THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2010

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THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2010 by The Oracle

COUP

If I had written seven days ago that the Fremantle Dockers would announce on the Sunday of trade week that they had secured a Perth player named Tendai Mzungu by trading their pick 38 for said gentleman and the Gold Coast Suns' selection 44 there is little doubt that most of you would have had me placed in a straight jacket and shunted off to the funny farm.

The very name Tendai Mzunga conjures up strange and exotic visions in the mind:

AAP, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso June 15, 2007 - Calm was restored to the streets of Ouagadougou yesterday when President Tendai Mzunga was overthrown in a bloodless coup believed to be led by army general Thomas Ouedraogo. The army took over the nation's parliament building, the main airport and all television and radio stations in an action that follows several months of civil and industrial unrest. Ouedraogo immediately declared martial law and banned all reality television shows with the exception of Big Brother and Masterchef.

Mzunga's whereabouts remain unknown but rumours are sweeping the capital of the country once known as Upper Volta that the toppled leader crossed the border and fled overnight to Perth, Australia where his bodyguard lives. The President is expected to apply for political asylum.

Things are never so clear and uncomplicated. The true story of Fremantle's latest recruit is more like this:

The West Australian June 5, 2010 (Mzungu on the rapid rise) - Perth coach Andrew Jarman and his predecessor at EFTel Oval, Simon Eastaugh, believe hard-working Demons midfielder Tendai Mzungu can become WA football's next rags-to-riches story.

The 1997 Norwood premiership teammates said the 24-year-old Perth ball magnet was capable of stepping up from State level to the AFL, and follow a similar career path to that of mature-age Fremantle recruit Michael Barlow.

Despite ranking second in the WAFL for disposals this season with 253 touches at an average of more than 28 a game, Mzungu isn't getting ahead of himself.

He leads the competition for kicks (181) and has broken free to take 57 marks (ranked eighth), the majority of which have been uncontested in a testament to his hard-running style of game.

Only Claremont's Luke Blackwell (283 disposals) is ahead of him.

Mzungu has played 61 games in five seasons at Perth and credited his increased mental strength for this year's eye-catching performances. He will continue to work hard in pursuit of his AFL dream and takes heart from seeing mature-age recruits flourishing on the national stage.

"Getting our first win is the main priority at the moment but it's definitely a goal of mine to push up to that level," Mzungu said.

So there you have it. The story has nothing to do with violent coups and impoverished, politically unstable African republics although Jarman announced soon after making those statements that he was returning to Adelaide by "mutual consent", a phrase that could mean anything in the world of football when a coach is battling to break the ice in the month of June.

Jarman did get one thing right when he commented:

There's some duds running around in the AFL competition and he's a better player than a lot of those blokes that have got AFL contracts.

Well might he have been describing the array of football "talent" that has moved clubs during trade week (excluding of course, the father/sons and most of the Gold Coast recruits) although one exception to that rule could be former Brisbane Lion Justin Sherman whose club agreed yesterday on an in-principle deal to send him to the Western Bulldogs for that club's Jarrod Harbrow compensatory draft pick.

The fun, frivolity and occasional coups continue today and will thankfully end at 2.00 pm.

Completed Player Movements and Dealings on Day Six:

■ Gold Coast receives Gary Ablett (Geelong), Nathan Bock (Adelaide), Campbell Brown (Hawthorn), Jarrod Harbrow (Western Bulldogs), Nathan Krakouer (Port Adelaide), Michael Rischitelli (Brisbane) as uncontracted player selections

■Western Bulldogs receive Mitch Wallis in return for its first-round draft selection (No. 20) under the father son rule

■Western Bulldogs receive Tom Liberatore in return for its second-round draft selection (No. 40) under the father son rule

■West Coast Eagles receive Jacob Brennan in return for its final-round draft selection (TBA) under the father son rule

■Western Bulldogs receive Patrick Veszpremi and fourth-round draft selection (No. 73)

Sydney Swans receive Andrejs Everitt

■Adelaide receives Richard Tambling

Richmond receives Adelaide's end-of-first round compensation for losing Nathan Bock and a third-round draft selection (No. 50)

■ Gold Coast receives Josh Fraser (Collingwood) as an uncontracted player selection

■ Fremantle receives Peter Faulks (uncontracted Gold Coast draftee from Williamstown VFL) and fourth-round draft selection (No. 61)

Gold Coast receives third-round draft selection (No. 65)

■ Collingwood receives Andrew Krakouer (uncontracted Gold Coast draftee from Swan Districts WAFL), Jonathon Ceglar (uncontracted Gold Coast draftee from Murray Bushrangers WAFL), third-round draft selection (No. 55), fifth-round draft selection (No. 78) and sixth-round draft selection (No. 95)

Gold Coast receives first-round selection (No. 25)

■ Gold Coast receives Jared Brennan and first-round selection (No.10)

Brisbane Lions receive first-round selection (No. 5)

■ Western Bulldogs receive Nathan Djerrkura

Geelong receives a third-round draft selection (No. 57)

■ Hawthorn receives David Hale and third-round draft selection (No. 52)

North Melbourne receives Hawthorn's end-of-first round compensation for losing Campbell Brown and a fourth-round draft selection (No. 71)

■ Brisbane Lions receive Rohan Bewick (West Perth, WAFL), first-round draft selections (Nos. 5 and 25) and second-round draft selection (No. 27)

Gold Coast receives the end of first-round Gold Coast draft compensation selection Brisbane Lions received for losing Jared Brennan, first-round draft selection (No. 10) and third-round draft selection (No. 48)

■ North Melbourne receives Ben McKinley

West Coast Eagles receive fifth-round draft selection (No. 86)

■ Carlton receives Andrew Collins

Richmond receives Shaun Grigg

■ Western Bulldogs receive Justin Sherman

Brisbane Lions receive Western Bulldogs' end-of-first round compensation for losing Jarrod Harbrow

■ Fremantle receive Tendai Mzunga (Perth, WAFL) and second-round draft selection (No. 44)

Gold Coast receives second-round draft selection (No. 38)

NAB AFL Draft selection numbers are indicative only. Gold Coast draft compensation selections do not yet have a number assigned to them. The above list shows only where selections may be placed if no compensation selections are activated.

No trades are official until paperwork has been accepted by the AFL and formally recognised after 2.00pm on Monday, October 11.