Jason Horne-Francis made the move back to South Australia signing with Port Adelaide, after just one season with the Kangaroos.
(Port Adelaide Football Club)
The 2022 AFL Trade Period has been run and won, but who exactly won it? Let’s have a look at who is best primed for 2023, and those who are already looking to next year’s trade period.
18. Hawthorn
Get: Karl Amon, Cooper Stephens, Lloyd Meek
Give: Jack Gunston, Tom Mitchell, Jaeger O’Meara
Draft Picks: 6, 24, 41, 48, 50, 52, 65
What were the Hawks thinking? They shipped Gunston, Mitchell and O’Meara off to premiership contenders receiving barely anything in return. Stephens and Meek might be able to flourish in a young side, but this trade period will have Hawthorn contending for the wooden spoon over the next couple of years.
17. North Melbourne
Get: Griffin Logue, Darcy Tucker
Give: Jason Horne-Francis
Draft Picks: 2, 3, 40, 43, 59, 70
If Hawthorn didn’t give up three high-calibre players, North would have been the worst traders during the period. While they had to get rid of Jason Horne-Francis, trading the number one pick would have to be one of the biggest blunders at the trade table. Yes, they got picks two and three, but the Roos will miss out on signing Aaron Cadman who is drawing comparisons as the next Jeremy Cameron. One positive was receiving out-of-favour defender, Griffin Logue from Freo.
16. Gold Coast
Get: Ben Long, Tom Berry
Give: Jack Bowes, Josh Corbett, Izak Rankine
Draft Picks: 5, 45, 71, 74
This was another disaster. If the Suns were based in Victoria, their fire sale would be the talking point of the trade period. Instead, it’s being downplayed but after the Will Brodie deal last season, Gold Coast is scrambling for room in its salary cap. The loss of Bowes and Rankine hurt the Suns, but Long and Berry are handy inclusions.
15. St Kilda
Get: Zaine Cordy
Give: Ben Long
Draft Picks: 9, 28, 32, 47
The Saints needed to have a big trade period and they didn’t. They did manage to get Zaine Cordy though, which will help their defensive stocks.
14. Sydney
Get: Aaron Francis
Give:
Draft Picks: 14, 17, 42, 75
This year’s runners up have a complete side as it is, meaning not much had to be done at the trade table. The addition of Aaron Francis will help when Dane Rampe chooses to retire, providing the McCartin brothers with some welcomed support.
Aaron Francis.
(AFL Photos)
13. West Coast
Get: Jayden Hunt
Give: Junior Rioli
Draft Picks: 8, 12, 20, 26
Similar to St Kilda, the Eagles were quiet when they had to be proactive, they got two picks inside 12. The only consequence was giving up pick two, but the best players from WA aren’t expected to feature until midway through the first round so it’s an acceptable risk to split the picks.
12. Essendon
Get: Will Setterfield, Sam Weideman
Give: Aaron Francis
Draft Picks: 4, 22, 54, 62, 68, 72
Brad Scott arrived late to the party, but the Bombers were able to get a couple of sneaky moves done. Weideman will be provided with opportunities to thrive in the Essendon 22, although Setterfield will have to work for his spot.
Sam Weideman found a new home at Essendon.
(AFL Photos)
11. Carlton
Get: Blake Acres
Give: Will Setterfield
Draft Picks: 10, 29, 49, 66
The Blues didn’t have to do much at the trade table despite missing out on finals once again. Bringing Acres to Ikon Park gives Carlton that outside run it desperately needs.
10. Adelaide
Get: Izak Rankine
Give: Billy Frampton
Draft Picks: 23, 46
As expected, it was a relatively quiet trade period for the Crows. They got their man in Izak Rankine but had to send pick five to the Suns. Fringe key defender, Billy Frampton also found his way to Collingwood.
9. Western Bulldogs
Get: Liam Jones, Rory Lobb
Give: Zaine Cordy, Lachie Hunter, Josh Schache, Josh Dunkley
Draft Picks: 11, 21, 39, 69
The Dogs had a topsy-turvy trade campaign. They got in much-needed height with bookends, Jones and Lobb finding their way to the kennel. However, the Dogs lost more players when Cordy, Hunter and Schache unexpectedly departed the club. The Dunkley move was tough, but they knew of his intentions already.
8. Port Adelaide
Get: Jason Horne-Francis, Junior Rioli
Give: Karl Amon
Draft Picks: 33, 60
Set to be heavy players, Port Adelaide got who it set out to get (except for Esava Ratugolea). A bombshell on the eve of the trade period ended up seeing Jason Horne-Francis return home after one season with the Kangaroos.
7. GWS
Get: Toby Bedford
Give: Bobby Hill, Tim Taranto, Tanner Bruhn, Jacob Hopper
Draft Picks: 1, 15, 18, 19, 31, 57, 61
The Giants are so high on this list for one reason only. They somehow managed to get the number one pick. In an absolutely robbery of the North Melbourne footy club, GWS spent an equivalent draft value of pick 29 to receive pick one. In the process, the Giants kept their three other picks inside the top 20 making it a successful trade period. Besides that, it would have been a disaster with three walk-up starters leaving.
6. Fremantle
Get: Josh Corbett, Luke Jackson, Jaeger O’Meara
Give: Blake Acres, Griffin Logue, Darcy Tucker, Rory Lobb, Lloyd Meek
Draft Picks: 30, 44, 67, 76
For the personnel they lost, Freo did well to recover. They beat out their crosstown rival for prized big man, Luke Jackson and made a last-minute move (literally) to snag Hawk, Jaeger O’Meara.
Jaeger O'Meara in his new colours.
(Fremantle FC)
5. Brisbane
Get: Jack Gunston, Josh Dunkley
Give: Tom Berry, Dan McStay
Draft Picks: 34, 35, 36, 38, 55, 56, 73
The biggest story throughout this trade period ended in happy-ever-after for Brisbane as Josh Dunkley got to the Lions at the eleventh hour. They also managed to get a more than worthy replacement for Dan McStay in Jack Gunston, who will complete a very dangerous forward line for Brisbane in 2023.
4. Geelong
Get: Tanner Bruhn, Jack Bowes, Ollie Henry
Give: Cooper Stephens
Draft Picks: 7, 58, 64
Geelong’s trade period was good, but the call that it was the greatest ever is insulting. The Jack Bowes trade was a steal on face value with pick seven coming in. However his $1.6 million contract also makes its way to the Cattery like that annoying friend who will never leave you alone. In hindsight, it could have the potential to become the greatest trade period ever by a team, but the call is 10 years too early.
3. Collingwood
Get: Bobby Hill, Dan McStay, Billy Frampton, Tom Mitchell
Give: Brodie Grundy, Ollie Henry
Draft Picks: 16, 25, 27, 51
Some would say that giving Grundy up for pick 27 should have the Pies further down the list than number three, but if the rumours that Collingwood are only paying $600,000 of his contract are true, then that’s a massive win. On top of that, McStay, Hill and Frampton headed to the AIA Centre as expected, while the black and white had one of the steals of the trade period getting Tom Mitchell and pick 25 for Ollie Henry, pick 41 and pick 50.
Tom Mitchell ended up at the Pies.
(AFL)
2. Melbourne
Get: Brodie Grundy, Lachie Hunter, Josh Schache
Give: Jayden Hunt, Toby Bedford, Luke Jackson, Sam Weideman
Draft Picks: 13, 37
The highlight for the Dees this trade period was getting Brodie Grundy to replace Luke Jackson, forming part of an unstoppable duo with Max Gawn. Outside of that, Melbourne brought in 2021 Grand Final players Lachie Hunter and Josh Schache which surprised many people. All of this happened while retaining their number one pick. Remarkable.
1. Richmond
Get: Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper
Give:
Draft Picks: 53, 63
It might go under the radar, but Richmond were the big winners this trade period. They got established players in Taranto and Hopper, without having to give up any of their players. Although their picks were snapped up in the deals, Richmond have the pieces required to challenge for the flag next year.
Jacob Hopper joined Tim Taranto at Punt Road in a very successful trade period for the Tigers.
(Richmond FC)
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