THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2008

[Demonland 73,164]

THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2008: DAY FOUR

TRADING THROUGH HISTORY by the Oracle

The whole trade week is descending into a shambles with the pitfalls of the system exposed for all to see. After four days, there's been just one deal done and that one is nothing to write home about. Even Jack Hill the blind miner will tell you that the Adam Thomson to Richmond for pick 42 trade sits a best at about 2 on a scale of 1 to 10.

Clearly, what has been going on over the past our days is unsatisfactory, unsavoury and certainly not achieving the intended purpose of the exchange week. Clubs, players, managers, fans and the AFL itself are all unhappy with the state of affairs and, combined with the failure of the Pre Season Draft in recent years, all this is leading us up the path towards free agency – another outcome that will suit the rich and harm the poor.

It's a waste of time speculating about what will happen today – the last day of the trade week - other than perhaps Brad Green might finally make up his mind what he wants to do next year.

You would like to think that the spirit of the exchange period was to achieve deals that are a win/win for all parties concerned. However, I suspect that somewhere within the heart of the current system lies the belief on the part of clubs, managers and players that you have to screw the other in your dealings. Perhaps this is why we're not seeing as much business done – because some of the parties want to be seen as the winners of every particular transaction they might complete.

That is why I'm fast reaching the point where I regard it as a waste of time to speculate. Instead, I will reserve my judgement on this week until the results are known and I've had the time to digest the outcome of exchange week.

In the meantime, I'd like to take you on a trip down memory lane to look at some outstanding trades of the past that were spectacular in that they were wins for one side only. Hopefully, Melbourne can knock a couple off like these (on the winning side) rippers from the past:

In 1998, Port Adelaide traded Tom Harley who had one AFL game under his belt to Geelong for pick 37 in the National Draft. The Power used that pick to select young key position player Adam Morgan from Oakleigh Under 18’s. Morgan had injury problems and hung around at Alberton for five years and played just 3 games before he was traded to the Bulldogs where he managed another inauspicious 14 games before fading off the scene.

Harley has added another 182 games to his resume at Geelong and in 2007 held the premiership cup aloft in front of his old club, vanquished by 119 points – the biggest margin ever in an AFL/VFL grand final. Most of the experts consider Harley one of the best skippers in the competition.

Fremantle supporters shudder at the very word "trade" because they've been on the receiving end of many exchanges gone badly for them. Perhaps that's why their club seems to be digging in its heels over Robert Warnock. Their worst gaffes were in the early days of the club. Peter Bell was released after just one game to North Melbourne where he played in a couple of premierships before returning home.

Before their inaugural playing season of 1995, the Dockers gave away some beauties. They released Jeff Farmer for Melbourne defender Phil Gilbert when the young Wizard was just a 17-year-old schoolboy and released draft pick four to Essendon for Tony Delaney who managed just 28 games with the Dockers. Essendon used its selection on Geelong Falcons youngster Scott Lucas who is still around today after an illustrious career that currently stands at 256 games, 449 goals and includes a berth at centre half forward in the Bombers’ premiership team of 2000.

More lately there has been the Chris Tarrant trade from Collingwood to Fremantle in return for Paul Medhurst and National Draft pick 8 which secured Ben Reid. Before that the Pies took some handy players in James Clement and Brodie Holland for cheap pickings.

But the winner is … the swap of a good, ordinary key position player in Chris Groom who had played 12 games with Adelaide in return for a youngster from the Northern Territory, Andrew McLeod. Groom's career at Fremantle was hampered by injuries and he was moved on to North Melbourne after just seven games. He fared even worse with the Kangaroos and managed only two more games before his career ended with a whimper.

McLeod's career has been well documented. He played in two premierships with Adelaide and won the Norm Smith Medal on both occasions (1997 and 1998). A decade later and McLeod is still a damaging player for the Crows with 304 games and 256 goals behind him and more to come.

No wonder AFL clubs are lining up to do business with the Dockers. Their trading track record raises the distinct possibility that they might take another fall tomorrow.

We'll all know the answer to that very soon!!

[Tony Tea 2,809]

Clearly, what has been going on over the past our days is unsatisfactory, unsavoury and certainly not achieving the intended purpose of the exchange week.

I'd suggest trade week serves another, highly satisfactory, purpose: getting footy punters to fanatically focus on footy for at least a week in the middle of the Dead Zone some people call October. The AFL secretly love trade week.

[Chelly 827]

I'd suggest trade week serves another, highly satisfactory, purpose: getting footy punters to fanatically focus on footy for at least a week in the middle of the Dead Zone some people call October. The AFL secretly love trade week.

... but does it get any more bums on seats?

[Demonland 73,164]

THE TRADING CHRONICLES: DAY FIVE

THE BIG FIZZER by The Oracle

With the world's financial crisis completely overshadowing events, football's own exchange period was always going to pale into insignificance against a backdrop of confusion and crisis on global markets. The week's activities however, produced even less result than most of us thought with only six player trades completed and not a single player of any note changing clubs.

It was not for lack of trying among the clubs that the output was so poor. For every completed trade there were probably at least ten names bandied about during the lead up and the week of trading but there were factors at play that influenced the market. These included economic factors and the gloomy economic outlook, the high price tags some managers put on their players, the perception that this year's draft pool was strong and deep and the imminent changes to the draft, particularly those that will apply with the imminent inclusion of teams from the Gold Coast and West Sydney. Clubs valued their draft picks more than ever this year and many deals that might have been consummated in other years simply were left on the shelf.

The highest draft pick to change hands was # 24 as part of the final day deal that saw Robert Warnock move from Fremantle to Carlton. It would be safe to say that this would have been Warnock was the most expensive player to be traded for a selection outside the top 20 but more of that later. Other trades yesterday involved Bulldog Farren Ray joining the Saints in a trade that saw picks 31 and 48 rotated between the clubs and Brent Prismall moved to the Bombers for draft pick # 93. The draft took on a ridiculous face with Brisbane's gift of Anthony Corrie to Collingwood for selection 93 (I wonder who they have in mind to use that one on) and the Pies offloaded the troublesome Rhyce Shaw for an exchange of insignificant draft picks.

From Melbourne's point of view, the club worked hard but failed to secure Warnock and Prismall and Brad Green stayed put and finally signed a new three year deal. The so-called "failure" to convince the Docker giant and the injured Cat, who were fringe players at best at their former clubs, is no disaster and probably a blessing in disguise for the club which can now concentrate on the forthcoming National Draft where it has three selections in the top twenty and possibly, on the Pre Season Draft (but I wouldn't be holding my breath over that one).

The PSD already promises to be as big a fizzer as the exchange period – all of which spells the likelihood of a strong push towards free agency to protect the interests of the uncontracted player. From Melbourne’s point of view, it is to be hoped that the club embraces the changes that will come and that it won’t shy away from taking the lead in aggressive trading in future years. For this year however, it was a time best to stay away from the major trades and the results of the week prove that conclusively.

Missing out on Warnock was no big deal. Carlton came in with such a knockout offer to the young ruckman who has 21 games of AFL experience under his belt that he was virtually priced out of dealing with any other club. The Blues applied the Pythagoras theory of bidding for this player. When early suitors Richmond and Melbourne came in with reported offers of around $900,000 for three years, they added a year to the contract, squared the number four to get 16 and added the requisite number of naughts to come up with figure so ridiculous for a ruckman in the current era that it would have been irresponsible of the other clubs to match. On the very day when the current Gordon Gekkos of this world were getting their comeuppance across the globe you could rely on Carlton to promote the culture of greed to the nth degree.

As for Prismall, it would have been dangerous for a club like Melbourne to have taken the risk on an injury ravaged player of such inconsequence and pay the amount the Bombers finally coughed up for him. Essendon also had a tough 2008 on the injury front. At least the price they paid for their new disabled wingman was cheap at selection # 39.

And so we move on into the brave new world. There are only six weeks to go before the National Draft, following which we might all be better placed to reflect on whether it was better to hold on to that valuable commodity – a top twenty draft pick.

[rumpole 522]

The Blues applied the Pythagoras theory of bidding for this player. When early suitors Richmond and Melbourne came in with reported offers of around $900,000 for three years, they added a year to the contract, squared the number four to get 16 and added the requisite number of naughts to come up with figure so ridiculous for a ruckman in the current era that it would have been irresponsible of the other clubs to match. On the very day when the current Gordon Gekkos of this world were getting their comeuppance across the globe you could rely on Carlton to promote the culture of greed to the nth degree.

Pure Gold

[Freddy Fuschia 747]

Pure Gold

Delighted we didn't take mediocre players for big dollars. $700kpa is better in our coffers or spent wisely on developing players.

[Guest Sid Vicious]

An unsuspecting Carlton has been diddled into taken an injury prone, skinny dinosaur with bad knees and a pea heart in what experts are declaring the greatest con since the dewey decimal system. Fremantle played silly buggers with Carlton all week long, to keep up the illusion that they wanted the former late draft pick-up but at the last minute, dropped the charade and pulled the carpet out from under the most wooden spooned team of the decade.

- Shane Richmond - Dockerland

[rumpole 522]

- Shane Richmond - Dockerland

LOL

[H_T 3,049]

And so we move on into the brave new world. There are only six weeks to go before the National Draft, following which we might all be better placed to reflect on whether it was better to hold on to that valuable commodity – a top twenty draft pick.

In our case, 3 top twenty draft picks.