AFL trade grades and Report Card 2024 #adessonews

Another trade period has been completed, with every club — to varying extents — playing a part in the madness.

Several big names found new homes, some were kept at their current ones and, to top it all off, a suite of draft picks swapped hands over the course of the period.

We grade every team’s performance during the 2024 AFL trade period in our Report Card, with analysis from Fox Footy’s Trading Day and the foxfooty.com.au team.

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ADELAIDE CROWS

Who left: Elliott Himmelberg

Who arrived: Alex Neal-Bullen, Isaac Cumming, James Peatling

Draft picks owned: 4, 64

Leigh Montagna says: “The first trade of the period Alex Neal-Bullen, could be the best – because what he could do is unlock and fulfil the potential of Izak Rankine. Think about the role Neal-Bullen played at Melbourne for Petracca – he basically did the defensive running to allow Petracca to play as a midfielder, who could run in the forward half. If they can do the same role for him with Izak Rankine, they could have the best player in the competition next year. Peatling will add some depth into the midfield, and Cumming as well – I like his run and kick. They’ve done pretty well this trade period the Crows.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: A-

BRISBANE LIONS

Who left: Harry Sharp

Who arrived: Nil.

Draft picks owned: 27, 34, 42, 43, 49, 60, 66

Jon Ralph says: “It was a great trade period – apart from losing their best player (Joe Daniher to retirement). Sam Day is not Joe Daniher, but he plays in that same system – a key forward who can crash packs and also play some second ruck. My understanding is he’s the delisted free agent they’ll choose.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: C

CARLTON

Who left: Matt Kennedy, Matthew Owies

Who arrived: Nick Haynes

Draft picks owned: 3, 38, 63, 68, 69, 72

Jon Ralph says: “Carlton fans are very happy to erect a statue of Nick Austin as well, because they’re so thrilled to get Pick 3. They had the picks for Dan Houston there, but they really felt like they needed to add to their midfield; another explosive midfielder (through the draft). If they get a decent run from all of Tom De Koning and their two power forwards, I think we all believe the talent is there. They don’t need Houston, he just would’ve been a nice add-on. They have coming out of contract next year Tom De Koning, Adam Saad, Adam Cerra, Jesse Motlop, Nick Newman and Mitch McGovern.”

Leigh Montagna says: “I do think they have given up a lot for Pick 3 – they started with (picks) 11 and 31, they’re gone, and their future first-round pick.

David King says: “They’re really happy with their high-end talent … they just need an even run at it.

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: B

COLLINGWOOD

Who left: Joe Richards, John Noble

Who arrived: Harry Perryman, Dan Houston

Draft picks owned: 52, 55, 58

David King says: “I love this, I think when you add weapons to your club you can really make inroads. They’re stacked for experience and at the top of the tree … Dan Houston is the best ball in hand player in the competition in the back half of the ground. I think he’ll play a different role with Collingwood and play with more freedom — the Nick Daicos type role across half back — you don’t know where he’s playing. I think you’ll see Craig McRae use this magnet more than Ken Hinkley did. I love it, I think they’re right back there again. They’re bouncing immediately back into premiership contention.”

Leigh Montagna says: “They were already chips in to win another flag by keeping the nine guys who are going to be 32 years of age and older next year. They’ve just added some quality, we know how good Dan Houston is and Harry Perryman will fill some roles with the loss of John Noble. They’re back in the window and back in the mix, they’ll obviously need everything to go right with durability with some of these older players. But you trust Craig McRae to get the right mix with the players he’s got and maximising his stars – the five or six really high-end talent to carry this team next year to another top four berth … there is a big black hole of under 24s, but Collingwood fans will worry about that down the track, they’re worried about trying to win another flag.“

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: A-

ESSENDON

Who left: Jake Stringer

Who arrived: Nil

Draft picks owned: 28, 31, 40, 46, 53, 54, 65

David King says: “It’s always been about tomorrow for the Bombers, that’s my reservation with the Bombers – when will it come good? When will that year be they rise up the ladder? But I do marvel at their stance with Jake Stringer … they’ve been disappointed with the professionalism and preparation from the start of season to in season and the ability to tackle and chase. They want to set a different set of standards and I love the fact they’ve been firm to that and strong to that today. It’s late, but it’s finally here.”

Leigh Montagna says: “I’m still trying to work out their plan, it feels like they’ve pivoted from last trade period when they brought in four senior players … they almost tried to get a couple out – there was talk Laverde and Shiel were in a similar situation to Stringer. They’re going to get Kako in as a lively small forward and we’ve seen what Nick Watson can do in his first year. Is that going to be enough to get them what they need or do they have to rely on the natural improvement of some of these youngsters we’re still waiting for? Perkins, Cox and these guys.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: C

FREMANTLE

Who left: Nil

Who arrived: Shai Bolton

Draft picks owned: 14, 30, 67

David King says: “I think this is a premiership within three years. I really do. There’s no reason why this group can’t go top four next year … They are stacked for talent. This guy (Bolton) is a game-changer, he’s a difference-maker. They’ve paid exactly the right price for him. He’s a three-goal-in-one-quarter type of player who swings the momentum of games. They’ve got their content in the midfield already, so I just think this has been a great decision to take the risk at this stage for this sort of player.”

Leigh Montagna says: “Point of difference in their forward half, point of difference if he goes into the midfield. There are a lot of misconceptions about his inconsistency, as I said he’s finished top five in the best and fairest every year for the last five years, he’s the 10th-highest-rated player in the game for two-and-a bit-years until the second half of this season. To be fair, he probably did just lose a bit of motivation and interest when he knew he was going to return home, but this guy is one of the best players in the competition. It’s a great get for Fremantle. Gets back home with a young family, so he’ll be comfortable in his surroundings. If they can get an upside on him — imagine if he can get any better than what he’s been in the past four to five years, Fremantle have got something very special.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: B

GEELONG

Who left: Nil.

Who arrived: Bailey Smith

Draft picks owned: 45, 57, 75

Leigh Montagna says: “12 months ago, everyone was questioning whether this Geelong team had a midfield to compete … now all of a sudden you’re going to pair Bailey Smith with Max Holmes, Tanner Bruhn, Jhye Clark, Patrick Dangerfield. They got their man. He’s going to bring that burst of speed and run and carry. I’m not worried about the ACL (injury); everyone was trying to use that as the reason why Geelong shouldn’t pay overs, but we just saw Will Ashcroft come back from an ACL and win a Norm Smith Medal. I expect Bailey Smith to hit the ground running in Round 1, and make a real difference to this midfield (and) half-forward group.”

David King says: “(Smith has) played 100 games of footy at a high level – and this guy changes games. Kicks goals, carries the footy, he’s a beautiful mover, prepares himself to an inch of his life. Pick 17, it’s a steal – I don’t know they do it the Cats … you have to respect the organisation that they’ve built. He’ll have an impact immediately (in) Round 1 next year.”

Jon Ralph says: “He’s (Smith) 23, and he’s shown in a finals series in 2021 he tore the finals apart. They’ve played the seeds with Clayton Oliver … In 12 months time, if Melbourne don’t get their hats in order – you’d think that Clayton Oliver will be playing for them in 2026.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: B+

GOLD COAST SUNS

Who left: Jack Lukosius, Rory Atkins

Who arrived: Elliott Himmelberg, John Noble, Daniel Rioli

Draft picks owned: 39, 41, 51, 61, 70, 76, 78

Leigh Montagna says: “They now have to play finals with what they’ve got; they go from the toys to the trophies now. I really like what they’ve done. They targeted specific players for specific roles that Damien Hardwick wants in his system. They didn’t need those picks early in this draft, they don’t need any more talented kids – they’ve got a stack of them. They need some senior players, that are ready to take them to the next level. They’re still going to get a top 10-15 player in Leo Lombard, an Academy kid (and) they’re going to get two top 10 Academy kids in next year’s draft – so it doesn’t matter that they didn’t use these (higher) picks.”

David King says: “He’ll (Rioli) bring some arrogance to this football club; a club that needs to work on their ball movement – there’s still plenty of scope for improvement. I think this is a fantastic acquisition at the absolute right time.”

Jon Ralph says: “Daniel Rioli is exactly what the want in terms of their system … you bring him and Noble in, I just think it works so well.”

Sarah Jones says: “No excuses in season 2025 for the Gold Coast Suns.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: C+

GWS GIANTS

Who left: Harry Perryman, Nick Haynes, Isaac Cumming, James Peatling

Who arrived: Jake Stringer

Draft picks owned: 15, 16, 21, 37, 56, 74

Leigh Montagna says: “(Stringer) is going to be a great addition to this football club. We know what he’s capable of. Again, they’ll make it work there. Does Toby Greene play a slightly different role? There’s (Aaron) Cadman and (Jesse) Hogan, and then we know about the amount of smalls they’ve got as well. The Giants are in pretty reasonable shape. It’s some real depth (they’re losing). Four players (Cumming, Perryman, Haynes and Peatling) that are fringe and in their best 22 — it leaves them a little bit thin, doesn’t it? If their best 25 gets some injuries and aren’t quite working, they’re going to have to really go to some youngsters. You look at (Ryan) Angwin, (Jacob) Wehr, (Conor) Stone, (Phoenix) Gothard, (Joe) Fonti, (Harry) Rowston, (Toby) McMullin. There are a whole bunch of kids that haven’t really been exposed to much senior footy, and they’re going to have to step up if they get some injuries.”

David King says: “There’s talent everywhere on this list, and we’re seeing it — they just have to win one (a premiership). It’s as simple as that. They should’ve closed the deal in the (second half) against Brisbane and we’re probably having a different conversation right now. They didn’t, and they’re still looking for those one to two goals. Stringer can do that for them, but their leaders, now, have to deliver again. The depth is not there, so the same guys that they’ve relied on for the last four or five years are going to have to go to the top of the tree again.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: C+

HAWTHORN

Who left: Nil

Who arrived: Josh Battle, Tom Barrass

Draft picks owned: 33, 71, 77

Jon Ralph says: “They get in Josh Battle for less than $900,000 and they get in Tom Barrass for all their future first, second and third rounders. Clubs aren’t worried about giving future draft picks away because they know they can now trade picks two years into the future. It allows Sicily to go forward and wildcards to pop up everywhere – it’s just so exciting. If you get these players in you want someone who is a coaching genius and can maximise their assets – that’s Sam Mitchell.”

Leigh Montagna says: “They were a really strong team defence and able to deny teams getting the ball inside 50. When it did go inside 50 defensively they could get scored against, so that is clearly why they addressed this issue. Love Josh Battle, he can intercept mark, he’s tough and he can use the ball as well as anyone in the competition across halfback. And in Tom Barrass they get the big body. Does he work alongside Sam Frost or does he replace Sam Frost? That’s for Sam Mitchell to work out.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: A-

MELBOURNE

Who left: Alex Neal-Bullen

Who arrived: Tom Campbell, Harry Sharp

Draft picks owned: 5, 9

Jon Ralph says: “Crisis averted for now, Kozzy Pickett, Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver all stayed. It’s a 12 month countdown again, their coach is a premiership coach but he’s in the hot seat. Can he start this season 4-0? A bit like Luke Beveridge, he put all the nonsense and noise away and started winning games of football and concentrate on what matters. I’m not sure whether that’s likely to happen. Alex Neal-Bullen is a massive loss, they haven’t really brought in anyone in terms of star talent. Sharp is a nice handy player but has played only 16 games in four years at the Lions. They’ve got to go and have a big powwow … get all the dirty laundry out there and make sure they’re comfortable when they come back for day one of the pre-season. Because they’ve got some very disgruntled players and I don’t know how they fix it. Two big reviews coming – one a board review and one a football department review.”

Leigh Montagna says: “Simon Goodwin has always said Clayton Oliver is his man and stuck fat with him. I think it’s up to Simon Goodwin to put his arms around these guys and say: ‘Hey boys, this is our team. You’re my boys, we’re in. There’s been some talk from others above the football department that have maybe made some decisions or had some conversations’. I think it’s a massive role for Simon Goodwin to get this team to finals again next year.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: C+

NORTH MELBOURNE

Who left: Nil.

Who arrived: Jack Darling, Caleb Daniel, Luke Parker, Jacob Konstanty

Draft picks owned: 2, 62

Leigh Montagna says: “Caleb Daniel has got composure, which is what North Melbourne need, and he’s an upgrade on Zac Fisher and Darcy Tucker for mine, so he does fill a need. But for Pick 25? That could be a good player – some of this year’s key-position and rucks will be in that range. Would that have been a better option for North Melbourne? Maybe they’ve made a decision that they need some more senior talent in there to help the young guys they’ve got.”

David King says: “Maybe most of their improvements comes from off-field and they get the chance to listen to some of this experience and the standards be set by Luke Parker, who needs to read the riot act to a few, eyeball a few. I wouldn’t be afraid of being ‘overs’ rather than ‘the nice guy’ when you turn up, shift the course – because the words have got to change. We’ve heard words out of this place for the last three to four years, they need to start converting those words into wins. Less conversation, more consistency … These older guys coming in, not only do they have to perform to the level, they’ve got to demand more from those around them. The talent is there, it’s time to rise.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: B-

PORT ADELAIDE

Who left: Dan Houston

Who arrived: Jack Lukosius, Joe Richards, Rory Atkins

Draft picks owned: 13, 29, 36, 50

Jon Ralph says: “You look at Dan Houston to Rory Atkins – that’s as big a downgrade as we’ve seen in football. I suppose the question is have Port Adelaide killed Kenny. Have they still got a premiership list? Think a lot of people would say not quite yet, but Port Adelaide would say: ‘We have to rebuild on the run, we cannot bottom out’. That’s why they want to try and turn 13 into potentially 19 and 23 and maybe turn it into a Zak Butters, Connor Rozee, Xavier Duursma type of year.”

Leigh Montagna says: “Houston wanted to go and if a player wants to leave most players accommodate it. It’s not ideal, he’s a dual All-Australian and one of the best players in the competition. But I’m not as hard as Jack Lukosius as some others, I see the upside. His last two seasons when he’s played forward he’s averaged 1.7 goals and over one score assist a game – there’s only 15 players in the competition with the same numbers the last two years. His numbers stack up with Darcy Fogarty and Jamarra-Ugle Hagan. I know some people are frustrated with the way he plays and maybe because he was a No. 2 draft pick he has that tag and is held to a higher level, but I think he’s going to be a good recruit for Port Adelaide … I think he’ll surprise everyone, he can kick 40 plus goals. I think he’ll be a really strong addition.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: C-

RICHMOND

Who left: Jack Graham, Shai Bolton, Daniel Rioli, Liam Baker

Who arrived: Nil.

Draft picks owned: 1, 6, 10, 11, 18, 20, 23, 24

Leigh Montagna says: “I think they can do really nicely out of it if they just sit and hold tight. With that many picks, they can balance it out – they can get the best mids early, some key forwards, key defenders and really have a nice balance that they can build on in the next three to four years.”

David King says: “I’ll be surprised if they take that patch of current draft picks into this draft … (they could) stack over two years, rather than take the gamble on this draft being absolutely nailed.”

Sarah Jones says: “They’ve lost three out of their top five in the best-and-fairest, so it’s going to be tough going for a little while there.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: A-

ST KILDA

Who left: Josh Battle, Tom Campbell

Who arrived: Jack Macrae

Draft picks owned: 7, 8, 32, 47

David King says: “I just feel like they haven’t had ‘the man’ at this football club. They haven’t had the guy that stands at the front Dustin Martin-like and says ‘this is where we’re going’ and shifts the course of games. Pick 7 and 8, one of those picks has to be ‘the man’ – the Bontempelli, the Petracca, the types they’ve overlooked in the past. I don’t know whether they need to go up from 7 and 8 to find that absolute star or whether he’ll still be there at 7 or 8. But these are the decisions they have to get right. For too long St Kilda have got these decisions wrong and it’s the reason why they’ve been where they have for the last five to six years.”

Leigh Montagna says: “The Saints ideally want a Rozee-Butters, Hayden Young-Serong. If you can use Picks 7 and 8 and get two stars you can put into the midfield group, away they go. The Jack Macrae one I’m a bit sceptical on. I understand their thinking – when Brad Crouch was playing it made the midfield and the rest of the team play better by having a senior ball-winner in there and I think they’ve tried to replicate that with Jack Macrae. It’ll be interesting to see which role he plays at St Kilda.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: C+

SYDNEY SWANS

Who left: Luke Parker, Jacob Konstanty

Who arrived: Nil

Draft picks owned: 19, 22, 44, 59

Leigh Montagna says: “They’ve done nothing. They’ve moved on (Jacob) Konstanty — the youngster who’s going to be known for dislocating Callum Mills’ shoulder — who is going to try and make a name for himself at North Melbourne. It’s really the same list; they’re going to go in with the same. How can they be different next year? There’s such a heavy reliance on the big three (Isaac Heeney, Errol Gulden and Chad Warner) in the midfield. Some of the areas that were not a strength let them down in the grand final — their key forwards. They’re just going to go to the well again. For them, it’s going to be more psychological. Can they get themselves up and be a contender once again? They should be. They’ve got the talent, it’s just going to be between the ears, I think.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: D+

WEST COAST EAGLES

Who left: Jack Darling, Tom Barrass

Who arrived: Jack Graham, Liam Baker, Matt Owies

Draft picks owned: 12, 26, 73

Jon Ralph says: “Fans are furious with them because they had Pick 3 and traded down for Liam Baker and Pick 12. They didn’t want Deven Robertson enough … they’ve got a future first, second and third from Hawthorn and have their own first rounder as well. If you’re a West Coast fan you’d say: ‘I’ve seen premierships Collingwood won with Nick Daicos and Jordan De Goey as real top-end talent … Melbourne was able to do it with Christian Petracca, Luke Jackson and the like. They’ve traded what could’ve been Harry Sheezel down to Reuben Ginbey and Elijah Hewett and they’ve done it again here. They’ve got Harley Reid but everyone is saying he’s going to wait for a long time next year (to sign on). If he did leave – and we’re not saying it’s certain – they’d be asking if they have those top five picks that history shows you recently wins premierships.”

Leigh Montagna says: “They were in a situation unfortunately where they committed to Liam Baker and needed to make that decision to stick with him (and split Pick 3) and show they’re a club you want to deal with in the future – they are going to have to deal with Harley Reid and maybe Chad Warner coming to the club. They committed to Liam Baker and assured Richmond they would get something, it didn’t work out exactly as they would’ve liked, once Hawthorn got rid of that Pick 14 it made it really tricky. But they stuck to their word and I think that counts for something as a football club. They could’ve been hard asses and walked him through (to the draft) and upset other clubs, but unfortunately sometime s this is the way it falls and they get some experience in. They could still nail Pick 12 in this draft; Bo Allan is there the Western Australia. They could still get someone really special if they get it right … past mistakes have left them in a situation where they’ve needed to get multiple picks in. They’ve been left to pick up the mess, there’s a new coach, new list manager and (CEO) Don Pyke is there. They’ve still got some heavy lifting to do and it’s going to take plenty of time.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: C+

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Who left: Bailey Smith, Jack Macrae, Caleb Daniel

Who arrived: Matt Kennedy

Draft picks owned: 17, 25, 35, 48

Leigh Montagna says: “They go in with a pretty strong hand considering they didn’t have those picks early on. They lose depth, so that’s the question for the Western Bulldogs. But they do get in Matt Kennedy, who I flagged as a comparison to Jack Macrae. When you look at their last two to three seasons, Matt Kennedy’s numbers stack up very similar and he’s three years younger and on half the salary. I like this from the Western Bulldogs, they’ve got someone that can play midfield minutes and play at half-forward. They want to get obviously Ed Richards, Riley Garcia and Ryley Sanders continue going into the midfield, but they’ve got a player in Kennedy who can help them out.”

David King says: “The challenge for the Dogs is to get their magnets right – put them in the right spots for a long period of time – not just late in season. Get it right from pre-season through the start of the season and nail it. The opportunity is there, they’re good enough.”

Foxfooty.com.au’s trade grade: D+