DOING GREAT TRADE DEALS
Rating the best moves in 2020
1Aliir Aliir from Sydney to Port Adelaide for future second-round pick
Sydney had a tight salary cap and not much bargaining power, and the Power cashed in, landing a player who went on to make the All-australian team for the price of a second-round pick in this year’s draft.
Aliir had a disappointing prelim — like most of his teammates — but the move was an unqualified success as the athletic defender ranked third in the AFL for intercepts and sixth for contested marks, and produced close to a best-on-ground display in the qualifying final win against Geelong.
At age 26, he has plenty of good footy ahead of him.
2 Nick Hind from St Kilda to Essendon. Hind and pick 77 from St Kilda to Essendon for picks 67 and 74
Hind’s heartbreaking end to the year — forced out of the elimination final after attending a Covid exposure site — shouldn’t obscure what a fantastic pick-up he’s been.
After being played as a forward pocket at St Kilda, the Bombers deployed him at half-back where he could use his pace to open up the game — which he did, ranking third at the club for disposals (average 22.4 per game, up from 9.8 the year before) and metres gained. None of the picks involved were used.
3
Ben Brown from North Melbourne to Melbourne. Brown, pick 28 and
a 2021 fourth-round pick from North Melbourne to Melbourne in exchange for picks 26, 33 and a 2021 fourth-round pick
Hard to beat moving from the wooden spooner to the premier, although it wasn’t always looking so positive.
At round 16 Brown had played just three games in Demons colours thanks to a mix of injuries and question marks over exactly how he would fit into the top-of-theladder team.
But after being promoted again in round 17 he didn’t look back, kicking multiple goals in seven of the last 10 matches of the season, including three in the grand final.
The pick 33 North Melbourne received ended up at Collingwood as part of the deal for Jaidyn Stephenson and Atu Bosenavulagi.
4Tom Hickey from West Coast to Sydney. Hickey, pick 34 and pick 60 from West Coast to Sydney for picks 58, 62, and second and thirdround picks in this year’s draft
The Swans made the most of having to let Aliir go, using the selection they received from the Power to trade for the ruckman they desperately needed.
Hickey played just three games for West Coast last year and moved to Sydney with a flurry of mostly late draft picks going both ways — effectively the Swans handed over pick 36 this year, which they received from Port Adelaide.
The former Sun and Saint went on to produce careerbest numbers in 21 games for the Swans in disposals (16.5), clearances (4.9), inside-50s (3) and Supercoach points (103.2 — his previous best year was 89.5). Hickey filled a clear need with injuries again striking down Sam Naismith and Callum Sinclair, and was a key reason Sydney rose from 16th to seventh on the ladder. That’s good trading.
5 Isaac Smith from Hawthorn to Geelong. Unrestricted free agent
Smith provided terrific value, playing 24 of a possible 26 games and having his best season statistically since
2015, averaging 23 disposals and kicking 15 goals to finish fourth in Geelong’s best-andfairest count.
The Hawks received pick 46 as compensation for losing the veteran but all he cost the Cats was a list spot, although that could become a sticking point in the future – he has one year to run on a contract and will be close to 34 when it expires. The Cats didn’t get the flag they wanted in 2021, but you certainly can’t pin that on Smith.
6 Adam Treloar from Collingwood to the Western Bulldogs. Treloar, pick 26, pick 33 and pick 42 from Collingwood to the Western Bulldogs for pick 14 and a 2021 second-round pick
This was the second time Treloar has been at the centre of a high-stakes trade, after moving from GWS in 2015.
It was far from a perfect season, with injuries restricting him to 17 games.
The blowtorch was fired up after a quiet semi-final but he answered the critics with huge games in the prelim and grand final.
Pick 14 became pick 17 on draft night, which the Pies used on exciting forward Ollie Henry.
7 Joe Daniher from Essendon to Brisbane Lions. Restricted free agent.
The Lions’ medical staff worked their magic on the former Bomber, who played 24 games after managing just 15 in his past three seasons. So that’s a huge tick in itself.
At times he looked super dangerous as a forward target and a handy back-up ruckman, and his 46 goals was his second-most in a season.
But in finals he only kicked 1.1 over two games.
As a free agent, he only cost the Lions salary cap space.
8 agent
Brad Crouch from Adelaide to St Kilda. Restricted free
The jury was out on Crouch when he arrived at Moorabbin as a free agent and perhaps it still is, or maybe we should just be comfortable knowing he’s a very handy midfielder who can find plenty of the footy — averaged 26 disposals this year, second at the Saints behind Jack Steele — but doesn’t always do a whole lot of damage with it.
The Crows received a second-round draft pick (23) as compensation, which they used on tough onballer Sam 9
Berry.
One fringe player Richmond wasn’t happy to let go, Higgins made the most of his career restart by playing 19 games and kicking 27 goals (he finished with 27.16, so that 1.6 against the Swans was a major outlier).
The Saints gave up a firstround pick, which Richmond traded to Geelong (who used it on Max Holmes) during last year’s draft in exchange for the Cats’ first-rounder this year.
Jack Higgins from Richmond to St Kilda. Higgins and pick 21 from Richmond to St Kilda for pick 17 and 2021 second-round pick 10 Adam Saad from Essendon to Carlton. Saad and picks 48 and 78 from Essendon to Carlton in exchange for picks 8 and 87
Saad, who joined the
Blues after a tense standoff in last year’s trade period, delivered almost identical numbers at his new club to his last season at Essendon, averaging 19.3 disposals per game and kicking two goals (in 2020 he averaged 18.9 disposals per game and kicked two goals). He led the AFL for running bounces (63).