AFL Trade Period wrap
By Brendan Day
The Swans’ forward line received a massive boost when they announced the signing of Lance “Buddy” Franklin, a dual Premiership-winner with the Hawthorn Hawks. Though Franklin was initially linked with the GIANTS, the security of the nine-year deal offered by the Swans proved to be too much to pass up.
Franklin helps fill the hole left by retiring Premiership players Jude Bolton, Martin Mattner and Mitch Morton. In addition to these retirements, Jesse White has moved on to Collingwood, Andrejs Everitt joins Carlton, and Shane Mumford and Jed Lamb have moved across the bridge to the GIANTS.
GWS secured a major coup when they signed Mumford, the Swans’ Premiership-winning ruckman, and promising young forward Lamb will officially become a member of the team when his contract is finalised in November’s pre-season draft.
Shoring up their defensive line was imperative to the GIANTS’ off-season development, and it has been significantly bolstered with the arrival of Premiership players Heath Shaw and Josh Hunt. Shaw departs Collingwood after ten years with the club, whilst Hunt was delisted by Geelong after 13 years of service.
In exchange for Shaw, the GIANTS traded the promising Taylor Adams to Collingwood.
Shaun Edwards and Kurt Aylett were also traded away by the club to the Essendon Bombers in exchange for pick 48 of the 2013 NAB AFL National Draft.
Additionally, Josh Bruce and Sam Darley were traded by the GIANTS to St Kilda and the Bulldogs, respectively.
The GIANTS became the holder of the top two picks in this year’s Draft when they traded young midfielder Dom Tyson to Melbourne along with the ninth pick, and received pick 2 as compensation.
Setanta O’hAilpin, Bret Thornton, Josh Growden and Gerald Ugle have all been delisted by the GIANTS.
There was not much luck for the AFL-listed contingent of players from NSW and ACT, with several delisted by their clubs.
Will Sierakowski and Ben Mabon were both delisted by North Melbourne. Whilst Mabon, a Hay native, did not break into Kangaroos’ first-grade side, Sierakowski made his debut in Round 6 and went on to play seven matches throughout the year.
Tim McIntyre was delisted by the Adelaide Crows after the Corowra-Rutherglen junior failed to add to his solitary AFL game for the club in 2012.
The Brisbane Lions elected to delist Richard Newell after the 20-year-old North Shore product was unable to break into the first-grade team.
Penrith’s Michael Hartley was also delisted by Collingwood, with St George junior Dylan Addison cut by the Western Bulldogs after 88 games for the club.
Addison’s former Bulldogs teammate Daniel Cross, also delisted by the club, has joined Melbourne on a one-year contract.
Originally from Albury, Cross played 210 games for the Bulldogs, and the 30-year-old joins former GIANT Tyson and Adelaide’s Bernie Vince in the Demons’ revamped midfield.
Brocklesby local Justin Koschitzke retired from the AFL at the conclusion of the 2013 season after 13 years and 200 games with St Kilda. The 2001 NAB AFL Rising Star Award winner, Koschitzke played in three Grand Finals with the Saints, and recently signed with the Ovens and Murray Football and Netball League’s Lavington Panthers for next year.
