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At this point in the AFL season, discussions will take place in the club hierarchies to move, retain, or bring in players. Many fans have their opinions on how these discussions affect team spirit. Nevertheless, they still want to know what plans their teams have for the future. The off-season trade period has taken a life of its own and even attracts as much interest as the game itself.
In this article, we'll rank five of the worst trade deals in AFL history.
5 Worst Trade Deals in AFL History
#5 Daniel Wells/ Wayne Carey trade (2003)
Despite being known as Australian football's greatest-ever player, Wayne Carey's move to Adelaide in 2003 in exchange for Daniel Wells is regarded as one of the worst exchanges in AFL history.
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Carey, 32 at the time, scored 20 goals in the 28 games he played before a neck injury ended his career. Meanwhile, Wells played a total of 258 games, scoring 191 goals and was able to garner 2,517 points for North Melbourne.
#4 Hawthorn traded Josh Kennedy to the Swans for 39th pick
Josh Kennedy made his debut for Hawthorn in the ninth round of the 2008 season. The midfielder played 13 games for them before he was traded at the end of the 2009 season in exchange for a 39th pick, which was used to acquire Sam Grimley. Grimley played just seven matches for the Hawks while Kennedy went on to play 277 games for the Sydney Swans.
#3 Brendan Fevola/Lachie Henderson Trade (2009)
Brendan Fevola, who is regarded as one of the most efficient full forwards to play in the AFL in the 2000s, was formerly a player for Carlton before his trade to Brisbane. Despite being a life member at Carlton, his behavioral issues didn't stop him from being traded.
These off-field issues ended up getting him the sack even at Brisbane. Meanwhile, Lachie Henderson, who was the second player in this exchange, ended up being a valuable player for Carlton, playing multiple positions to cover for the team.
#2 Port Adelaide trades Tom Harley (1998)
Two-time premiership-winning captain Tom Harley was traded away by Port Adelaide in the 1998 AFL Draft. Harley struggled to make the senior team and was traded after one game to Geelong.
At Geelong, he led the team to its first premiership in 44 years. He won numerous awards with the club, such as a record three Geelong Football Club Best Clubman awards. He was also a co-winner of the club's Community Champion award, amongst others.
#1 Chris Groom/Andrew McLeod Trade (1994)
In the 1994 draft, Fremantle traded Andrew McLeod for a youngster named Chris Groom. McLeod felt unwelcome at Fremantle and this affected his form, with his behaviour reflecting his concerns.
Although Groom was supposed to be Adelaide's next center half-forward, his battle with injuries and illnesses saw him play just 12 games in two years for the Crows. This trade ended up benefiting the Crows as Groom played just seven games for Fremantle.
McLeod played 340 games for the Crows and won two premierships and two Norm Smith medals, appeared five times on the All-Australian team and was named Best and Fairest winner on three occasions.
