We look at some of the biggest player for player trades in the AFL
AFL clubs usually struggle to agree to trade one player for another. But on some rare occasions, it does happen. From Shaun Grigg to Heath Shaw and Heritier Lumumba, check out the biggest mono e mono moves.
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AFL clubs usually struggle to agree to trade one player for another.
But on some rare occasions, it does happen.
Sometimes it is hard to come up with a winner, like when Collingwood traded Heath Shaw to Greater Western Sydney for Taylor Adams in 2013.
But on other occasions, like Shaun Grigg and Andrew Collins swapping from Carlton to Richmond, it is easy.
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Recap the winners and losers from some of the biggest player for player trades below.
SHAUN GRIGG V ANDREW COLLINS
It would be fair to say that the careers of Shaun Grigg and Andrew Collins went in slightly different directions following their trades involving Carlton and Richmond in 2010.
Grigg, a former No. 19 draft pick, has gone on to play 149 games for the Tigers and played a major part in the club’s 2017 premiership success.
His unconventional ruck partnership with Toby Nankervis proved unstoppable with finals opponents Geelong, Greater Western Sydney and Adelaide left with no answers.
He also went on to poll seven Brownlow votes, the second most of his career.
Meanwhile, Collins lasted just two years at the Blues, playing 11 games in that time.
He was delisted after Mick Malthouse’s first season at the club.
TAYLOR ADAMS V HEATH SHAW
After 10 years, 173 games, a premiership medal and one of the best smothers of all time, Collingwood and Heath Shaw fell out of love at the end of the 2013 season.
The former father-son selection was traded in a direct swap for a then GWS youngster who had played in just three wins from his 31 games.
It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for Taylor Adams when he first arrived at Collingwood, with the midfielder spending some time in the VFL while he found his feet in Melbourne.
At the same time, Shaw was making All-Australian teams and the deal was shaping up as a home run for the Giants.
But have things changed?
Now 31, Shaw’s 2017 was his worst individual year since joining the Giants, averaging career-lows in kicks, disposals, tackles, inside 50s and clearances.
At the other end of the scale, Adams is now entering his prime.
He finished second in Collingwood’s best and fairest and is seen as a future captain of the Magpies.
HERITIER LUMUMBA V MITCH CLARK V TRAVIS VARCOE
Who could have predicted that just three years after this massive trade, only one man would still be in the league.
Mitch Clark was delisted by Geelong after just two years and nine games.
Heritier Lumumba controversially retired from football during the 2016 season because of continual concussion injuries.
Although Travis Varcoe is the last man standing, his time with the Magpies has been inconsistent because of injury.
After a brilliant first season, in which he played 22 games and finished in the top 10 of Collingwood’s best and fairest, Varcoe has played just 25 games since.
The Magpies are definitely a better team when he is up and running.
TOM BOYD + PICK 6 FOR RYAN GRIFFEN
Players on big money are expected to deliver on the game’s biggest stage.
Enter Tom Boyd.
After two years of relentless commentary surrounding his massive pay packet, Boyd delivered in the best possible fashion, with a near best-on-ground performance in the Bulldogs’ premiership win over Sydney.
But is one game enough to say the Bulldogs got the better of the Giants in this trade for Ryan Griffen and pick 6?
Boyd has kicked 36 goals in his three years at the Dogs and looks at his most comfortable drifting in and out of the ruck.
However, his 2017 season was derailed when he was forced to take time out of the game to deal with a mental health issue.
In his three years at the Giants, Griffen has finished in the top 10 of the best and fairest just once (eighth in 2015).
His 2017 season was ruined by injury, with the midfielder playing just three games.
GWS went on to use pick 6 on Caleb Marchbank who now plays for Carlton.
LEWIS JETTA V CALLUM SINCLAIR
When Lewis Jetta and Callum Sinclair are good, they’re very good. When they’re cold, they’re ice cold.
But who got the better of this straight swap in 2015?
In his first year at the Eagles, Jetta went from being in the top 10 in the league for metres gained to being dropped to the WAFL multiple times.
After a rocky start to 2017, it felt like Jetta somewhat turned the corner. He was one of the main reasons the Eagles even qualified for finals thanks to some of his game changing efforts against Adelaide in Round 23.
Sinclair enjoyed some huge games during 2017, booting five goals against St Kilda in Round 18 and three goals in the Swans’ finals thrashing of Essendon.
But there were also 12 games that he failed to kick a goal in and a two disposal final against Geelong should stay in his mind over summer.
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