Jack Ginnivan (left), Jack Gunston (middle) and Xavier Duursma were all part of the feeding frenzy on the final day of the AFL trade period. Photos: AFL MEDIA

The mayhem of another trade and free agency period has come and gone with no fewer than 34 players finding new clubs.

And as expected, the chaos ramped up a notch on the final day as almost a third of that cohort (13) swapped colours.

As always, some clubs were more active than others during the exchange period, so let’s first focus on the busier actors and see how they fared, before working our way towards the clubs who were less involved.

Essendon went all out in attempting to improve its list after a spectacular fadeout in the second half of the season saw the Bombers miss the finals.

As a result, they brought in North Melbourne duo Todd Goldstein and Ben McKay, St Kilda small forward Jade Gresham and Port Adelaide wingman Xavier Duursma.

Essendon also bid farewell to backman Brandon Zerk-Thatcher and rebounding defender Massimo D’Ambrosio who joined the Power and Hawks respectively.

To the Bombers’ credit, they’ve clearly identified holes in their list and attempted to fill them.

The experienced Goldstein will provide invaluable cover for ruck duo Sam Draper and Nick Bryan, McKay is a readymade replacement for Zerk-Thatcher, Gresham has the potential to add much-needed polish and class to their small forward brigade, and 23-year-old Duursma has enormous upside following five seasons at the Power.

Duursma arrived at Alberton as one third of Port Adelaide’s vaunted 2018 draft class, which also featured star duo Zak Butters and Connor Rozee, but lost his way in recent times due to injury and form. With pace and skill to burn, he could end up being the pick of Essendon’s 2023 recruits.

Importantly, the Bombers have also held onto their No.9 pick at this year’s draft.

The Power were also very active in this year’s meat market, but it must be said it looks like they have given up the kitchen sink for a modest quartet of players.

Port Adelaide have brought in ruckmen Ivan Soldo and Jordon Sweet from Richmond and the Bulldogs respectively, as well as defenders Brandon Zerk-Thatcher (Essendon) and Esava Ratugolea (Geelong).

Ruck and key-defender depth were clearly issues for Ken Hinkley’s side this year, so the trades make sense from that perspective. But at what cost?

As a result of all the wheeling and dealing Port has done, not only is its sole pick at the draft at the moment all the way back at No.73, but it’s also traded/on-traded first- and second-round picks at next year’s draft. It seems like a big price to pay for the calibre of players it’s brought in.

Sydney, on the other hand, has done an outstanding job – so much so that it could challenge for a flag in 2024.

Need a ruckman? Bring in dual All-Australian Brodie Grundy. Need some added midfield quality? Bring in former Collingwood vice-captain Taylor Adams. Need a defender? Bring in premiership backman Joel Hamling. And the addition of Melbourne’s James Jordon won’t do their on-ball depth any harm at all.

And all the while, they still have a first-round pick (12) next month.

The Saints didn’t do too badly either. They’ve captured Fremantle wingman Liam Henry fresh off a breakout year, and he promises to complement the smooth movers who already inhabit that part of the ground such as Brad Hall and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. Late-blooming midfielder Paddy Dow did show glimpses of his potential this year with Carlton, too, so he could prove to be a handy pick-up.

St Kilda bid farewell to Gresham, Jack Billings (Melbourne) and Nick Coffield (Bulldogs), but Billings has only played 11 games in the past two years, Coffield hasn’t featured since 2021, and Gresham failed to reach the heights he is capable of this season. The Saints have also got picks 13 and 21 at the draft.

Hawthorn has dramatically renovated its forward line. Out go Jacob Koschitzke (Richmond), Tyler Brockman (West Coast) and Brandon Ryan (Brisbane), and in come Jack Gunston (Brisbane), Jack Ginnivan (Collingwood) and Mabior Chol (Gold Coast). In anyone’s language, that is a major upgrade.

D’Ambrosio struggled for game time at the Bombers, but the Hawks will be hoping he can add some dash and flair from the back half. Hawthorn also has the fourth pick at this year’s draft.

It’s been a mixed bag for the Dockers who bid farewell to key players Lachie Schultz (Collingwood), Henry and Hamling, and as it stands they don’t enter the draft until pick 34.

Schultz is one of the best small forwards in the league, and Henry has huge potential as a wingman. So those two losses will hurt, and even though Hamling is 30 and has only managed six games in the last four years, he has shown that when fit he can be a very valuable key back.

The positive for the Dockers is that they have loaded up at next year’s draft with no fewer than three first-round picks up their sleeve now.

The Suns were also very busy, but they have been solely focused on obtaining enough points to make sure they can match bids for their four academy prospects Jed Walter, Ethan Read, Jake Rogers and Will Graham at this year’s draft.

After completing all of its deals, including parting ways with Chol, Elijah Hollands (Carlton) and Chris Burgess (Adelaide), Gold Coast is taking picks 24, 26, 27, 32, 36, 38, 66, 71, 74 and 84 to the draft.

Melbourne was in the thick of the action, too, welcoming Billings, Adelaide forward Shane McAdam and Brisbane ruckman Tom Fullarton, while parting ways with Grundy, Jordon and premiership midfielder James Harmes, who joined the Western Bulldogs.

The Demons were undone once again by poor goalkicking and forward inefficiency in their latest straight-sets exit from the finals, so they will be hoping that Billings and McAdam can help them out in that department. Fullarton now has the chance to make the second ruck role his own after Grundy’s departure, and with Max Gawn turning 32 in December, there’s a fair chance he’ll get some opportunities in 2024.

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The Kangaroos have added some pace in the form of Zac Fisher (Carlton) and Dylan Stephens (Sydney), but the big news for them is that they have a whopping five first-round picks (two, three, 15, 17 and 18) at this year’s draft. After being in the doldrums for so long, they have a huge chance to build a rock solid platform for future success.

Collingwood might have lost Adams and Ginnivan, but both players were probably going to struggle to play regular senior footy next year, and by bringing in Schultz, the Magpies have only strengthened a small-forward unit that already features Bobby Hill, Beau McCreery and Jamie Elliott.

The Blues will be rapt to unite Gold Coast’s former No.7 draft pick Elijah Hollands with younger brother Ollie, the Tigers will attempt to fill the gaping hole left in their forward line by retired Jack Riewoldt with ex-Hawk Jacob Koschitzke and the Bulldogs have added some extra grunt and goalkicking ability to their midfield with the acquisition of Harmes.

The Dogs have also accumulated a stockpile of draft picks (five, 48, 50, 52, 53, 56, 69, 72, 75 and 90) to ensure they have the ability to match potential bids for highly-rated father-son prospect Jordan Croft.

Struggling West Coast has given emerging ruckman Bailey Williams some back-up in the form of Matt Flynn (GWS) and added some much-needed speed and pressure to its forward line with Brockman.

Burgess clearly wants a challenge because he has gone to Adelaide which already possesses one of the strongest forward lines in the AFL, while runner-up Brisbane has snared replacements for forward Gunston and retired defender Marcus Adams in the form of Brandon Ryan and Tom Doedee (Adelaide).

2023 PLAYER MOVEMENTS

34. Massimo D’Ambrosio (Ess) traded to Hawthorn in exchange for Pick 61 and Future Fourth-Round Pick.
32/33. Xavier Duursma (PA) traded to Essendon in exchange for Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Pick 73, Future Fourth-Round Pick and Future Fourth-Round Pick.
31. Mabior Chol (GC) and Pick 62 (GC) traded to Hawthorn in exchange for Future Second-Round Pick.
29/30. Jack Gunston (BL), Pick 47 (BL), Pick 61 (BL) and Future Second-Round Pick (BL) traded to Hawthorn in exchange for Brandon Ryan, Pick 39, Pick 54 and Future Fourth-Round Pick.
28. Jack Billings (StK) traded to Melbourne in exchange for Future Third-Round Pick.
27. Jacob Koschitzke (Haw) traded to Richmond in exchange for Pick 49.
26. Elijah Hollands (GC), Pick 28 (GC) and Future Fourth-Round Pick (GC) traded to Carlton in exchange for Pick 26 and Future Third-Round Pick.
25. Esava Ratugolea (Geel) traded to Port Adelaide in exchange for Pick 25, Pick 76 and Pick 94.
24. Jordon Sweet (WB) traded to Port Adelaide in exchange for Pick 50.
23. Jack Ginnivan (Coll), Pick 39 (Coll), Future Second-Round Pick (Coll) and Future Fourth-Round Pick (Coll) traded to Hawthorn in exchange for Pick 33, Future Second-Round Pick and Future Third-Round Pick.
22. Ivan Soldo (Rich) and Pick 50 (Rich) traded to Port Adelaide in exchange for Pick 41, Pick 49, Future Second-Round Pick and Future Fourth-Round Pick.
20/21. Nick Coffield (StK), Pick 52 (Ess) and Pick 56 (StK) traded to Western Bulldogs; Paddy Dow (Carl), Pick 40 (WB) and Future Third-Round Pick (Carl) traded to St Kilda; Pick 35 (StK) and Future Fourth-Round Pick (Carl) traded to Essendon; Future Third-Round Pick (Ess), Future Fourth-Round Pick (WB) and Future Fourth-Round Pick (StK) traded to Carlton.
19. Shane McAdam (Adel) traded to Melbourne in exchange for Future Second-Round Pick.
18. Liam Henry (Fre) and Future Fourth-Round Pick (Fre) traded to St Kilda in exchange for Future Second-Round Pick and Future Fourth-Round Pick.
17. Lachie Schultz (Fre) traded to Collingwood in exchange for Pick 34 and Future First-Round Pick.
16. Bigoa Nyuon (Rich) traded to North Melbourne in exchange for Pick 65.
15. Tyler Brockman (Haw) traded to West Coast in exchange for Pick 44 and Pick 63.
14. Tom Fullarton (BL) traded to Melbourne in exchange for pick 47.
13. Jade Gresham (StK) joined Essendon as a restricted free agent. St Kilda received pick 21 (AFL) as compensation.
12. Zac Fisher (Carl) and Pick 17 (Carl) traded to North Melbourne in exchange for Pick 22 and Pick 26.
11. Taylor Adams (Coll) traded to Sydney in exchange for Pick 34.
10. Brodie Grundy (Melb) traded to Sydney in exchange for Pick 47 and Future Second-Round Pick.
** Pick 18 (GC) traded to North Melbourne in exchange for Future First-Round Assistance Pick.
9. Chris Burgess (GC) and Pick 14 (GC) traded to Adelaide in exchange for Pick 24 and Pick 27.
**Pick 11 (GC) traded to Melbourne in exchange for Pick 14, Pick 28 and Pick 36.
8. Dylan Stephens (Syd) and Pick 26 (Syd) traded to North Melbourne in exchange for Pick 45 and Future First-Round Assistance Pick.
7. James Harmes (Melb) traded to Western Bulldogs in exchange for Future Third-Round Pick.
6. Ben McKay (NM) joined Essendon as a restricted free agent. North Melbourne received Pick 3 (AFL) as compensation.
5. Todd Goldstein (NM) joined Essendon as an unrestricted free agent.
** Pick 25 (Fre) and Future Second-Round Pick (Fre) traded to Port Adelaide in exchange for Future First-Round Pick.
** Pick 5 (GC), Pick 48 (GC), Pick 53 (GC) and Future First-Round Pick (GC) traded to Western Bulldogs in exchange for Pick 11, Pick 18 and Future First-Round Pick.
4. Tom Doedee (Adel) joined Brisbane Lions as a restricted free agent. Adelaide received pick 20 (AFL) as compensation.
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 43 (AFL) as compensation.
1. James Jordon (Melb) joined Sydney as an unrestricted free agent. Melbourne received pick 42 (AFL) as compensation.