Analysing The AFL Trade Period Using The SI Player Ratings

Last updated: Nov 17, 2020, 4:00AM | Published: Nov 17, 2020, 2:37AM

It’s deep breath time in the AFL. Each year the free agency and trade period gets more and more intense, matched only by the external hysteria that gravitates toward each nugget of intrigue.

All in all, 234 transactions were enacted over the last few weeks, largely driven by pick swaps affecting both this year’s draft, as well as the 2021 edition.

From a player perspective, 32 found new homes, starting with Rory Atkins teaming up with the Gold Coast Suns via free agency, and culminating with St Kilda’s Nick Hind joining Essendon.

Today, and using Stats Insider’s own In-House Player Ratings, let’s take a voyage through all 18 clubs and see how each team fared.

ADELAIDE

Fresh of collecting the club’s maiden wooden spoon, the Crows are also dealing with the indignity of losing another star. Brad Crouch, presently ranked 154 according to our ratings has joined St Kilda as a free agent. If there’s any solace for Adelaide, it’s that they’ll take two first-round picks to the draft, including the first overall, while they’ll also have three second-round picks, two of which have arrived via AFL compensation. Crouch netted the Crows the 23rd section overall, while the club would be delirious about receiving selection 40 for Rory Atkins who our ratings had pegged at 383 overall, and who averaged just 9 disposals from his four matches last season.

BRISBANE

There were no shortage of folks immensely impressed by the premiership aspirant adding two former first-round picks in Joe Daniherand Nakia Cockatoo. Our Player Ratings however were less enthused. Daniher’s lack of footy in recent times has seen his ranking fall to 320 overall, while it’s a similar story with Cockatoo who’s presently ranked 422. Lost amid the excitement of the Daniher addition was the loss of Alex Witherden to West Coast. In four seasons in Brisbane, Witherden averaged 20.6 disposals per game and is presently ranked 219 overall. Stefan Martin’s departure might also be keenly felt at the Gabba. Although the 33-year old ruckman lost his place in the team to Oscar McInerney, our rankings are still buoyant about the new Bulldog, placing him 180 overall, and 12th among all ruckmen.

CARLTON

For the first time in 11 years Carlton’s win-ratio has experienced three seasons of progression. And while their Finals drought did extend to eight seasons, capturing both Adam Saad and Zac Williams most certainly piqued the Player Rating’s interests. Only three top-100 players changed hands over the trade period, and in Saad and Williams, both found new homes at Princes Park. The Blues in fact now have seven top-100 players which is number bettered by only Collingwood, Port Adelaide, Richmond and West Coast.

COLLINGWOOD

It’s fair to say there’s been a fair bit of hand-wringing about Collingwood’s trade period, yet from a Player Ratings perspective, the boat wasn’t rocked too much. Sure Adam Treloar at 12 was easily the highest ranked player to leave, yet the Pies still have the biggest share of top-100 representation, even with his departure to the Bulldogs. While losing Treloar is a blow, our Player Ratings weren’t as choked up about the losses of Jaidyn Stephenson(218) or Tom Phillips (429) who averaged just 9 and 16 possessions respectively this season.

ESSENDON

The Bombers lusted very publicly, and rather desperately, over premiership Bulldog Josh Dunkley, and ultimately missed out on a player our ratings presently have slotted in at 49. They instead ended up with Jye Caldwell(537), Nick Hind (270) and Peter Wright (414), while also making sense of the loss of Adam Saad, Orazio Fantasia and Joe Daniher. While they’ll undoubtedly be licking their wounds in Tullamarine today, they’ll be consoled by having selections 6, 7 and 8 at this year’s draft which is obviously an immense haul, and one which could work to bring some desperately-needed young talent into the club.

FREMANTLE

No one was as quiet during the trade period as Fremantle, who participated in just two of the league’s 234 transactions. Jesse Hogan’s two-season, 19-game career in Perth is over, leaving in a purple haze having kicked just 18 goals while seeing his player rating slump to 408 overall. With Jeremy Cameronleaving the Giants, Hogan will have every chance to resurrect his career in Western Sydney.

GEELONG

The rich only get richer, with Geelong walking out of the trade and free agency period with a veritable treasure chest of elite talent. The Grand Final runner’s-up have successfully added all of Isaac Smith (177), Shaun Higgins (127) and Jeremy Cameron (231) to its stocks, taking their tally to 20 where top-250 players are concerned.

GOLD COAST

The Suns were exceptionally quiet, but did add in another experienced midfielder in Rory Atkins (383) as well as Richmond’s Oleg Markov (550), while trading Peter Wright (414) to Essendon. The Suns were involved in just five transactions over the last few weeks, none of which changed the fact they remain the only club in the league without a single top-50 player.

GWS GIANTS

The Giants were one of the busiest clubs over the last few weeks but it was the kind of busy you might have seen aboard the Titanic as it sunk into the Atlantic. There can be no glossing over the losses of Jeremy Cameron (231), Zac Williams (76) and emerging star Jye Caldwell, while even Aidan Corr’s (370) departure to North Melbourne will be keenly felt. While the the club can take solace by the fact they’ll have four first-round picks at the draft, investing desperate hope in teenaged talent was something the 2019 runner’s-up were supposed to have risen above. Meanwhile, the club’s additions of Jesse Hogan (408) and Braydon Preuss (465) don’t exactly move the needle either.

HAWTHORN

The Hawks used to stalk the trade period like a deranged killer intent on adding top-tier talent to their seemingly perpetually premiership-ready squad. Nowadays……not so much. We hardly heard a peep out of Hawthorn over the last few weeks as the club restrained itself from coughing up the #4 pick at this year’s draft. They did bring in Tom Phillips (429) and Kyle Hartigan (591) while bidding sayonara to Isaac Smith (177) with the triple-premiership player joining Geelong.

MELBOURNE

Ben Brown was one of the biggest fish to be hauled in during the trade period, with the Demons netting our 112th ranked player, and 6th highest rated key forward. Melbourne were also exceptionally busy around the fringes, involving themselves in a league-high 28 total transactions, most of which were pick swaps. Their frenetic activity means they’ll have multiple first-round picks for the second year in a row, and fourth time in seven years. The club also said farewell to Mitch Hannan (358) and Braydon Preuss (465) who’ve joined the Bulldogs and Giants respectively.

NORTH MELBOURNE

It’s a peculiar time at Arden Street at the moment, with the club coming off an horrendous 3-win season, one who remains coach-less and who's just said good-bye to two of its best players in Shaun Higgins (127) and Ben Brown (112). To North’s credit they didn’t spend the trade period crying into their beers, and got busy landing a mixture of decent, established talent in Jaidyn Stephenson(218) and Aidan Corr (370) while taking a flyer on lightly-framed Bulldog, Lachie Young (620). North will also have multiple first-round draft sections for the first time since 2002.

PORT ADELAIDE

The Power’s meteoric 2020 was sealed with a strong trade period adding in both Orazio Fanatsia (211) and Aliir Aliir (312). For a team good enough to get within six points of the all-conquering Tigers in the Preliminary Final, adding two fine players in their prime is not insignificant. Port Adelaide now have 18 top-250 players which places them behind only Geelong and St Kilda.

RICHMOND

For the most part, the champs sat back and watched the free agency and draft period from the comfort of their throne, involving themselves in just seven transactions. The club parted with both Oleg Markov (550) and Jack Higgins (195) with the latter improving their first-round draft position to 17, which was ironically where they selected the now-Saint in 2017. For the 16th time in 17 drafts, Richmond will be making a first-round section which is testament to a club who maintains one very serious eye on high-end junior talent.

ST KILDA

The rapidly improving Saints added another couple of top-200 players in Jack Higgins (195) and Brad Crouch (154) and now, along with Geelong, lead the league with 20 top-250 players. In yet another feather in the cap of St Kilda’s list management team, adding in more top-end talent didn’t come at the expense of losing a first-round pick, with the Saints simply swapping places with Richmond in the first round while losing a fourth-round pick.

SYDNEY

The Swans did a lot off work around the edges adding in Tom Hickey (497) while also involving themselves in a suitcase full of pick swaps. The Swans will be hoping its 4th club lucky with Hickey, and that he might prove to be a cheap upgrade on a ruck division which placed just 15th for both hit-out and clearance differential in season 2020.

WEST COAST

In sharp contrast to 12 month prior where West Coast were busy sorting out the Tim Kelly trade, the Eagles were much quieter this off-season. Grabbing Alex Witherden (212) from the Lions might prove an absolute steal, while they also traded in Zac Langdon (473) from the Giants. After managing just three games this season, back-up ruckman Tom Hickey (497) has joined the Swans.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Collingwood’s Adam Treloar (16) was easily our highest-ranked player to change clubs this off-season, with the Bulldogs the beneficiaries of a serious salary-cap squeeze at Collingwood. Aside from the Treloar addition, it was a busy period for the Doggies which saw them reject Essendon’s offer for Josh Dunkley,while also adding in Mitch Hannan (358) from Melbourne as well as Stefan Martin (180) from the Lions.

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James Rosewarne

James is a writer. He likes fiction and music. He is a stingray attack survivor. He lives in Wollongong.