With the season over, the hardcore football fans favourite time of the year is about to begin. The trade period provides fans with excitement, hope and optimism for the upcoming season as anyone other than Melbourne fans can begin to forget about the previous year.
The next few weeks will be filled with speculation, rumours, player movement and trade ideas ranging from plausible to downright insane.
Every year there are the big-name players thrown around, who seem to take up most of the conversation this time of the year.
While getting most of the attention and excitement, often it's some of the players that go under the radar in trades and signings that make the biggest impact for their club.
kicks for goal during the AFL Community Series match between the Geelong Cats and the Essendon Bombers at GMHBA Stadium on March 06, 2021 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
Last year big-name players such as Jeremy Cameron, Adam Saad, Joe Daniher and Zac Williams were the most discussed free agents and trades. Despite these players changing clubs, it ended up being some of the smaller deals that made the biggest impact on their clubs, however.
Stefan Martin, Mitch Hannanย and Ben Brown were all moved on by their previous clubs and ended up playing important roles for grand finalists. Essendon obtained Peter Wright, Nick Hind along with picks 7, 8 and 9 which helped propel them into finals and set them up for years to come.
Adam Cerra, Lachie Neale, Jordan Dawsonย and Ben King are the current big-name players that have gotten most of the attention so far in the lead up to the trade period.
Instead, we take a look at some of the undervalued or unwanted players that could prove to be a valuable pick up for a team this offseason.
2. Cam Ellis-Yolmen (Brisbane)
The big-bodied midfielder has been starved for opportunities since coming to Brisbane. This has been due to injuries and the Lions having a range of similar players already on their list. He currently finds himself behind Hugh McCluggage, Lachie Neale, Dayne Zorko, Jarryd Lyonsย and Mitch Robinson on the depth chart.
In 2021, he was unable to break into the Lions with minor injuries interrupting his year. He only managed to play three games, which were in the VFL.
He averaged 31 touches, seven tackles and 7.6 marks per game finishing every game with at least 25 disposals. In these games he spent less time in the middle, instead, he was played on the wing and half-forward.
He has fallen out-of-favour with the Lions but was a fixture of their top-four finish in 2020. This included playing in the Preliminary Final loss to Geelong. For the Lions in that match, he was eighth highest for disposals, fourth highest in clearances and third highest for contested possessions.
In 2018 and 2019, Ellis-Yolmen would feature more prominently for the Adelaide Crows and managed to put together two strong campaigns. He averaged 20.13 and 23.50 disposals respectively in those seasons. He also averaged over five clearances, five tackles, and 11.5 contested possessions over that period.
Throughout his career, Ellis-Yolmen has established himself as a tough inside midfielder. He is ranked elite in both contested disposals and clearances, which means he is in the top 10% for his position in those categories.
He could provide some midfield and wing depth to a team, with the 28-year-old likely costing very little to obtain. Likely a fifth or sixth round draft pick will get the midfielder through the door, and can still add value to a finals team or provide needed grunt and experience to a younger squad.
