The decision by the AFL's No.1 player Chris Judd to quit the West Coast Eagles and return to his native Victoria is certain to spark the biggest trading week frenzy ever seen in the history of the game.
And if anyone doubts the difference the 2004 Brownlow Medallist could make to his new club next year, one only has to cast their mind back to trade week three years ago.
Then the biggest prize on offer was disgruntled Richmond big man Brad Ottens, who quit the Tigers at the end of 2004 having treaded water since his All-Australian season of 2001.
Ottens chose Geelong as his preferred club and when the Cats secured his services in exchange for picks 12 and 16 in the 2004 national draft, it was widely thought at the time that Ottens could be the key ingredient in making the Cats a premiership team after their narrow loss in the preliminary final of that year.
Well it has taken longer than expected but in another fortnight's time that could well be the case.
Ottens might have made a slow start to his Geelong career - remember coach Mark Thompson's famous 'all of you' warning to the media to get off Ottens' back after some early poor performances - but there is no doubt his form this year is one of the key reasons why the Cats are favoured to end a 44-year premiership drought stretching back to 1963.
His brilliant tap work in the middle of the ground is why the Cats are consistently able to get first use of the ball with Ottens averaging nearly 19 hit-outs per game this season.
But Ottens has contributed far more than just his ruckwork by also averaging a healthy 13 disposals, five marks and three tackles per game as well as averaging a goal per game.
Such has been Ottens' form that former skipper Steven King cannot get in the side and unless he can replace Ottens' understudy - improved youngster Mark Blake - he faces missing out on what could be the Cats' first premiership team in nearly half a century.
Along with centre half-forward Cameron Mooney, Ottens is probably the player the Cats can least afford to lose in this finals series and his battle with Josh Fraser - provided the Collingwood star returns from a back injury - will be crucial in deciding the outcome of Friday night's first preliminary final at the MCG.
But the other lesson to be learned out of the Ottens deal three years ago - when it comes to those clubs that are seeking to secure Judd - was the Cats did not give up more than they could afford to lose.
While they did give up two first-round picks, those selections were picks 12 and 16 and the two players Richmond secured with those choices in Danny Meyer and Adam Pattison are hardly world-beaters, although Pattison is likely to develop into a good player in time.
But if Ottens, a then 129-game player who basically had enjoyed just one stellar season, was worth two first-round draft picks and has since become arguably the most valuable player at a club favoured to win the 2007 premiership, then what will the Eagles expect in return for Judd considering that in his first six years he was won a Brownlow Medal, finished third in