2023 AFL trade period a trash-and-treasure sale to find next great hidden gem

While the AFL trade period should have clubs throwing out huge offers for premier players, this year’s trade period showed once again it’s a copycat league as clubs hunt their own Bobby Hill.

The AFL trade period should resemble a Sotheby’s auction with clubs stumping up outrageous prices for premium goods they simply must have.

As the 10-day trade period finally came to a grinding halt on Wednesday night the inescapable conclusion was of a suburban trash-and-treasure sale.

Clubs with millions in cap space or an array of elite draft picks instead chose to scratch around at the edges recruiting role players, backups and players with huge upside but well-advertised flaws.

Hawthorn, Essendon, Sydney and Port Adelaide at least swung for the fences as aggressive coaches determined to get involved in the trade period made dramatic list overhauls.

Yet in a trade period where Lachie Schultz’s high-profile move was the early headline item, the fact 32 AFL players this year kicked more goals than him in 2023 was reflective of the ho-hum nature of the goods up for sale.

The list of distressed assets was lengthy.

Lachie Schultz made his way to the premiers. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Mabior Chol, who threw the towel in during games this year but still had so many legitimate suitors some at the Suns wondered if he had been mistaken for Wayne Carey.

Jack Billings, a No.3 overall draft pick who St Kilda was prepared to pay to play elsewhere and jettison despite the lowly future third-round pick secured from Melbourne in return.

Jack Ginnivan was traded 18 days after the premiership for a trio of pick shuffles amid a hail of accusations about who blinked first before he leapt into Sam Mitchell’s arms.

Esava Ratugolea, cast by Geelong as a Tom Stewart clone despite spending time in the VFL as recently as round 19 and rated below average or average in five of seven key Champion Data categories.

So instead of the AFL’s fat cats loading up on stars – think Richmond with Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper, Geelong and Jeremy Cameron, Melbourne with Jake Lever and Steven May – we get clubs trying to be Collingwood 2.0.

We get senior coaches spending the off-season attempting to iron out the obvious weaknesses in their new recruits as they try to add multiple role players to their best 22.

Only 18 days ago Craig McRae turned Bobby Hill into a Norm Smith Medallist, Tom Mitchell into a more damaging weapon (with Norm Smith votes and multiple goal assists) and Billy Frampton into defensive forward who quelled intercept star Harris Andrews.

For Sam Mitchell, dripping with confidence and authority about the manner in which he wants to build his list, it will be a summer of tough love.

Chol has more talent in his glorious left boot than some footballers.

How does Mitchell extract it so he becomes reliable on a wet slog of a July day at the MCG when he has just been provided the security of a four-year deal with a fifth-year option?

Can the Hawks get the best out of Mabior Chol? Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Ginnivan was still posting Instagram posts – hastily deleted – about being “locked in” at Collingwood as the club was actively trading him.

Some would say that with the dyed locks, and social media fame and failure to “read the room” on his ill-advised Moonee Valley trip pre-decider the penny doesn’t seem too close to dropping.

And yet Ginnivan could yet be a masterful signing by Mitchell at a club saw Luke Breust contribute 47 goals and Mitch Lewis 36, then a massive drop-off to Dylan Moore’s 17 in 23 games.

Ginnivan could yet trump Elijah Hollands and Lachie Schultz as the steal of the trade period if he reprise his 40 goals from 2022 on a year-in-year-out basis.

Craig McRae told him to “read the room” after his Moonee Valley trip, and he read it precisely.

He moved on to a club that needed him instead of being shuffled down the pecking order.

But he also did it while calling McRae on Wednesday to thank him, while also asking new coach Sam Mitchell for permission to attend the races on Saturday while on leave.

Perhaps he is learning after all.

There were significant winners by close of play on Wednesday.

Ken Hinkley’s team loaded up down back and in the ruck. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Ken Hinkley’s draft team – Jason Cripps and Chris Davies – nailed their lines to deliver two rucks (Ivan Soldo, Jordon Sweet) and two key defenders (Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Esava Ratugolea).

After straight sets losses by a combined 71 points Hinkley’s two-year deal gives him no honeymoon period.

He has the cattle, he must give the Power a deep finals run to survive.

John Longmire might not have been told Dean Cox is replacing him for the 2026 season but his trade moves made it seem as if he had sniffed the wind.

Brodie Grundy has the perfect chance to deliver the proverbial middle finger salute to Melbourne AND Collingwood by dominating at Sydney.

If the AFL isn’t prepared to pit Sydney and Collingwood in a round 1 stand-alone contest to cash in, Grundy will believe he can take on one of his former clubs in a late September grudge match.

So the AFL off-season begins with West Coast surely trading pick 1 – they cannot believe they will launch a top-to-bottom rebuild with picks 1, 21 and 37.

And with 18 coaches picking through their respective restoration projects and offcuts, aware they will have to turn them into something bright and gleaming by round one next year.