Big names shifted homes. From top left, clockwise: Luke Jackson, Josh Dunkley, Brodie Grundy, Tim Taranto, Jack Gunston.

Not content with winning this year’s on-field premiership, Geelong have decided to take the 2022 trade period crown as well.

Now, it’s always fraught trying to ascertain which clubs have emerged as the big winners and the big losers from any trade/free agency period, let alone one that has only just completed.

In truth, we won’t truly know who “won” the 2022 trade/free agency period for another couple of years at least.

But having just smashed the Swans by 81 points in the grand final, and heading into next season on the back of a 16-game winning streak, the Cats are not sitting still.

In fact, they have just added three former first-round picks, as well as the controversial pick No.7 in this year’s draft, to their playing list.

Collingwood forward Oliver Henry, GWS midfielder Tanner Bruhn and Gold Coast on-baller Jack Bowes have all crossed to Kardinia Park for season 2023.

The seventh selection was attached to the Bowes deal in the Suns’ infamous “salary dump”, and all Geelong had to do to get the deal done was part ways with a future third-round pick – surely the most lopsided trade in history?

Equalisation is surely not supposed to work like that? A perennial struggler strengthening a perennial top-four team? But, that’s what has happened on this occasion, and the Cats are the beneficiaries. You wouldn’t expect them to miss out on a double chance next year, either.

If this trade period had a slogan, it would be: “The rich get richer”. The Cats weren’t the only powerhouse to further bolster their stocks – Richmond and Brisbane also got in on the action.

The Tigers might’ve traded away their future to an extent, but that’s what clubs in the premiership window do when they think they are still a chance to win a flag.

And Richmond have gone all in with the additions of gun GWS duo Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper.

The Tigers had to give up picks 12, 19 and 31, as well as a future first-rounder, but it’s a fair price to pay when they can have Taranto, Hopper, Dion Prestia, Shai Bolton, Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin and Toby Nankervis in the same engine room next year.

Sick of September failure, the Lions won’t be dying wondering next year either after acquiring premiership stars from the Bulldogs and Hawthorn in Josh Dunkley and Jack Gunston respectively.

They did lose Daniel McStay to Collingwood, but the sharpshooting Gunston is a more than adequate replacement in attack.

Having made it all the way to a preliminary final this year, Brisbane is locked, loaded and ready to take at least on more step in 2023.

Port Adelaide would also be happy at its ability to snare former No.1 pick Jason Horne-Francis from North Melbourne after just one year, as well as the talented premiership forward Junior Rioli from West Coast.

The Power have lost Karl Amon as a free agent to Hawthorn, and did have to cough up two first-round picks as well as a second-rounder as part of their involvement in the four-club “mega trade”, but they got a second-rounder back from the Giants, and have been keeping a close eye on Horne-Francis for a long time and would be rapt to have the local talent on their books so soon into his AFL career.

It was a mixed performance from Melbourne which was able to net Brodie Grundy and premiership Bulldog Lachie Hunter, but obviously was dealt a hammer blow with Luke Jackson heading to Fremantle, and the departures of Jayden Hunt (West Coast), Sam Weideman (Essendon) and Toby Bedford (GWS) do put a dent in their depth.

However, they picked up a couple of first-rounders and a second-round pick for Jackson, and if Grundy recaptures his All-Australian best in tandem with Max Gawn, then he will numb the pain of Jackson’s loss in years in which the Demons will be a premiership contender.

And while the Dockers grabbed arguably the trade period’s biggest name in Jackson, as well as the late snaring of Hawthorn midfielder Jaeger O’Meara, they have lost a lot of players with Rory Lobb (Bulldogs), Blake Acres (Carlton), Griffin Logue (North), Darcy Tucker (North) and Lloyd Meek (Hawthorn) taking a huge chunk out of their stocks, especially the first four who were regular members of the best 22.

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The Dockers have made a huge investment, parting ways with two first-round picks, but Jackson and O’Meara are significant additions to their midfield, and may just propel them into the top four.

Collingwood will be partly paying another high-profile player to play for another club, after trading Grundy to Melbourne just two years into his seven-year deal, and also lost promising key forward Ollie Henry.

However, the Magpies did acquire Hawthorn ball magnet Tom Mitchell, McStay and GWS livewire Bobby Hill, as well as a couple of second-round picks, so in the long run, they might come out on top.

It was a mixed performance from the Bulldogs too, who traded in bookends Rory Lobb and Liam Jones, but lost premiership trio Dunkley, Hunter and Zaine Cordy, who has been a structural mainstay down back.

And while Hawthorn is clearly in rebuild mode, losing key senior personnel like Gunston, Mitchell and O’Meara in one hit, on top of the retirements of Ben McEvoy and Liam Shiels, it’s hard to make the case that they have emerged from trade period stronger, in the short-term at least. Although, Amon is a handy addition.

The Kangaroos essentially turned Horne-Francis and pick No.1 into picks two and three, but it’s been a tough period for them to see Horne-Francis walk out after less than 12 months at the club, and it’s hard to sugar-coat Gold Coast’s performance at the trade table too after parting ways with Bowes and pick No.7 for basically nothing, as well as the talented Izak Rankine, even though they did get a top-five pick in return.

And it was Groundhog Day for the Suns’ expansion cousins in western Sydney as Taranto, Hopper, Hill and Bruhn all walked, in what has become a familiar theme for the Giants over the years.

Yes, GWS does have picks No.1, 15, 18 and 19, but yet again, they find themselves starting all over again to an extent. What guarantee will they have that these four picks will still be on their list in 3-4 years’ time? It’s a serious concern for them, and it was highlighted in no uncertain terms by their football manager Jason McCartney.

“When you’re an interstate club the draft board is predominantly, at the top end, littered with Victorian talent, you’ve got some risk there,” McCartney told AFL Trade Radio.

“You might think it’s fine that you just pick this player and get them into your environment and your system and it’s all fine, but if there’s apprehension about a player right from the word go about making the move interstate and they may go home, you just can’t take the risk.

“The draft board for us, and maybe some other interstate clubs, it’s not the same draft board.

“And that’s OK, that’s the reality, we’re not complaining about it, so we do have to look at things a little bit differently.”

PLAYER MOVEMENTS
35. Jaeger O’Meara (Haw) traded to Fremantle in exchange for Lloyd Meek and future second-round pick.
34. Rory Lobb (Fre) traded to Western Bulldogs in exchange for pick 30 and future second-round pick.
31/32/33. Tom Mitchell (Haw) and pick 25 (Geel) traded to Collingwood; Oliver Henry (Coll) traded to Geelong; Cooper Stephens (Geel), pick 41 (Coll) and pick 50 (Coll) traded to Hawthorn.
30. Josh Dunkley (WB), future third-round pick (WB) and future fourth-round pick (WB) traded to Brisbane Lions in exchange for pick 21, future first-round pick, future second-round pick and future fourth-round pick.
29. Lachie Hunter (WB) traded to Melbourne in exchange for future third-round pick.
28. Josh Schache (WB) traded to Melbourne in exchange for future fourth-round pick.
27. Sam Weideman (Melb), pick 54 (Melb) and pick 72 (Melb) traded to Essendon in exchange for pick 37.
26. Aaron Francis (Ess) and pick 42 (Ess) traded to Sydney in exchange for pick 37 and future fourth-round pick
25. Jacob Hopper (GWS), pick 54 (GWS) and pick 63 (GWS) traded to Richmond in exchange for pick 31 and future first-round pick.
24. Billy Frampton (Adel) traded to Collingwood in exchange for future third-round pick.
23. Jack Bowes (GC) and pick 7 (GC) traded to Geelong in exchange for future third-round pick.
22. Brodie Grundy (Coll) traded to Melbourne in exchange for pick 27.
21. Jack Gunston (Haw) traded to Brisbane Lions in exchange for pick 48 and future fourth-round pick.
19/20. Jason Horne-Francis (NM), Junior Rioli (WC), future second-round pick (GWS) and future third-round pick (NM) traded to Port Adelaide; pick 1 (NM), pick 53 (PA) and pick 57 (PA) traded to GWS; pick 8 (PA), pick 12 (GWS), future second-round pick (PA) and future third-round pick (PA) traded to West Coast; pick 2 (WC), pick 3 (GWS), pick 40 (WC), pick 43 (PA), future first-round pick (PA) traded to North Melbourne.
18. Izak Rankine (GC), pick 46 (GC) and future fourth-round pick (GC) traded to Adelaide in exchange for pick 5, future third-round pick and future fourth-round pick.
17. Will Setterfield (Carl) and pick 68 (Carl) traded to Essendon in exchange for future fourth-round pick.
16. Luke Jackson (Melb), pick 44 (Melb) and 67 (Melb) traded to Fremantle in exchange for pick 13, future first-round pick and future second-round pick.
15. Toby Bedford (Melb) traded to GWS in exchange for pick 44.
**Pick 25 (BL) traded to Geelong in exchange for picks 38, 48 and 55, future second-round pick and future fourth-round pick.
14. Tanner Bruhn (GWS) traded to Geelong in exchange for pick 18.
13. Josh Corbett (GC) traded to Fremantle in exchange for future fourth-round pick.
12. Tom Berry (BL), pick 46 (BL) and future second-round pick (BL) traded to Gold Coast in exchange for picks 25, 36 and 56.
11. Ben Long (StK) and future fourth-round pick (StK) traded to Gold Coast in exchange for pick 32.
** Brisbane Lions traded pick 15 to GWS in exchange for pick 21 and future-second round pick.
9/10. Griffin Logue (Fre), Darcy Tucker (Fre) and future third-round pick (Fre) traded to North Melbourne in exchange for future second-round pick, future third-round pick and future fourth-round pick.
8. Zaine Cordy (WB) joined St Kilda as an unrestricted free agent.
** Melbourne traded picks 33, 43 and 53 to Port Adelaide in exchange for pick 27.
7. Liam Jones (Carl) joined Western Bulldogs as an unrestricted free agent. Carlton received pick 49 (AFL) as compensation.
6. Daniel McStay (BL) joined Collingwood as an unrestricted free agent. Brisbane Lions received pick 35 (AFL) as compensation.
5. Blake Acres (Fre) traded to Carlton in exchange for future third-round pick.
4. Jayden Hunt (Melb) joined West Coast as an unrestricted free agent. Melbourne received pick 52 (AFL) as compensation.
3. Tim Taranto (GWS) traded to Richmond in exchange for pick 12 and pick 19
2. Bobby Hill (GWS) and pick 40 (GWS) traded to Collingwood in exchange for pick 43 and future second-round pick
1. Karl Amon (PA) joined Hawthorn as an unrestricted free agent. Port Adelaide received pick 27 (AFL) as compensation.
*picks are as they are at time of trades

CLUB-BY-CLUB SUMMARY

ADELAIDE
In: Izak Rankine (GC), Pick 46 (GC), Future third-round pick (Coll), Future fourth-round pick (GC)
Out: Billy Frampton (Coll), Pick 5 (GC), Future third-round pick (GC), Future fourth-round pick (GC)
Current draft order: 23, 46

BRISBANE
In: Josh Dunkley (WB), Jack Gunston (Haw), Pick 35 (AFL), Pick 36 (GC), Pick 38 (Geel), Pick 48 (Geel), Pick 55 (Geel), Pick 56 (GC), Future second-round pick (Geel), Future third-round pick (WB), Future fourth-round pick (WB)
Out: Daniel McStay (Coll), Tom Berry (BL), Pick 15 (GWS), Pick 46 (GC), Future first-round pick (WB), Future second-round pick (WB), Future second-round pick (GC), Future fourth-round pick (Haw)
On-traded: Pick 21 (from GWS to WB), Pick 25 (from GC to Geel), Pick 48 (from Geel to Haw), Future second-round pick (from GWS to GC), Future fourth-round pick (from Geel to WB)
Current draft order: 34, 35, 36, 38, 55, 56, 73

CARLTON
In: Blake Acres (Fre), Pick 49 (AFL), Future fourth-round pick (Ess)
Out: Liam Jones (WB), Will Setterfield (Ess), Pick 68 (Ess), Future third-round pick (Fre)
Current draft order: 10, 29, 49, 66

COLLINGWOOD
In: Tom Mitchell (Haw), Daniel McStay (BL), Bobby Hill (GWS), Billy Frampton (Adel), Pick 25 (Geel), Pick 27 (Melb)
Out: Brodie Grundy (Melb), Oliver Henry (Geel), Pick 43 (GWS), Pick 50 (Haw), Future second-round pick (GWS), Future third-round pick (Adel)
On-traded: Pick 41 (from GWS to Haw)
Current draft order: 16, 25, 27, 51

ESSENDON
In: Sam Weideman (Melb), Will Setterfield (Carl), Pick 54 (Melb), Pick 68 (Carl), Pick 72 (Melb) Future fourth-round pick (Syd)
Out: Aaron Francis (Syd), Pick 42 (Syd), Future fourth-round pick (Carl)
On-traded: Pick 37 (from Syd to Melb)
Current draft order: 4, 22, 54, 62, 68, 72

FREMANTLE
In: Luke Jackson (Melb), Jaeger O’Meara (Haw), Josh Corbett (GC), Pick 30 (WB), Pick 44 (Melb), Pick 67 (Melb), Future second-round pick (NM), Future second-round pick (WB), Future third-round pick (NM), Future third-round pick (Carl), Future fourth-round pick (NM)
Out: Rory Lobb (WB), Blake Acres (Carl), Griffin Logue (NM), Darcy Tucker (NM), Lloyd Meek (Haw), Pick 13 (Melb), Future first-round pick (Melb), Future second-round pick (Melb), Future second-round pick (Haw), Future third-round pick (NM), Future fourth-round pick (GC)
Current draft order: 30, 44, 67, 76

GEELONG
In: Oliver Henry (Coll), Tanner Bruhn (GWS), Jack Bowes (GC), Pick 7 (GC)
Out: Cooper Stephens (Haw), Pick 18 (GWS), Pick 38 (BL), Pick 48 (BL), Pick 55 (BL), Future second-round pick (BL), Future third-round pick (GC), Future fourth-round pick (BL)
On-traded: Pick 25 (from BL to Coll)
Current draft order: 7, 58, 64

GOLD COAST
In: Ben Long (StK), Tom Berry (BL), Pick 5 (Adel), Future second-round pick (BL), Future third-round pick (Adel), Future third-round pick (Geel), Future fourth-round pick (Adel), Future fourth-round pick (StK)
Out: Izak Rankine (Adel), Jack Bowes (Geel), Josh Corbett (Fre), Pick 7 (Geel), Pick 25 (BL), Pick 32 (StK), Pick 36 (BL), Pick 56 (BL)
On-traded: Pick 46 (from BL to Adel), Future fourth-round pick (from Fre to Adel)
Current draft order: 5, 45, 71, 74

GWS
In: Toby Bedford (Melb), Pick 1 (NM), Pick 15 (BL), Pick 18 (Geel), Pick 19 (Rich), Pick 31 (Rich), Pick 57 (PA), Future first-round pick (Rich)
Out: Tim Taranto (Rich), Jacob Hopper (Rich), Bobby Hill (Coll), Tanner Bruhn (Geel), Pick 3 (NM), Pick 21 (BL), Pick 41 (Coll), Pick 63 (Rich), Future second-round pick (BL)
On-traded: Pick 12 (from Rich to WC), Pick 44 (from Coll to Melb), Pick 54 (from PA to Rich), Future second-round pick (from Coll to PA)
Current draft order: 1, 15, 18, 19, 31, 57, 61

HAWTHORN
In: Karl Amon (PA), Lloyd Meek (Fre), Cooper Stephens (Geel), Pick 41 (Coll) Pick 48 (BL), Pick 50 (Coll), Future second-round pick (Fre), Future fourth-round pick (BL)
Out: Jack Gunston (BL), Tom Mitchell (Coll), Jaeger O’Meara (Fre)
Current draft order: 6, 24, 41, 48, 50, 52, 65

MELBOURNE
In: Brodie Grundy (Coll), Lachie Hunter (WB), Josh Schache (WB), Pick 13 (Fre), Pick 37 (Ess), Future first-round pick (Fre), Future second-round pick (Fre)
Out: Luke Jackson (Fre), Jayden Hunt (WC), Sam Weideman (Ess), Toby Bedford (GWS), Pick 33 (PA), Pick 43 (PA), Pick 54 (Ess), Pick 67 (Fre), Pick 72 (Ess), Future third-round pick (WB), Future fourth-round pick (WB)
On-traded: Pick 27 (from PA to Coll), Pick 44 (from GWS to Fre), Pick 53 (from AFL to PA)
Current draft order: 13, 37

NORTH MELBOURNE
In: Griffin Logue (Fre), Darcy Tucker (Fre), Pick 2 (WC), Pick 3 (GWS), Pick 40 (WC), Pick 43 (PA), Future first-round pick (PA), Future third-round pick (Fre)
Out: Jason Horne-Francis (PA), Pick 1 (GWS), Future second-round pick (Fre), Future third-round pick (Fre), Future third-round pick (PA), Future fourth-round pick (Fre)
Current draft order: 2, 3, 40, 43, 59, 70

PORT ADELAIDE
In: Jason Horne-Francis (NM), Junior Rioli (WC), Pick 33 (Melb), Future second-round pick (GWS), Future third-round pick (NM)
Out: Karl Amon (Haw), Pick 8 (WC), Pick 57 (GWS), Future first-round pick (NM), Future second-round pick (WC), Future third-round pick (WC)
On-traded: Pick 27 (from AFL to Melb), Pick 43 (from Melb to NM), Pick 54 (from Melb to GWS)
Current draft order: 33, 60

RICHMOND
In: Tim Taranto (GWS), Jacob Hopper (GWS), Pick 53 (GWS), Pick 63 (GWS)
Out: Pick 12 (GWS), Pick 19 (GWS), Pick 31 (GWS), Future first-round pick (GWS)
Current draft order: 53, 63

ST KILDA
In: Zaine Cordy (WB), Pick 32 (GC)
Out: Ben Long (GC), Future fourth-round pick (GC)
Current draft order: 9, 28, 32, 47

SYDNEY
In: Aaron Francis (Ess), Pick 42 (Ess)
Out: Pick 37 (Ess), Future fourth-round pick (Ess)
Current draft order: 14, 17, 42, 75

WEST COAST
In: Jayden Hunt (Melb), Pick 8 (PA), Pick 12 (GWS), Future second-round pick (PA), Future third-round pick (PA)
Out: Junior Rioli (PA), Pick 2 (NM), Pick 40 (NM)
Current draft order: 8, 12, 20, 26

WESTERN BULLDOGS
In: Rory Lobb (Fre), Liam Jones (Carl), Pick 21 (BL), Future first-round pick (BL), Future second-round pick (BL), Future third-round pick (Melb), Future fourth-round pick (BL)
Out: Josh Dunkley (BL), Lachie Hunter (Melb), Zaine Cordy (StK), Josh Schache (Melb), Pick 30 (Fre), Future second-round pick (Fre), Future third-round pick (BL)
On-traded: Future fourth-round pick (from Melb to BL)
Current draft order: 11, 21, 39, 69