Analysis Discussing some of the biggest AFL trades - who won?

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dajesmac

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Aug 9, 2009
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Hey folks, today I released a vid on my channel of me and my mate discussing the winners and losers of some of the biggest trades the AFL has seen.

Hopefully this video can serve as some sort of resource for how these deals actually ended up - but also keen to get people’s thoughts on some of the results, particularly the more even, debatable ones.
 
Why even both mentioning the Gunston trade? That's up there with Groom for McLeod
 

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Why even both mentioning the Gunston trade? That's up there with Groom for McLeod
s**t, hardly.

Freo didn't know what they had with McLeod. They should have scouted better.

The Crows were screwed in the Gunston trade - they weren't negotiating from a position of power, and it was a year where all first round picks were pushed back due to GWS being gifted 8 first round picks. In the end, Hawthorn traded their first, second and third round selections for Gunston, a third and a fourth. Unders, but hardly Groom for McLeod.
 
One trade Dogs fans remember fondly is Jordan MacMahon in a straight swap with Richmond for pick 19 in 2007.

JM was a good runner, but limited contested game and poor disposal are a fatal combination. He lasted 34 games at Richmond.

With pick 19 we got Callan Ward who gave us 60 quality games before he got a godfather offer from GWS, for which we got pick 6 as compensation.

With pick 6 we took Jack Macrae, who is at 141 games at 25,.

So 10 years on from MacMahon retiring, we're 170 odd games up on the deal, and we've still got a 25yo Premiership winning, All Australian level player entering his prime.
 
One trade Dogs fans remember fondly is Jordan MacMahon in a straight swap with Richmond for pick 19 in 2007.

JM was a good runner, but limited contested game and poor disposal are a fatal combination. He lasted 34 games at Richmond.

With pick 19 we got Callan Ward who gave us 60 quality games before he got a godfather offer from GWS, for which we got pick 6 as compensation.

With pick 6 we took Jack Macrae, who is at 141 games at 25,.

So 10 years on from MacMahon retiring, we're 170 odd games up on the deal, and we've still got a 25yo Premiership winning, All Australian level player entering his prime.


Can add another 225 games to that as McMahon's goal resulted in Richmond drafting Dustin Martin.
 
One trade Dogs fans remember fondly is Jordan MacMahon in a straight swap with Richmond for pick 19 in 2007.

JM was a good runner, but limited contested game and poor disposal are a fatal combination. He lasted 34 games at Richmond.

With pick 19 we got Callan Ward who gave us 60 quality games before he got a godfather offer from GWS, for which we got pick 6 as compensation.

With pick 6 we took Jack Macrae, who is at 141 games at 25,.

So 10 years on from MacMahon retiring, we're 170 odd games up on the deal, and we've still got a 25yo Premiership winning, All Australian level player entering his prime.
I would say it was a terrible trade by us but Jordie kicked the winner after the siren against Melbourne, giving them the first two picks in the 2009 draft, and we still got Dusty. So we get to laugh about Melbourne not even tanking right and remind them every year that they sang our song after we beat their team. Everybody wins (except Melbourne).
 

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And fairly lazy analysis on the Stringer trade. We got two picks for stringer, 25 and 30. We sent pick 30, along with 28 and a 2018 second rounder, to Carlton for pick 16 and 40. Then we used pick 25 and 40 on Schache and drafted Richards with 16.

as for Essendon being a long way ahead, and Stringer apparently playing so well- that’s more laziness. Just buying the hype. In the prime of his career Stringer has yet to make the top 10 in Essendon’s best and fairest, while he has two leading goal kicker trophies kicking 33 goals and 30 in a side that missed the finals one year then just scraped in the eight the next after being belted by 100 points by the team that finished seventh a couple of weeks from finals. Apparently has an impact up the ground but that’s pretty sporadic, just twice at Essendon he’s got 20 or more touches in a game and he’s pretty hit and miss with his disposal. Makes a lot of clangers too. Just because a lot of his goals are “freakish” it doesn’t make him a star. He’s still a low percentage, inconsistent player.

He’s no better than Stewart Crameri was for Essendon, so well done to the Bombers for getting one back on us. If you look at how Stringer has played since 2016 his value is just about right. He’s had one elite season and even that was five years ago.

Meanwhile Schache is still very young and nowhere near his prime but has shown some good signs, and Richards is another good kid on our list
 
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And fairly lazy analysis on the Stringer trade. We got two picks for stringer, 25 and 30. We sent pick 30, along with 28 and a 2018 second rounder, to Carlton for pick 16 and 40. Then we used pick 25 and 40 on Schache and drafted Richards with 16.

as for Essendon being a long way ahead, and Stringer apparently playing so well- that’s more laziness. Just buying the hype. In the prime of his career Stringer has yet to make the top 10 in Essendon’s best and fairest, while he has two leading goal kicker trophies kicking 33 goals and 30 in a side that missed the finals one year then just scraped in the eight the next after being belted by 100 points by the team that finished seventh a couple of weeks from finals. Apparently has an impact up the ground but that’s pretty sporadic, just twice at Essendon he’s got 20 or more touches in a game and he’s pretty hit and miss with his disposal. Makes a lot of clangers too. Just because a lot of his goals are “freakish” it doesn’t make him a star. He’s still a low percentage, inconsistent player.

He’s no better than Stewart Crameri was for Essendon, so well done to the Bombers for getting one back on us. If you look at how Stringer has played since 2016 his value is just about right. He’s had one elite season and even that was five years ago.

Meanwhile Schache is still very young and nowhere near his prime but has shown some good signs, and Richards is another good kid on our list
Schache is pretty close to a bust.
 
Paid a 2nd and 3rd for a guy who averaged over 1.7 goals per game last year. How is he a bust?
Don't mean the trade. Think it's unlikely he does much more with the rest of his career since he's a 199cm player that can't take contested marks. Kicking 24 goals last year doesn't mean much in the scheme of things. You can talk about his age and I think his kicking and passing skills are excellent but I don't think he has the requisites to be a best 22 player in a successful side.
 
Don't mean the trade. Think it's unlikely he does much more with the rest of his career since he's a 199cm player that can't take contested marks. Kicking 24 goals last year doesn't mean much in the scheme of things. You can talk about his age and I think his kicking and passing skills are excellent but I don't think he has the requisites to be a best 22 player in a successful side.
He's a 22 year old KPP. Usually players in his position don't hit their peak until mid 20s. If he hadn't been taken at Pick 2, I doubt he'd get even close to the amount of scrutiny that he does.

As you said, his contested marking is woeful, but his field kicking and tank are elite. I think there's potential for him to pave out a career as a 3rd tall or role player where he fits within certain game plans, but his ceiling isn't the 60+ goal per year forward that some thought he would be when taken at Pick 2.

If he plays the full year this year, he should be pushing for the 30 goal mark (accounting for there only being 16 more games). I'm not saying he's going to be a huge success, and may not even make it, but I also don't think it's fair to label him even close to a bust just yet. Give him a couple more years of not improving on his game or establishing himself in the 22, and then I would agree with you
 
He's a 22 year old KPP. Usually players in his position don't hit their peak until mid 20s. If he hadn't been taken at Pick 2, I doubt he'd get even close to the amount of scrutiny that he does.

As you said, his contested marking is woeful, but his field kicking and tank are elite. I think there's potential for him to pave out a career as a 3rd tall or role player where he fits within certain game plans, but his ceiling isn't the 60+ goal per year forward that some thought he would be when taken at Pick 2.

If he plays the full year this year, he should be pushing for the 30 goal mark (accounting for there only being 16 more games). I'm not saying he's going to be a huge success, and may not even make it, but I also don't think it's fair to label him even close to a bust just yet. Give him a couple more years of not improving on his game or establishing himself in the 22, and then I would agree with you
23 this year. Not talking about scrawny teenager. How many years do you keep a player that lacks critical abilities for his position and can't establish himself in the 22? Unlikely to be delisted this year but I wouldn't be surprised if he's gone next year when you have Bruce, Naughton and Ugle-Hannan or whatever his name is. Close to a bust is fair. Some would be harsher and I'm closer to agreeing with them than you.
 
How many years do you keep a player that lacks critical abilities for his position and can't establish himself in the 22?
If you're the crows, at least 6 years.

Brodie Martin, 6 years and 35 games (17 in his last year)
CEY - 8 years, 39 games
Sam Shaw - 6 years, 24 games
Shaun McKernan - 6 years, 34 games
 

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