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.
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 Hannan 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 Dawson 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.
Ben Ronke exploded onto the scene in 2018 with an impressive rookie campaign. The medium forward booted two big hauls of goals that season, kicking seven against the Hawks and five against the Kangaroos.
He made a name for himself for his ability to kick goals, but also apply excellent pressure on the opposition while inside 50. He is above average in goals, accuracy and tackles inside 50 for his position.
Since then, he has had an interrupted career having to fight through a series of injuries. 2020, in particular, was a difficult one for Ronke, who missed the majority of the season due to a back injury.
Since then, the Swans have uncovered some star-level forwards, which has made it difficult for Ronke to find his way back into the lineup. Isaac Heeney, Tom Papley, Will Hayward, Errol Gulden and Sam Wicks have all overtaken him due to their impressive 2021 campaigns.
This has put his spot in limbo, with no clear path for Ronke to break back into favour with the Sydney coaches.
Forward
Disposals
Marks
Games Played
Injuries still impacted his 2021 season, playing two games of AFL (one as the medical sub), and three games of VFL.
In the AFL, he didn't have much of an impact, only managing five disposals and getting dropped by the next match.
While playing in the VFL however, he was able to show some of the flashes that were seen earlier in his career. Ronke averaged 16.3 disposals, 4.6 marks, 4.3 tackles and over a goal a game.
Ronke is still only 23, with plenty of football left ahead of him. The Swans are currently shedding salaries to ensure they are under the current cap.
A forward like Ben Ronke provides a low-cost upside recruit for an opposition club, who can apply some forward 50 pressure and kick goals when he is up and about. He also spent some time on the wing at VFL level, so could provide some midfield relief for small patches of games.
He would likely cost little to nothing to take off of Sydney's hands but could be valuable if given an opportunity to play himself into form. 2019 was the last time he was able to play more than two games in a row, due to injuries and insufficient opportunities. Ronke could improve many forward lines in the league immediately. If he gets a better run with injury and gets back some of his earlier form, Ronke could be a high upside import for rival clubs.
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 Lyons 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.
Jarrod Lienert is a 195cm defender who has struggled to solidify a spot in the Port Adelaide team. The Power are quite deep in the position with Aliir Aliir, Trent McKenzie, Tom Jonas, and Tom Clurey all playing the same position.
He was able to string together five consecutive games between Rounds 14 and 18, but was unable to keep his spot as the Power moved towards the finals.
Defender
Disposals
Marks
Rebound50s
Throughout those games, Lienert averaged 16.8 disposals, 4.6 rebounds from 50, 4.6 intercepts and 373 metres gained.
Due to his absences in the AFL squad, he played 12 games of SANFL in 2021. He was a standout for Port Adelaide in that competition averaging 23.3 disposals, nine rebound 50s, 5.6 marks and 97% disposal efficiency.
Throughout the 26-year-old's career, he has been above average to elite in rebound 50s, disposal efficiency, intercept possessions and metres gained for his position.
Tall defenders are valuable players and can often be difficult for clubs to find. Lienert is now coming into his prime but is unlikely to play significant minutes for the Power.
A move could be valuable for both player and club, as he could be worth a third to fourth-round pick to the right side. Lienert could be a valuable pickup like Dougal Howard was for the Saints in 2019, who also left the Power to seek further opportunities.
Lienert would provide great height and defensive instincts for any club, with the ability to drift off his man and intercept the ball. He is an elite ball user, helping rebound the ball from out of defence. He will be only 27 by the start of next season and would be ready to have a big impact on a new club in round one of 2022.
The past five seasons have been a rollercoaster for Josh Caddy. Initially, he was traded to Richmond before the 2017 season and immediately tasted success. He played an important role in the Tigers' unique forward line, which moved away from the traditional setup.
His 2018 season, in particular, was dominant, kicking over two goals a game while still obtaining 16.5 disposals per match.
The Tigers took a different direction after that season as they recruited Tom Lynch in the 2018 off-season. This created a more traditional two-tall forward lineup, which impacted Caddy's position on the team.
He was able to still be productive in 2019, playing his role in the side's second premiership in three years.
In 2020, he had to fight through some injury concerns which impacted his position on the team.
Over the past two years, Caddy has fallen out-of-favour from the Tigers, only managing to play 17 games total throughout those two seasons. That included losing his spot before the finals in 2020, and not playing in their third grand final win.
The Tigers have tried to find a place for Caddy, even playing him in defence this season. He hasn't taken to the role, however, seeing a drop in most statistics across the board.
In the VFL, he has been spent time between the back and forward line, still showing his ability to hit the scoreboard. Over the five games, he averaged 29 touches, 4.8 tackles, and a goal per game. This is despite spending a large amount of time down back.
A change of scenery for Caddy could allow him to spend more time up forward, where he has played his best football.
He is a strong smaller forward who would provide finals experience to another club. He has versatility on the field as he can play forward, in defensive and has the tank to play a defensive wing role if needed.
His contract doesn't end until 2022, but there have been reports that the Tigers would be willing to facilitate a trade if Caddy sought an opportunity elsewhere. While the Tigers might try to play hardball on a player with Caddy's resume, he could likely be traded for a 3rd/4th round pick or another player.
Andrew Phillips has become a journeyman over his career, spending time at GWS, Carlton and Essendon. Over this time, he has predominately been a backup ruckman, except during his first season at Carlton in 2016.
He has consistently played close to half-a-dozen games for the past four seasons, including six in 2021.
While not a remarkable player, he is a solid option in the ruck in providing a contest in every game he played.
For the season he averaged 20.5 hit-outs, 10.3 disposals, and nearly four tackles per game. He was above average across the league for hit-outs to advantage and score involvements for a ruckman.
The Bombers were able to win four of the six games that he played in, all against elite ruck competition. Those four wins came against the assignments of Brodie Grundy, Sean Darcy, Todd Goldstein and Nic Natanui.
Those wins showed how Phillips can impact games and mitigate the damage of the opposition ruckman.
Since his last game in Round 12 against Richmond however, Sam Draper has solidified his spot as the number one ruckman for the Bombers. With the club looking to continue to invest in their young ruckman, Phillips might need to look elsewhere for opportunity.
Phillips could be an interesting pickup for rival clubs, likely costing a late draft pick or another out-of-favour player. He is going to be 30-years old in 2022, but Shane Mumford has shown that ruckmen can still be valuable well into their 30s.
Will Brodie has struggled to maintain a spot for the Suns, finding himself on the fringes of selection. The midfielder finds himself on a team with Touk Miller, Noah Anderson, Matt Rowell, Hugh Greenwood, Brandon Ellis, David Swallow, and Brayden Fiorini all being ahead of him in selection.
Due to this, he has only managed to play 25 games since his debut in 2017 (with one game being the medical sub).
For Brodie, opportunities have been his biggest issue, playing solid football when playing. He averaged 16 disposals, two tackles, three clearances and nearly eight contested possession per game this season.
Since his rookie year, he has averaged 19.19 disposals, 4.14 tackles, and 4.05 clearances.
Despite being starved for AFL opportunities, Brodie showed excellent character by making the most of his coaching and lower level matches.
He was awarded the Suns VFL player of the year in 2021 for his consistent play throughout the season. His 31.7 disposals per game were eighth-best in the entire league, while also averaging six tackles too.
He also demonstrated other skills that he hadn't been able to show in his limited AFL experience. There was an ability to hit the scoreboard and he was praised for his exceptional leadership on and off the field. He became a valuable member of the team being a mentor to many of the younger players.
Brodie will continue to find himself on the outside looking in due to the depth of the Sun's midfielders. There have already been reports of Brodie looking for more opportunities elsewhere in the upcoming off-season.
Similar to Gold Coast trading away Peter Wright in 2020, the Suns could facilitate a win-win trade for both parties. Brodie wouldn't cost much for a rival club but is still developing as a prospect.
At only 23-years of age at the beginning of next season, he could provide some inside midfield depth straight away. His age and work ethic would see him continue to improve and prove to be more valuable than what the Suns would expect in return.