AFL free agency ladder: Which clubs are the biggest winners and losers?

DO TOP-four clubs really attract the most and high-profile free agents? A Herald Sun study reveals some surprising results which clubs come out on top. Check out your club’s free agency hits and misses.

HAWTHORN has lost more free agents than any other club.

A Herald Sun study has shown the five Hawks who have left Waverley via free agency have lined up in 237 games for their new clubs.

The only other club who has seen their departed free agents play more than 200 games is St Kilda’s 217.

Essendon and North Melbourne have untapped the most games by free agent signings since the player movement scheme was introduced in 2012.

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The Bombers are the only club yet to lose an eligible free agent.

Gold Coast and GWS are also yet to lose a free agent but they have so far been safeguarded against it.

The Suns’ immunity expires this year with captain Tom Lynch set to be their first free agent poached.

The Giants’ immunity runs out next season with Dylan Shiel on track to headline the club’s first batch of restricted free agents.

Dual Brownlow medallist and Carlton director Chris Judd wants the AFL to consider locking the top-four clubs out of free agency to help balance the competition.

“It’s just the top four teams I have a problem with,” Judd said last week.

“Not if they (free agents) go to seventh or eighth or a middle of the road (team). There’s nothing really exciting about Tom Lynch going to Richmond.

“I think the AFL need to put measures in place to make it more challenging for players to go to top four clubs.”

But Lynch is set to go against the grain and become just the eighth free agent to join a top-four team.

The first seven were Quinten Lynch and Clinton Young (joined Collingwood in 2013), Colin Sylvia (joined Fremantle in 2013), Lance Franklin (joined Sydney in 2013), Jarrad Waite and Shaun Higgins (joined North Melbourne in 2014) and James Frawley (joined Hawthorn in 2014).

Young and Franklin were crossing from rival top-four clubs while Frawley’s departure was arguably a win for Melbourne.

The Demons banked pick No.3 as compensation, which was used on midfield star Angus Brayshaw.

The Hawks have lost premiership quarter Franklin, Young, Xavier Ellis (West Coast), Matthew Suckling (Western Bulldogs) as well as Tom Murphy (Gold Coast).

Lynch will become just the third free agent to join the Tigers, following Chris Knights and Troy Chaplin.

Adelaide and Sydney are among the big free agency winners despite signing just one player each — Eddie Betts (Crows) and Franklin (Swans).

Lance Franklin went to Sydney after winning a premiership with Hawthorn. Picture: Michael Klein

Betts, Franklin, Danyle Pearce (Fremantle) and Brendon Goddard (Essendon) are the only free agents who have notched 100 games at their second club.

Geelong great Jimmy Bartel last week scoffed at calls to tighten the rules around the best teams raiding stars.

“Here’s the thing that I’ve found very funny, Tom Lynch has caused outrage — how can he go to the reigning premiers and potential back-to-back champions?” Bartel said on RSN.

“But there’s no talk of Dan Hannebery going to St Kilda with that same talk, so we pick and choose who we have a crack at.

“Where are all these outrage specialists about free agency ruining it? Dan Hannebery is going to St Kilda and I reckon there’s been a daily article on their struggles this year (and) Mitch McGovern might go to Carlton.”

The Saints and Blues will have to strike trades to secure Hannebery and McGovern because they are not free agents.

Originally published as AFL free agency ladder: Which clubs are the biggest winners and losers?