AFL trade bargains paying off in September

YESTERDAY we published a list of the 10 best trade steals helping their teams in September — and somehow overlooked the biggest bargain of the lot. BIGGEST TRADE STEALS

Toby Nankervis was a trade bargain. Picture: Michael Klein

SOME of the biggest trade steals in recent history could be about to deliver the ultimate pay-off.

Toby Nankervis, Jacob Townsend, Sam Jacobs, Tom Lynch and Nathan Vardy all arrived during the trade period for deals that look like swindles in hindsight. And they aren’t the only ones.

DOGS SHOCK: BEVO EXPLAINS STRINGER BREAK-UP

JON RALPH: TIGER TRADE TRIUMPH SETS UP FLAG SHOT

TRADE HQ: LATEST NEWS AND RUMOURS

So who made the best deal of the past few years? See our rankings and have your say in the comments section below.

UPDATE: We published this article yesterday and somehow missed the biggest September steal of the lot. It has now been updated to correct the record, making a top 10 a top 11, with apologies to the Swans recruiting team and a man who dominates finals so much they call him “Mr September”.

Josh Kennedy in action against his former team.

1. JOSH KENNEDY

“JPK” embodies the Swans so much we managed to overlook the fact he used to play for Hawthorn. He was drafted under the father-son rule in 2006 as the son of four-time premiership Hawk John Kennedy and grandson of club icon John Kennedy Sr. But he battled to break into the team with the likes of Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis and Brad Sewell ahead of him, playing just 13 games.

At the end of 2009 Hawthorn offered him a one-year contract and the Swans, at the height of their powers as masters of picking under-utilised talent from other clubs, offered three. Alastair Clarkson made the call to allow Kennedy to leave and pursue greater opportunities at Sydney.

It’s fair to say he grasped them with both hands, playing another 190 games, winning three best-and-fairests and captaining the club in its current finals campaign.

Clever forward Ben McGlynn joined Kennedy on the plane to Sydney and the Hawks received draft picks 39, 46 and 70 in return. They were used to recruit Sam Grimley, Ben Stratton and Matt Suckling.

The Hawks also did a deal with Port Adelaide that year to lure Shaun Burgoyne, and sent goalkicker Mark Williams to Essendon for two good picks, so their report card doesn’t look too bad.

2. JACOB TOWNSEND

Townsend arrived in one of the most low-key deals of the 2015 trade period and cost the Tigers effectively nothing. They handed over pick 70 for the hard nut midfielder who had managed 29 games in four seasons at GWS — a pick the Giants didn’t use.

In return came Townsend, who has kicked a remarkable 13 goals in the past three weeks, and pick 120, which the Tigers also left in the cupboard. The icing on the deal was that passing on draft night left a space open on the senior list for a rookie — a spot filled before Round 1 last year by former VFL player Kane Lambert.

Jacob Townsend has come from nowhere to play a key role in Richmond’s flag charge.

3. TOBY NANKERVIS

The Swans knew “The Nank” was a good player, the problem was they had too many ruckmen and couldn’t find a spot for him in the team. It also meant they didn’t have much leverage in trade talks and had to settle for pick 46 in a trade with Richmond. They used that on defender Jack Maibaum, who is yet to make his senior debut as Nankervis powers towards a possible Grand Final against his former club.

There’s another intriguing layer to the Nankervis trade. The Swans originally picked him in the 2013 draft with the selection they received from GWS in a trade for Shane Mumford. That was a pretty good deal for the Giants, although Mummy will miss the rest of the finals through injury.

4. NATHAN VARDY

Unless Nic Naitanui makes a miraculous recovery, Vardy will partner Drew Petrie in an unlikely semi-final ruck combination against the Giants on Saturday night. The injury-prone Cat arrived in a swap for pick 72 in last year’s trade period and has hit form at the right time. Geelong used the draft pick on mature-age forward Timm House.

Nathan Vardy was a value pick for the Eagles.

Eddie Betts gives Sam Jacobs a well-deserved pat on the back.

5. SAM JACOBS

“Sauce” produced one of the most emotional — and best — performances of the finals series so far when he dominated against GWS the day before attending his brother’s funeral. He has been a huge success for the Crows since Carlton traded him for picks 34 and 67 — Patrick McCarthy and Andrew McInnes, who combined for 18 games — in 2010.

6. JOSH JENKINS

Another Adelaide bargain, this time from Essendon which parted with the back-up ruckman and pick 41, and got pick 31 in return. Making the deal even more one-sided the Bombers used that selection on Jackson Merrett, who struggled to break into the best 22 this season. The Crows used their steak knives pick on promising midfielder Mitch Grigg.

7. TOM LYNCH

The former first-round draft showed a bit as a Saint but no one was too upset when he departed at the end of 2011 in exchange for pick 37. He is now one of the best mid-size forwards in the comp and a key part of the Crows’ scoring machine which is pretty good value in our book. The Saints didn’t lose totally in the deal, using the selection on Jack Newnes.

8. SHAUN GRIGG

A straight swap for plucky forward Andy Collins in 2010 was one of Richmond’s biggest trade wins — with Carlton again on the receiving end (they got revenge by sending Chris Yarran to Punt Rd for pick 19 six years later). Super consistent, adds midfield depth and having arguably his best season.

Former Blue Shaun Grigg pumps the Tigers into attack.

Josh Kennedy has delivered two Coleman Medals to the Eagles.

9. SAM MITCHELL

One of the most surprising and debated trades of recent times. As was well reported at the time, the Eagles got Mitchell effectively for pick 88 (Harry Morrison). Morrison might be a gun one day but right now Adam Simpson is happy to have Mitchell in his semi-final midfield.

10. BRAD EBERT

Port Adelaide is out of the finals but Ebert will poll very well in the John Cahill Medal after a career season. The deal to get him from West Coast at the end of 2011 involved multiple draft picks but boiled down to the selection that delivered Fraser McInnes (11 games so far) to the Eagles.

11. JOSH KENNEDY

Debate over this trade will continue for years and there’s no denying Chris Judd was a champion for Carlton. But he isn’t playing this weekend while JJK could send West Coast into a preliminary final. Interestingly, it has come down to Kennedy v Judd with Chris Masten (selected with pick three, also part of the trade) running around in the WAFL and Tony Notte (pick 20, two games) long gone from the AFL scene. The Blues also received a “steak knives” in the swap in the form of pick 46, which they used on faithful servant Dennis Armfield.