Swapfest ends after 44 find new clubs

CHRIS Yarran and James Aish were the last dominoes to fall in a busy AFL trade period but Patrick Dangerfield’s blockbuster move from Adelaide to Geelong headlined this year’s player exchange window.

Club representatives met at Etihad Stadium for a last round of negotiations before yesterday’s deadline and Yarran finally switched from Carlton to Richmond while Aish made his long-anticipated move from Brisbane to Collingwood.

In all, 40 trades or free agent signings took place this year, with 44 players finding new clubs.

But the biggest trade of the 11-day player swapfest came on the very first morning when the Crows sent Dangerfield to the Cats in exchange for picks nine, 28 and untried midfielder Dean Gore.

Adelaide didn’t want to lose the star restricted free agent but they at least took those Dangerfield lemons and made lemonade in a productive period that brought Troy Menzel (Carlton), Paul Seedsman (Collingwood) and Curtly Hampton (GWS) into the club.

Adam Treloar’s trade from the Giants to Collingwood proved one of the most drawn out deals but recruiting manager Derek Hine was ultimately pleased to bolster his midfield with Treloar and Aish, and Melbourne high flyer Jeremy Howe to slot in up forward.

Carlton had long demanded a first-round pick from the Tigers in return for Yarran but finally relented and accepted the 19th overall selection in a straight swap 30 minutes before the trade window closed.

The Blues added four Giants, including former No.3 pick Lachie Plowman, and also made an unsuccessful late bid for GWS tall Adam Tomlinson but rebuffed advances from Gold Coast, who asked after Andrejs Everitt.

The Magpies secured Aish from Brisbane in a deal that sent North Melbourne’s Ryan Bastinac to the Lions.