THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2008: DAY FOUR

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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!