The Biggest Recent AFL Trades
By
Will Brown
Contributor Updated: 23 January 2025
Will Brown Contributor
William Brown is a Content Writer with strong expertise in US and global gambling industry trends. Having covered the local sports betting market since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, William approaches his gambling guides with passion and diligence. He is a keen player of online slots, blackjack, and a regular sports bettor.
Big Recent AFL Trades
Now that the 2024 AFL trade period has come to a close, analysts have been poring over every pick to gauge the health of the league’s teams coming into the 2025 season. While some AFL trades signal a new era of prospects for some teams, others indicate a challenging year ahead. In this guide, we’ve provided a round-up of each team’s biggest trades, and who the winners and losers are when all is said and done.
Intro to the Biggest AFL Trades of the Season
We understand that every trade period differs from league to league, so we’ve started this article discussing how the trade period impacts AFL player movement and the drafting process. We’ve then looked at the best and most inspired trades from the period.
From there, we’ve discussed the trades that have both pros and cons and then have closed the discussion on these matters with the most challenging trades. To round out this guide, we’ve provided extra analysis on the trades as well as how they could impact the league in 2025.
- About AFL League Trades
- The Top Recent Trades
- Mixed Recent Trades
- Challenging AFL Trades
- Analysis of the Trades
About AFL Player Movement in League Trades
The AFL trade period took place between Monday 7 October and Wednesday 16 October, providing a brief but critical period that allowed teams to reshape team rosters with strategic swaps. As is customary, the period occurred roughly a month following the Grand Final and a month before the recently-held National Draft.
The trade offers a crucial opportunity for teams to transform their clubs. This year’s was marked by a flurry of last-minute deals, indicating how complex negotiations and strategizing are in the process. In the end, some of the biggest AFL trades involved high-profile player moves, with a total of 28 players changing clubs.
In total, there were 19 trades and seven free-agency signings. Analysts have found that as a whole, the negotiations produced some great results, with some predicting it could have a game-changing impact on the upcoming season and undoubtedly impact markets at Australian Rules betting sites. It also helped teams to position themselves strongly in time for the draft.
Top Club Trades
To get this guide to the recent AFL trades started, we’ve highlighted the teams that have been praised for their strategic and valuable trade selections. These include picks from Richmond, Hawthorn, Fremantle, and Adelaide, with some trading premiership players to receive the first pick of the valuable athletes.
Richmond
The team that adopted the most dramatic trade strategy of the 2024 season is undoubtedly Richmond. The team traded top premiership players Shai Bolton, Daniel Rioli, Liam Baker, and Jack Graham to accumulate an unprecedented eight picks of the first 24 selections. As one of the biggest AFL trades ever, the move helped set the team up for a full-scale long-term rebuild that displays a bold future vision. The team later used their first-pick advantage to secure promising young talents Sam Lalor and Josh Smillie.
Adelaide Crows
The Crows’ strategy was also hailed as brilliant. By trading Elliot Himmelberg, the team secured three best 22 players in Alex Neal-Bullen, Isaac Cumming, and James Peatling. Better yet, the players were secured without having to sacrifice their prized draft Pick 4. The pick of the new players was inspired in that they provided skills the team was desperately lacking.
Fremantle
Fremantle benefited from Richmond’s AFL player leaving by acquiring Shai Bolton, the dynamic midfielder/forward with a reputation for game-breaking abilities. The acquisition provides the team with the star power that it was greatly lacking while already boosting its premiership odds in 2025.
Hawthorn
Hawthorn’s defensive strategy received a huge boost in their acquisition of Josh Battle and Tom Barrass. Barrass’ acquisition came at a hefty price, with the Hawks sacrificing their first, second, and third-round picks in the draft. However, they are now well-positioned to restructure their defensive line, potentially moving captain James Sicily to the forward line.
Mixed Club Trades
With the biggest AFL trades out of the way, these upcoming trades earned mixed reviews from pundits. While there are some benefits to the selections of Collingwood, Geelong, and North Melbourne, there are also some potential disadvantages that could come back to haunt the teams.
Collingwood
Collingwood’s bold trade strategy comes at a turbulent time for the team, with former coach Brendon Bolton leaving the team for a position at Saint Kilda. Its five-player trade sent defender John Noble to Gold Coast and sacrificed picks in the next two drafts. However, it acquires two-time All-Australian defender Dan Houston as well as Harry Perryman, Jack Lukosius, Rory Atkins, and Joe Richards.
Geelong
This year’s Premiership semi-finalists went through the gauntlet to finally secure Bailey Smith for a steal, adding much-needed power to their struggling midfield. The 23-year-old midfielder was acquired by only giving up Pick 17 in the draft. Although the team failed at acquiring Clayton Oliver from Melbourne, the team has set their eyes on the player next year.
North Melbourne
While North Melbourne ended the period with some quality picks, it left some analysts questioning the team’s long-term vision. The Kangaroos acquired experienced players Jack Darling, Caleb Daniel, and Luke Parker, though their advanced ages may not bring value for too long. That said, it will give the team a boost with strong leadership and consistency.
Challenging Club Trades
In this section, we’ve highlighted the AFL trades that have caused pundits to scratch their heads. Many have questioned the strategy involved by Adelaide, Sydney, Footscray, and West Coast, describing the selections as a missed opportunity to bring vitality to their rosters.
Port Adelaide
What was Collingwood’s gain has proved to be Port Adelaide’s loss, after they traded star defender Dan Houston for Jack Lukosius. This was seen as being vastly insufficient for sacrificing a two-time All-Australian talent. Nevertheless, Houston had long wanted to return to Victoria, so the team was acting in good faith by granting his wish.
Sydney Swans
As the Premiership runner-ups, the trade period provided a great opportunity to fortify their team for the 2025 season. Instead, the team was relatively inactiv, simply trading out Luke Parker, and Jacob Konstanty rather than providing inspired AFL player movement. That said, the team did hold two picks in the top 22 National Draft. The team also remains in a strong position in next year’s season.
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs experienced a significant loss during the trade period by sacrificing Bailey Smith, Jack Macrae, and Caleb Daniel. With the players making a significant impact on its midfield, the Bulldogs face a challenging year ahead. The acquisition of Matt Kennedy will go a little way to help, but for the most part, the problem will rest on the shoulders of the team’s forwards.
West Coast
West Coast has managed to not only alienate their fans but also place heavy doubt on their chances at a strong 2025 season with their mediocre trading strategy. The team parted with their Pick 3, farewelled reliable defender Tom Barrass and fan-favorite forward Jack Darling, and acquired players with little long-term impact.
Analysis of the AFL Trades
It’s important to note that the Gold Coast Suns and Brisbane Lions weren’t listed on this page. This is because the teams mostly opted out of the trade period to leverage the Father-Son and Academy pathways. This way, they could secure talent without having to make costly bids that rival other teams.
Brisbane, for example, traded their first-round pick for later selections and 2025 assets, which makes sense considering their recent Premiership win has their team already performing in top shape. Their approach is likely to delay bids on the promising prospects Levi Ashcroft and Sam Marshall.
The Gold Coast Suns’ approach was more aggressive and focused on securing access to the upcoming crop of 2024 Academy players. This comes in anticipation of rising costs in bidding processes next year, so the Sun’s aim to build local talent will help both on-field outcomes and expand the game’s appeal in the Gold Coast.
Overall, the 2024 AFL trades saw some surprising decisions, inspired strategies, and confusing maneuvers that promise a game-changing 2025 season. With the National Draft now completed, the league is set to benefit from a flood of fresh talent, with Richmond’s massive draft selection making them the team to watch next year.
