Another AFL Trade Period has been and gone and well, it was a week and a half of nothing followed by 24 hours of absolute chaos. So after all the dust has settled, who’s happy, who’s not, and who’s still waiting for their team to show up?

Big Winners

Port Adelaide

Kochie Meme from AFLMemes.net

Who’s a happy Kochie? One 2017’s big improvers looks set to continue that trend in 2018 after adding a trio of best 22 players. Tom Rockliff is an absolute ball pig who will relish playing in a contending side, Steven Motlop is elite at his best and is coming off a very impressive finals series and Jack Watts may have just got the wake-up call he needed after a middling career. Top 4 is the pass mark for this side next year.

Essendon

After the painful four years the Bombers have had to endure, opposition fans would be almost be happy to see them pick up three genuine guns this off-season. Almost. Probably not. It’s a big if, but if Jake Stringer gets his head right, a combination with Joe Daniher could be unstoppable. Devon Smith will love some midfield minutes and Adam Saad has never played in a team that’s finished above 15th. Surely that’s motivating.

Smaller Winners

Carlton

If Stephen Silvagni wasn’t a list manager, he’d be a dodgy used car salesman – the man can do a deal. Two first rounders for a guy turning 29 is a huge win, even if it is Bryce Gibbs, while Matthew Kennedy and Darcy Lang both have big upside and we’re traded in for  unders. Matthew Lobbe is solid back-up in the ruck and the club has a strong draft hand for the next two years to add to their young list of Giants Blues.

Fremantle

The footy world was in stitches when reports emerged that Freo were asking for pick 2 in return for Lachie Weller. Then it actually happened. Weller’s a tremendously talented player, but its certainly looks like the Dockers were able to take advantage of Gold Coast’s desperation to get a local boy in who actually wanted to stay long-term. Elsewhere, Nathan Wilson adds to this side’s bevy of speedy flankers and mids, while Brandon Matera might surprise a few who had written him off. Still can’t recruit a power forward though. One day, Rossy.

Melbourne

Gave up a big price for Jake Lever, but if your net result on-field is Lever in and Watts out, then that’s a massive improvement for a team ready to play finals. The Dees are chock-full of high draft picks, so they can afford to lose a year’s worth to recruit the best young defender in the game.

Geelong

Brought the son of God home to Geelong and in doing so will enter 2018 with perhaps the most deadly midfield trio in football history. Regardless of everything else, Dangerfield, Selwood and Ablett could make the Cats good enough to beat any side on their day.

Brisbane Lions

Luke Hodge coming on board is massive validation for the Lions’ crawl back into relevance. A champion like him wouldn’t uproot his life at his age for a club that he sees no hope in, so his experience will help them greatly. Cameron for Rockliff is a loss on-field, but the former Crow actually wants to play for the club and has up to a decade of footy left in him.

Jury’s out

Western Bulldogs

Clearly needed a shake up after a Libba-sized premiership hangover, but was trading out Jake Stringer the right move? Maybe if Josh Schache becomes the elite player he was expected to be. The next part of Bevo’s coaching career will be defined by this trade period.

West Coast Eagles

Where are West Coast at? Are they rebuilding? If so, surely this was a chance to be more aggressive. If Gaff leaves as a FA next year, this will have been a missed opportunity to trade him for better picks. Also gave up their first rounder in next year’s super draft for a bunch of second rounders in this year’s. Many are predicting a slide for the Eagles, which could have made next year’s pick even more valuable.

Hawthorn

The Hawks really don’t like the draft, do they? For the second straight year, Al Clarkson’s team have stuff-all picks to take to the draft. Jarman Impey is a handy pick-up, somewhat off-setting the loss of Brad Hill last season, but only time will tell whether they can continue this quasi-rebuild through trades rather than elite draft picks.

Adelaide

The Gibbs deal is done.

Lever and Cameron out, Gibbs in. Does that make the Crows more of a premiership threat in 2018?

Missing in action

St Kilda

Logan Austin is not the fast, classy midfielder this vanilla list desperately needs. They kept their two top 10 picks, but have again failed to recruit a star midfielder.

North Melbourne

Props for going after the biggest fish in the sea, but there didn’t seem to be much else on the go. Granted, there’s probably no less appealing destination in Melbourne right now but surely they needed to be more aggressive to bring in more picks. No one wanted Goldstein?

Sydney

Curiously quiet for a team clearly in a flag window (as it always is). Salary cap is probably under strain, was there nothing that could be done with Kurt Tippett to free some space?

Richmond

Coming off a flag, so it’s doubtful that any supporter cares.

Losers

Gold Coast Suns

Regardless of circumstances, Lachie Weller is not worth pick 2. Unfortunately for the Suns, years of mismanagement means that they will need to overpay to entice contracted players like him. Wigg and Young will be hungry to play more senior footy, but new coach Stewart Dew will be in for some short-term pain.

GWS Giants

Out: Mumford, Shaw, Wilson, Smith, Stevie J and Matt Kennedy. The revolving door of players continues. Have the Giants peaked?

Big Loser

Collingwood

This is Sam Murray.

He is a Category B rookie who has never played an AFL game.

Somehow Collingwood gave up a future second round 2018 pick for him. They got some later picks back but, but JFC, pick 100 would have done the job. This comes a year after after giving up 4x500k for Chris Mayne last year. Pies fans should be ropable.

Discuss who won and loss the 2017 AFL Trade Period in the forum.