Decade of trade: Pies, Cats, Dees and Power the kings of the silly season

Stephen Silvagni is now running the Saints, but when he ran the Blues he hunted one club for talent. So how did those moves fare? Scott Gullan rates every club’s trading for the last decade.

Last day of the AFL Trade Period at Marvel Stadium. Carlton list manager Stephen Silvagni arrives at the final day of the AFL Trade Period at Marvel Stadium .Picture: Michael Klein.

Only three clubs have traded every year over the past decade with Carlton the most trigger happy when it comes to the AFL‘s exchange period.

The Blues have brought in 27 players since 2013 with Melbourne next on 22 while the least active has been Sydney with just eight trades.

While free agency has given clubs another avenue to bring in players, a look at the traditional trade period which now runs for 10 days in October throws up some interesting results.

Patrick Dangerfield won a Brownlow in his first season as a Cat, then a flag in 2022. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Lachie Neale has won two Brownlows as a Lion. (Photo by Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

There have been 287 players move clubs over the 10-year period with only 30 going on to play in premierships with their new homes.

Three Brownlow Medallists have also taken the game‘s highest honour after moving clubs – Patrick Dangerfield, Tom Mitchell and Lachie Neale.

Carlton, Brisbane and Hawthorn have traded in at least one player every year since 2013.

The Blues obsession with the GWS Giants through recruiting manager Stephen Silvagni, who set up the expansion team‘s list before returning to Carlton in 2015, saw 11 players make their way to Princes Park.

Only two remain, defender Caleb Marchbank and midfielder Matthew Kennedy, while the most successful so far has been Lachie Plowman who announced his retirement at the end of the season after 125 games with the Blues.

Collingwood‘s 2022 trade week heist has been much celebrated since the premiership win with Bobby Hill, Tom Mitchell and Billy Frampton all coming via deals last October.

Four other premiership players were also gained with trades: Patrick Lipinski (2021), Darcy Cameron (2019), Jeremy Howe (2015) and Jack Crisp (2014).

It was all about the Giants when Stephen Silvagni was at Carlton. Picture: Michael Klein.

Five of Brisbane‘s grand final team came from deals done with rival clubs – Charlie Cameron, Lincoln McCarthy, Callum Ah Chee, Josh Dunkley and Neale.

Some of the main success stories of the trade period include Richmond‘s 2016 trio of Josh Caddy, Toby Nankervis and Dion Prestia who all played in premierships.

The Tigers made some shrewd moves to help start a dynasty. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Melbourne hit the jackpot three years running getting Jake Lever in 2017 and then following it with Steven May and Ed Langdon, all pivotal players in their 2021 flag.

Sam Docherty moving from Brisbane to Carlton and Irishman Zach Tuohy going from Carlton to Geelong are also two of the best moves while St Kilda (Jack Steele), Adelaide (Jordan Dawson) and Geelong (Dangerfield) acquired their captains through trades in October.

Originally published as Decade of trade: Pies, Cats, Dees and Power the kings of the silly season