After a mighty career at North Melbourne, Todd Goldstein will play for Essendon next season. Photo: AFL MEDIA
The 2023 AFL trade period kicked off with a bang on Monday as two players found new homes, numerous others requested fresh starts elsewhere and a swag of draft picks swapped hands.
Veteran North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein has joined Essendon as an unrestricted free agent while Adelade defender Tom Doedee headed up to Brisbane as a restricted free agent. The Crows were given pick 19 as compensation.
But if the first day was any guide, they’ll be far from the only players to land at new destinations.
As expected, Collingwood on-baller Taylor Adams has officially made his intentions clear about heading to Sydney, St Kilda small forward Jade Gresham has nominated Essendon as his next club of choice, Port Adelaide youngster Xavier Duursma is also seeking a move to the Bombers, and in the biggest surprise of the day, gun Fremantle forward Lachie Schultz wants to become a Magpie.
Meanwhile, Gold Coast has traded picks four, 46 and 51 as well as a future first-round selection to the Western Bulldogs in exchange for picks 10 and 17 and a 2024 first-round pick in a deal that will assist the Suns and Dogs with potential bids on academy player Jed Walter and father-son prospect Jordan Croft respectively.
Port Adelaide has offloaded its future first-round selection to Fremantle in exchange for pick 23 and the Dockers’ 2024 second-round pick in a move that is sure to bolster the Power’s ability to bring Geelong swing man Esava Ratugolea, Essendon defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher and Bulldogs ruckman Jordon Sweet to the club.
After 17 years at North Melbourne, Goldstein will bolster Essendon’s ruck stocks after the retirement of in-form Andrew Phillips, as No.1 ruckman Sam Draper looks set for a lengthy delay to the start of his pre-season following groin surgery.
Goldstein, 35, played 315 games for the Kangaroos – 14 shy of Doug Hawkins’ 329, which is the VFL/AFL record for most matches played for a club before joining a second team. Hawkins moved from Footscray to Fitzroy in 1995.
In a brilliant career at Arden Street, Goldstein won a best-and-fairest and claimed All-Australian honours in 2015, while he also holds the record for most hitouts in VFL/AFL history (since the stat started being recorded in 1966).
Doedee joins the Lions to further bolster their backline after the retirement of Marcus Adams, who didn’t play a game this year, due to concussion.
A former first-round pick, Doedee has played 82 games in six years for the Crows, but will make a delayed start to 2024 after rupturing his ACL in Round 12 this season.
With Brisbane having narrowly lost this year’s grand final, the Lions will be bullish about Doedee’s ability to help them go one step further in 2024.
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“We were really pleased that Tom chose the Brisbane Lions as his preferred club and we can’t wait have him join us in Brisbane,” Lions list manager Dom Ambrogio said.
“Tom is quality player who we believe will be a great addition to our backline and will help us strengthen our team as a whole.
“He is also a quality person who we see as being a great fit for our football club and with his professionalism and leadership will really help build on the strong culture at the Brisbane Lions.”
Plenty of other dominoes are expected to fall over the next nine days of the exchange period.
Melbourne ruckman Brodie Grundy looks almost certain to head to Sydney in a move that would cap off a rollercoaster period in his career which will see him play for three clubs in as many years. He still has four years remaining on the lucrative contract he originally signed with Collingwood.
North Melbourne defender Ben McKay is expected to join Essendon, Bombers on-baller Dylan Shiel has been linked to the Gresham deal, and fringe Essendon defender Massimo D’Ambrosio has requested a trade to Hawthorn.
Bulldogs forward Rory Lobb is reportedly in the market for a fourth club – possibly Melbourne – while vastly-improved Fremantle youngster Liam Henry has asked to be traded to St Kilda.
Gold Coast looks set to lose a pair of key forwards with Mabior Chol and Chris Burgess seemingly destined for Hawthorn and Adelaide respectively, Carlton speedster Zac Fisher wants to join North Melbourne, and the Eagles are keen on Hawthorn’s Tyler Brockman.
Hawks forward Jacob Koschitzke has requested to be traded to Richmond, Sydney’s former top-five pick Dylan Stephens wants a fresh start at North Melbourne and Melbourne looks like it will be Brisbane ruck Tom Fullarton’s new home.
Carlton midfielder Paddy Dow wants to join St Kilda, the Blues are keen to unite Gold Coast’s Elijah Hollands with younger brother Ollie, and while the rumours won’t go away surrounding star Bulldog Bailey Smith potentially heading to Geelong, the Cats have dismissed those suggestions.
2023 PLAYER MOVEMENTS
5. Todd Goldstein (NM) joined Essendon as an unrestricted free agent.
** Pick 23 (Fre) and Future Second-Round Pick (Fre) traded to Port Adelaide in exchange for Future First-Round Pick.
** Pick 4 (GC), Pick 46 (GC), Pick 51 (GC) and Future First-Round Pick (GC) traded to Western Bulldogs in exchange for Pick 10, Pick 17 and Future First-Round Pick.
4. Tom Doedee (Adel) joined Brisbane Lions as a restricted free agent. Adelaide received pick 19 (AFL).
3. Joel Hamling (Fre) joined Sydney as an unrestricted free agent.
2. Matthew Flynn (GWS) joined West Coast as an unrestricted free agent. GWS received pick 40 (AFL).
1. James Jordon (Melb) joined Sydney as an unrestricted free agent. Melbourne received pick 39 (AFL).
