Dust settles on busy trade week
09/10/2009 8:07 PM
One of the busiest AFL trade weeks on record has come to an end with a massive 23 players changing clubs.
Here is how your club fared:
ADELAIDE:
Gains: Nil
Losses: Nil
Comment: The Crows are never big players in trade week but this week they took their traditional non-interest to new levels with coach Neil Craig instead spending much of the week with Melbourne Victory's A-League coach Ernie Merrick.
BRISBANE LIONS:
Gains: Brendan Fevola (Carlton), Brent Staker (West Coast), Amon Buchanan (Sydney), Andrew Raines (Richmond), Xavier Clarke (St Kilda), Round 2 pick (selection 27), Round 3 (47)
Losses: Round 1 (12), Round 2 (28), Round 3 (39), Round 3 (44), Round 4 (60), Bradd Dalziell (West Coast), Lachie Henderson (Carlton)
Comment: At first glance the Lions appear the big winners of trade week. Not only have they secured Carlton superstar Brendan Fevola but they kept Daniel Bradshaw, who was originally linked to the Blues as part of the deal, giving them three of the AFL's best key forwards in the one team along with their inspirational captain Jonathan Brown. But Fevola comes with a lot of baggage and given he turns 29 in January is hardly at the peak of his career. As for the Lions' other picks, Clarke and Staker are two of the most maligned players in the AFL for good reason while Buchanan is one dimensional and Raines has only ever managed two good seasons. And the Lions have had to give up plenty to secure a haul that in reality is not as good as it appears at first glance and will practically play no role in what will be the last national draft before the addition of the new Gold Coast and West Sydney clubs.
CARLTON:
Gains: Brock McLean (Melbourne), Lachie Henderson (Brisbane), Round 1 (12)
Losses: Brendan Fevola (Brisbane), Round 1 (11), Round 2 (27).
Comment: There will be plenty of Blues fans that will be devastated right now after watching one of the club's greatest forwards ever depart and for less than Blues fans originally expected after they failed to land star forward Bradshaw and the talented Michael Rischitelli and instead got youngster Henderson and a first-round draft pick. But it's not all doom and gloom for supporters of a club that has just emerged from the worst period in its history. Quite simply