Worst AFL trades ever

Sporting News Logo

Brendan Fevola and pick 27 to Brisbane, Lachie Henderson and pick 12 to Carlton (2009)
To think, some Carlton fans actually protested outside Princes Park when this deal was struck to send away their talented, but wayward forward. It's arguable Brisbane are still paying the price for this shocking piece of business. Fevola had massive personal problems and off-field stuff-ups from the moment he arrived in Queensland. On huge money, he was sacked at the start of the 2011 season after a string of unsavoury incidents. Making the deal to get him there also unsettled the Lions badly, with star players Daniel Bradshaw and Michael Rischitelli put on the trade block unsuccessfully. That led to them soon departing. Far worse was letting go Henderson, a top-10 draft pick who has developed into a fine player at either end of the ground for Carlton.

MORE: AFL completed trade and free agent dealsColin Sylvia optimistic about future

Andrew Lovett to St Kilda, pick 16 to Essendon (2009)
How does giving up a first-round draft pick for a bloke who never plays a game for you sound? Lovett was a talented speedster with Essendon before St Kilda – grand finalists that year – gave up a first-round pick for him. But Lovett proved more trouble than he was worth. First he was charged with public drunkenness soon after linking with the Saints. Then he was charged with rape – though eventually acquitted the following year. But the Saints cut their losses quickly, sacking Lovett soon after rape charges were laid. He never donned a jersey for the club. Making the Lovett trade worse, it came against the backdrop of solid citizen Luke Ball being shown the door at St Kilda. He's gone on to be a premiership player at Collingwood.

Andrew McLeod to Adelaide, Chris Groom to Fremantle (1994)
Perhaps the most one-sided trade in AFL history. McLeod was recruited to the inaugural Dockers squad. But when McLeod and his father met with coach Gerard Neesham, it soon became clear neither party had made a good first impression. So moves started to keep him in South Australia. Crows recruiting staff liked how McLeod was growing through the 1994 SANFL season, and he eventually finished with a premiership with Port Adelaide Magpies. Adelaide's canny reconnaissance wasn't matched by fledgling Freo. The Dockers decided to take centre-half forward Groom, a decent enough player, for McLeod. Groom was cruelled by injury and never reached his potential. McLeod turned out a 300-gamer, dual premiership player, dual Norm Smith medallist and five-time All-Australian.

MORE: Paul Roos key to Dom Tyson joining Demons | Nick Dal Santo urges St Kilda fans to keep faith

John Pitura to Richmond, Graham Teasdale, Brian Roberts, Francis Jackson and $40,000 to South Melbourne (1975)
Even before the modern trade period, clubs were still able to stitch each other up royally. Like Richmond, whose unbridled desire to get South Melbourne star Pitura led to them trading Teasdale, Roberts, Jackson and a fistful of dollars. But the South top gun was a pop gun at the Tigers, playing just 40 games over three years. Teasdale won a Brownlow, Jackson played for several seasons, while Roberts had a good season but quit at the start of the next. South won this easily, while Richmond admit in hindsight the trade set them back years.

Terry Daniher to Essendon, Neville Fields to South Melbourne (1977)
This trade is not so much bad for the Swans because of the two players involved, but the eventual sum of their parts. Fields was a good player and a Bombers best-and-fairest winner when he was made a financial offer he couldn't refuse from South. To Windy Hill came 19-gamer Terry Daniher. The forward eventually became a dual premiership captain at the Bombers and a multiple All-Australian. And following him to the Bombers eventually was a dynasty. His brothers Neale, Chris and Anthony all had distinguished careers at Essendon. Father-sons have also followed – Anthony's son Joe still at the club and a gun forward-in-waiting.

Jordan McMahon to Richmond, pick 19 to Western Bulldogs (2007)
The Tigers were then coached by former Dogs boss Terry Wallace, which may explain how they fell into this awful trade. Not only did they give away what could have been a useful draft selection – the Dogs took Callan Ward with that pick – but they paid massive overs for a modestly talented half-back flanker. Was McMahon worth $900,000 over three years? Not on your life. McMahon did once win a game for Richmond with a goal after the siren. That came in 2009 against Melbourne, who may or may not have been trying too hard that day. When Damien Hardwick took over from Wallace, his disdain for McMahon was clear. He was the only senior-listed player not to play a match in 2010, and was delisted afterwards. Even worse, Tigers insiders say West Coast star Scott Selwood would have been taken with pick 19 if Richmond had kept it.

Pick 4 (Scott Lucas) to Essendon, Tony Delaney to Fremantle (1994)
Pre-draft compensation pick (Matthew Lloyd) to Essendon, Todd Ridley to Fremantle (1995)

These trades were part of a complicated arrangement in which Dale Kickett and Russell Williams also went west in the lead-up to Fremantle's first AFL season. But they provided Essendon two of modern-day footy's best forwards, who kicked around 1400 goals between them, and gave Freo absolutely bugger all in return. Delaney had played 15 games for Essendon and was a West Australian. He made zero impact at his new club. Another West Aussie, Ridley, had played 25 games for the Bombers before he was sent to Freo. Again, he never got warm. Two superstars secured for a song.

Author(s)