My 2014 AFL Trade Period Review

Although most of the action occurred in the closing days, there were many positives to take out of the 2014 AFL Trade Period.

My impression is that many quality trades were made over the last fortnight and the players who moved can make great contributions for their new clubs.

Brisbane will probably be the most satisfied of all the 18 clubs after recruiting Dayne Beams from Collingwood and Allen Christensen from Geelong.

The Lions already have quality midfielders like Pearce Hanley and Tom Rockliff, emerging youngsters like Lewis Taylor and James Aish and players like Matthew Leuenberger and Daniel Rich will return from injury.

Beams adds more star quality to the Brisbane midfield and so does Christensen. The former Cat can also play as a small forward so if he can shake off his injury concerns, he can add more pace and flair to Brisbane’s forward 50.

The Beams move to Brisbane allowed Collingwood to get Travis Varcoe from Geelong, Heritier Lumumba moved from the Pies to Melbourne and Mitch Clark was traded from the Demons to the Cats.

Varcoe has battled with inconsistent form and injuries during his time at the Cats but he can provide some spark in Collingwood’s forward line which has been missed since the retirements of Alan Didak and Leon Davis.

Lumumba is another proven player that Melbourne needs and he will give more run out of the Demons defence.

Clark has battled with depression, but if he can overcome his personal battles, he can form an excellent key forward partnership with Tom Hawkins. “Tomahawk” is a more traditional key forward who relies on his physical strength and “Clarko” can depend on his athleticism and mobility.

A move that would have raised eyebrows is Tom Boyd moving from Greater Western Sydney to the Western Bulldogs and Ryan Griffen going in the opposite direction. Both players wanted to leave but Boyd going to the Bulldogs for $7 million for seven years has left some people scratching their heads.

The move wasn’t a straight swap but both clubs can still feel happy about the move. Boyd is an unproven player but the next Western Bulldogs coach can build the forward line around him and he should get plenty of game time.

GWS still lack stars and there are too many unproven players on its list but Griffen is the type of player the Giants need. He is an experienced player and a star player at that.  

Ruckman Luke Lowden was traded from Hawthorn to Adelaide. He made an impressive debut this season with the Hawks but he has not played since his three-goal haul against West Coast.

Lowden can provide support for Sam Jacobs in the ruck and he can also help Taylor Walker and James Podsiadly with the goalscoring load at Adelaide.

Now 23 years old, Lowden has been in the AFL system for five years but he has struggled to gain playing time ahead of David Hale, Ben McEvoy and Jonathon Ceglar at Hawthorn. Playing for the Crows should give him the opportunity to shine at the AFL level.

One of the last moves completed was Paddy Ryder’s move from Essendon to Port Adelaide. He will take the pressure off Matthew Lobbe in the Port ruck and Ken Hinkley’s team should fancy themselves for the premiership.

The Bombers have got Jonathan Giles from GWS as a replacement for Ryder and they have also got midfielder Adam Cooney from the Western Bulldogs.

The ASADA supplements scandal will play a huge part in which players the Dons can use in 2015 but despite the loss of Ryder, they now have a promising ruckman and an experienced midfielder who can fill the roles of players who might be suspended.