HPN

During every season list managers and club staff have to work out their wants against their needs when it comes to players. This happens not only to external players and potential draftees, but also internally. Clubs might organise their list on a whiteboard or computer into a few columns, shifting

All AFL players, especially those picked up at the pointy end of the draft, burn to play at the top level. It’s easier for most to find a solid footing in bottom teams than to break into a perennial finalist. GWS drafted Jye Caldwell at pick 11 in 2018 –

Not all of the motivation for moving players is transparent to fans and the media on the outside of the TPP bubble. Players are sometimes traded for slightly more or less than what their true value would be considered to be. With the trade of Tom Phillips to Hawthorn, the

After two years of speculation, small forward Orazio Fantasia has headed back to Adelaide, and more specifically Port Adelaide, to try to get a fresh start on his career. Fantasia has long shown glimpses of being amongst the best at his role in the league, but has been unable to

Perhaps the story of this trade period is the seeming fire sale held for a bunch of Collingwood’s most prominent players. Of the numerous players talked about, two (including one not previously mentioned) finally have made their way to a new club. Jaidyn Stephenson’s 2018 was extraordinarily good. Kicking a

In 2018, Alex Witherden’s star was on the rise; somewhat literally. Coming off a third place in the Rising Star award, Witherden appeared locked into a spot in a team on the rise. But as Brisbane marched up the ladder, Alex was left behind. The recruitment of Callum Ah Chee

Being at the fringes of a premiership team is a hard place to be. Sometimes when opportunity knocks, you have to answer. Jack Higgins is a small forward/midfield type who has been in and out of Richmond’s side since his debut, and is moving to St Kilda to try and

Twelve months ago, Ben Brown was on the cusp of signing a lucruitive long term deal that would have likely made him a Roo for life. After a horrible 2020 season for the club and himself, Brown is swapping white out for red as he joins the Demons for 2020.

For Geelong, the time is now. The Cats made the Grand Final this year, and were the best team throughout the Home and Away season. They are likely a couple of errant quarters of football away from a flag. While the future always matters for a sporting team, it matters

While the AFL player movement period is largely one where more players stay than go anywhere, the least mobile players on the field are probably the most mobile off. As HPN noted earlier in the week, the number of spots for primary rucks are limited, and there are a lot