The Ten
By Paul Daffey
October 3, 2004
THE BEST TRADE COUPS IN THE DRAFT ERA
1. Andrew McLeod, 1994
In the 1994 AFL national draft, Adelaide gained Andrew McLeod from Fremantle in return for trading Chris Groom and selection No.38.
Fremantle’s inaugural football and recruiting departments must have thought the national draft was like Jack and the Beanstalk. After being sent off to the football fair with orders to sell the club cow for a key forward and a midfielder, they came back with a bag of beans. The beans did yield a player of beanstalk height in Groom, but that’s where the fairytale ended: he played only seven games for the Dockers before being shipped off to Arden Street.
Adelaide, meanwhile, used its No.38 selection on Matthew Collins, who made little impact before being moved onto Melbourne. McLeod’s main move was from the back pocket to the midfield and onto the premiership dais, where he also collected two Norm Smith Medals.
In the past two years, Groom has enjoyed premiership glory of his own, playing a leading part in flags earned by West Preston in the Diamond Valley league and Uni Blacks in D1-section of the Amateurs. The Dockers must be happy for him.
2. Luke Power, 1997
The Brisbane Lions gained the No.5 selection in the 1997 national draft in return for trading Adrian Fletcher to Fremantle.
While Fletcher was more than serviceable during his 79 games for Fremantle, the Lions’ victory in this trade is clear. With their No.5 pick – behind Travis Johnstone, Brad Ottens, Trent Croad and Mark Bolton – the Lions chose Luke Power.
Fletcher, notwithstanding his outstanding ball-getting ability, was unceremoniously moved on from Fremantle, while Power has played key roles in the midfield in the Lions’ three premierships.
3. Adam McPhee, 2002
In a complicated three-club deal, Fremantle gave up Adam McPhee and picks 3 (Jared Brennan) and 19 (Troy Selwood) and, in return, got Brisbane Lions premiership player Des Headland and pick No.55 (Ryan Crowley).
In another example of why the Dockers might be renamed the Dudders, the club saw fit to trade away the agile, rangy 19-year-old McPhee, who had battled through injury in his second season at the Dockers, to Essendon, where this year he won All-Australian honours and the Bombers’ best-and-fairest award.
4. Darren Jarman, 1990
Hawthorn gained Brisbane’s hold on Darren Jarman in return for trading the No.10 selection in the 1990 national draft to the Bears.
At the time, this looked like a reasonable deal. Jarman had already been drafted by Melbourne in 1986, but had failed to come across from South Australia. He was then drafted by Brisbane in 1989, but told the Bears he was more likely to play in Bombay than Brisbane (or Carrara, as the case may have been). So rather than waste any more time, the Bears managed to secure a prized high draft pick for the reluctant star.
With the No.10 pick, they chose David Ogg from Swan Districts. Ogg played nine games. Jarman played in a premiership in his first season at Hawthorn before, in 1995, becoming the first player to win a club best-and-fairest award while never getting out of a jog. Then he was gone, moving home to Adelaide and further glory.
5. Mal Michael, 2000
The Brisbane Lions gained Mal Michael in return for trading Jarrod Molloy and the No.44 selection to Collingwood in the 2000 national draft. It’s well known that Michael sent a text message after the 2001 grand final, thanking Molloy for his part in helping him towards a place in the Lions’ premiership team.
After the 2003 grand final, in which he played in his third consecutive premiership team, Michael must have been tempted to hire a blimp. To further compound Collingwood’s pain from this trade, its decision to give the No.44 selection to Geelong in return for Carl Steinfort backfired horribly. Steinfort retired two years ago, while Geelong’s selection at No.44, Josh Hunt, has become the best pinpoint kick in the competition.
6. Brett Montgomery, Matthew Bishop 1999
Port Adelaide gained Brett Montgomery from the Western Bulldogs and Matthew Bishop from Melbourne after season 1999.
It all started after the 1998 season when Nathan Eagleton, then a small forward with Port Adelaide, rifled the round ball into the net to score six match-winning points in the international rules series in Dublin. The goal caught Terry Wallace’s eye. A year later, Wallace’s desire to snare Eagleton prompted the Dogs to trade Brett Montgomery to Port Adelaide and agree to move Stephen Powell to Melbourne.
The Demons then moved Matthew Bishop on to Port Adelaide to complete the deal. While Eagleton has largely disappointed at the Whitten Oval, and Powell has since moved from Melbourne to St Kilda, Montgomery and Bishop have proved revelations at Alberton Oval. Montgomery won the best-andfairest in 2000, his first season at the Power, and both men played in the premiership last weekend.
7. Daniel Wells, 2002
The Kangaroos gained the No.2 and No.18 selections in the 2002 national draft in return for trading Wayne Carey to Adelaide.
Adelaide knew it was taking a risk when it plumped for the ageing Carey and gave up two prized draft choices. In the end, with Carey retiring after 28 moderate games in which the Crows failed to get anywhere near their premiership ambitions, the risk went against them.
The Roos used their early picks to nab Eastern Ranges teenager Kris Shore, who is yet to make his mark, and Daniel Wells, who looks capable of running down the Southern Aurora. Carey in a Crows jumper would be lucky to run down Puffing Billy.
8. Drew Banfield, 1992
West Coast gained the No.1 selection in the 1992 national draft in return for trading Tony Begovich and Scott Waters to Sydney. The early 1990s was certainly a dark era for the Swans. In this instance, they gave up the big patoottie, the No.1 pick, in return for two players, Begovich and Watters, who pottered around for a few seasons before gaining suntans elsewhere.
West Coast, meanwhile, used pole position to select Drew Banfield, a 1994 premiership midfielder who, while never a star, shows every sign of playing until the Eagles win another flag.
9. Simon Black, 1997
The Brisbane Lions gained the No.31 selection in the 1997 national draft in return for trading Simon Hawking and Brent Green to Sydney. This one is spurious, because every club considers it a fluke when a champion emerges from outside the draft’s top 20. But if you’re considering impact, it must be included.
The Lions gave Sydney nothing when they off-loaded Hawking and Green (they played 14 games with the Swans between them), but their choice at No.31 proved inspired. It now seems ridiculous that Simon Black lasted that long, but after two club best-and-fairests, a Brownlow and a Norm Smith Medal, Black’s late drafting serves as a glorious reminder of the fallibility of talentspotting.
10. Shannon Grant, Wayne Schwass 1997
The Kangaroos gained Shannon Grant and the No.27 selection in the 1997 national draft from Sydney in return for Wayne Schwass. Here’s a trade in which both parties enjoyed reasonably equal benefit. Sydney gained a midfielder who won a best-and-fairest, in 1999, while the Roos picked up a homesick midfielder who won a Norm Smith Medal in the 1999 grand final victory.
The Roos’ draft pick, Brad Stephens from the Murray Bushrangers, played only two games, but as Grant continues to be a vital cog in the Arden Street midfield the club would be more than pleased with the trade. If only all trades had such a happy ending.
http://realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/10/02/1096527986616.html
Some of these are pretty funny. And I thought Richmond were bad
By Paul Daffey
October 3, 2004
THE BEST TRADE COUPS IN THE DRAFT ERA
1. Andrew McLeod, 1994
In the 1994 AFL national draft, Adelaide gained Andrew McLeod from Fremantle in return for trading Chris Groom and selection No.38.
Fremantle’s inaugural football and recruiting departments must have thought the national draft was like Jack and the Beanstalk. After being sent off to the football fair with orders to sell the club cow for a key forward and a midfielder, they came back with a bag of beans. The beans did yield a player of beanstalk height in Groom, but that’s where the fairytale ended: he played only seven games for the Dockers before being shipped off to Arden Street.
Adelaide, meanwhile, used its No.38 selection on Matthew Collins, who made little impact before being moved onto Melbourne. McLeod’s main move was from the back pocket to the midfield and onto the premiership dais, where he also collected two Norm Smith Medals.
In the past two years, Groom has enjoyed premiership glory of his own, playing a leading part in flags earned by West Preston in the Diamond Valley league and Uni Blacks in D1-section of the Amateurs. The Dockers must be happy for him.
2. Luke Power, 1997
The Brisbane Lions gained the No.5 selection in the 1997 national draft in return for trading Adrian Fletcher to Fremantle.
While Fletcher was more than serviceable during his 79 games for Fremantle, the Lions’ victory in this trade is clear. With their No.5 pick – behind Travis Johnstone, Brad Ottens, Trent Croad and Mark Bolton – the Lions chose Luke Power.
Fletcher, notwithstanding his outstanding ball-getting ability, was unceremoniously moved on from Fremantle, while Power has played key roles in the midfield in the Lions’ three premierships.
3. Adam McPhee, 2002
In a complicated three-club deal, Fremantle gave up Adam McPhee and picks 3 (Jared Brennan) and 19 (Troy Selwood) and, in return, got Brisbane Lions premiership player Des Headland and pick No.55 (Ryan Crowley).
In another example of why the Dockers might be renamed the Dudders, the club saw fit to trade away the agile, rangy 19-year-old McPhee, who had battled through injury in his second season at the Dockers, to Essendon, where this year he won All-Australian honours and the Bombers’ best-and-fairest award.
4. Darren Jarman, 1990
Hawthorn gained Brisbane’s hold on Darren Jarman in return for trading the No.10 selection in the 1990 national draft to the Bears.
At the time, this looked like a reasonable deal. Jarman had already been drafted by Melbourne in 1986, but had failed to come across from South Australia. He was then drafted by Brisbane in 1989, but told the Bears he was more likely to play in Bombay than Brisbane (or Carrara, as the case may have been). So rather than waste any more time, the Bears managed to secure a prized high draft pick for the reluctant star.
With the No.10 pick, they chose David Ogg from Swan Districts. Ogg played nine games. Jarman played in a premiership in his first season at Hawthorn before, in 1995, becoming the first player to win a club best-and-fairest award while never getting out of a jog. Then he was gone, moving home to Adelaide and further glory.
5. Mal Michael, 2000
The Brisbane Lions gained Mal Michael in return for trading Jarrod Molloy and the No.44 selection to Collingwood in the 2000 national draft. It’s well known that Michael sent a text message after the 2001 grand final, thanking Molloy for his part in helping him towards a place in the Lions’ premiership team.
After the 2003 grand final, in which he played in his third consecutive premiership team, Michael must have been tempted to hire a blimp. To further compound Collingwood’s pain from this trade, its decision to give the No.44 selection to Geelong in return for Carl Steinfort backfired horribly. Steinfort retired two years ago, while Geelong’s selection at No.44, Josh Hunt, has become the best pinpoint kick in the competition.
6. Brett Montgomery, Matthew Bishop 1999
Port Adelaide gained Brett Montgomery from the Western Bulldogs and Matthew Bishop from Melbourne after season 1999.
It all started after the 1998 season when Nathan Eagleton, then a small forward with Port Adelaide, rifled the round ball into the net to score six match-winning points in the international rules series in Dublin. The goal caught Terry Wallace’s eye. A year later, Wallace’s desire to snare Eagleton prompted the Dogs to trade Brett Montgomery to Port Adelaide and agree to move Stephen Powell to Melbourne.
The Demons then moved Matthew Bishop on to Port Adelaide to complete the deal. While Eagleton has largely disappointed at the Whitten Oval, and Powell has since moved from Melbourne to St Kilda, Montgomery and Bishop have proved revelations at Alberton Oval. Montgomery won the best-andfairest in 2000, his first season at the Power, and both men played in the premiership last weekend.
7. Daniel Wells, 2002
The Kangaroos gained the No.2 and No.18 selections in the 2002 national draft in return for trading Wayne Carey to Adelaide.
Adelaide knew it was taking a risk when it plumped for the ageing Carey and gave up two prized draft choices. In the end, with Carey retiring after 28 moderate games in which the Crows failed to get anywhere near their premiership ambitions, the risk went against them.
The Roos used their early picks to nab Eastern Ranges teenager Kris Shore, who is yet to make his mark, and Daniel Wells, who looks capable of running down the Southern Aurora. Carey in a Crows jumper would be lucky to run down Puffing Billy.
8. Drew Banfield, 1992
West Coast gained the No.1 selection in the 1992 national draft in return for trading Tony Begovich and Scott Waters to Sydney. The early 1990s was certainly a dark era for the Swans. In this instance, they gave up the big patoottie, the No.1 pick, in return for two players, Begovich and Watters, who pottered around for a few seasons before gaining suntans elsewhere.
West Coast, meanwhile, used pole position to select Drew Banfield, a 1994 premiership midfielder who, while never a star, shows every sign of playing until the Eagles win another flag.
9. Simon Black, 1997
The Brisbane Lions gained the No.31 selection in the 1997 national draft in return for trading Simon Hawking and Brent Green to Sydney. This one is spurious, because every club considers it a fluke when a champion emerges from outside the draft’s top 20. But if you’re considering impact, it must be included.
The Lions gave Sydney nothing when they off-loaded Hawking and Green (they played 14 games with the Swans between them), but their choice at No.31 proved inspired. It now seems ridiculous that Simon Black lasted that long, but after two club best-and-fairests, a Brownlow and a Norm Smith Medal, Black’s late drafting serves as a glorious reminder of the fallibility of talentspotting.
10. Shannon Grant, Wayne Schwass 1997
The Kangaroos gained Shannon Grant and the No.27 selection in the 1997 national draft from Sydney in return for Wayne Schwass. Here’s a trade in which both parties enjoyed reasonably equal benefit. Sydney gained a midfielder who won a best-and-fairest, in 1999, while the Roos picked up a homesick midfielder who won a Norm Smith Medal in the 1999 grand final victory.
The Roos’ draft pick, Brad Stephens from the Murray Bushrangers, played only two games, but as Grant continues to be a vital cog in the Arden Street midfield the club would be more than pleased with the trade. If only all trades had such a happy ending.
http://realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/10/02/1096527986616.html
Some of these are pretty funny. And I thought Richmond were bad
