – making him well worth the pick 64 they paid. The Cats used that pick on a rookie elevation for George Burbury, who only played five more games.

Winner: Adelaide

Trade 21

GWS received: Josh Hunt
Geelong received: pick 75

The Cats continued their veteran clearance sale by dealing Josh Hunt to the Giants for pick 75, which they passed on. Geelong didn’t really ‘lose’ any of these deals – they needed to get old blokes off the books – but Hunt’s 14-game cameo was crucial in a building block year for GWS.

Winner: GWS

Trade 22

Essendon received: Paul Chapman
Geelong received: pick 84

The last of the fire-sale deals saw Chapman walk to the Bombers for another unused draft pick.

Winner: Essendon

Trade 23

Fremantle received: Scott Gumbleton
Essendon received: pick 55

Huge loss for Fremantle here. Gumbleton never made his Dockers debut, while the Bombers just snuck in Orazio Fantasia with pick 55. That’s a paddlin’.

Winner: Essendon

Orazio Fantasia could’ve been a Docker. (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)

Trade 24

Brisbane received: Trent West
Geelong received: pick 41

West’s stint at the Lions was cruelled by knee injuries, forcing the big man to retire after just 16 games in three seasons.

That makes the Cats the clear winners here, as they drafted talented defender Jake Kolodjashnij at 41 – who’s managed 93 games and is still under 25.

Winner: Geelong

Trade 25

Western Bulldogs received: Sam Darley
GWS received: pick 73

Darley only made seven appearances for the Doggies, but GWS passing on pick 73 gets them the technical win.

Winner: Western Bulldogs

Trade 26

Carlton received: Andrejs Everitt, pick 39
Sydney received: pick 32

After 36 games in four seasons with the Bulldogs, Sydney acquired Everitt for pick 88 and a ten-gamer. Just 43 games in three seasons later, Carlton somehow deemed him worth pick 32.

To be fair, Everitt played 20 games in 2013 so, on face value, that’s probably not the silliest price to pay. His three seasons with the Blues weren’t actually that bad either, including a 31-goal campaign in 2015.

However, they handed the Swans George Hewett with pick 32. Hewett has played at least 22 games every season since debuting in 2016, had a career-best year in 2019 and won’t turn 25 until December – giving him lots of time to improve even further. Carlton’s pick, Cameron Giles, never debuted.

Winner: Sydney

Thanks for sticking around to the end of what was quite a long piece today. Tune back in on Friday for 2014’s retrospective.