While some would contend that 24 rounds of football, a month of finals and a couple of practice matches to kick things off is enough football to poke a boot at, in this era of the 18-team talkback radio pitches, it is clear that the trade period has taken on a life of its own.
Punters may screech that they hate hearing about proposed deals between March and September, but in reality, any article about a player wanting in, out or otherwise rates its socks off analytically as these same fans can't help but want to know the score.
And although footy fanatics may disagree, the analytics tell us that there is only one thing they love more than trade chat, and that's when trades are put under the microscope.
So while you lot may hate us for it, deep down we know that you love it.
From 1990 until the cessation of the 2022 season, here is the trade that every club wishes they had a mulligan for.
Adelaide (2002)
In - Wayne Carey
Out - Pick 2 (Daniel Wells) and pick 18 (Kris Shore)ย
While Adelaide did part with the pick that saw Drew Petrie become a Kangaroo in order to draft Evan Hewitt, it was Crows' choice to send a pair of top 20 selections to Arden Street in order to bring a past-prime Carey back to the City of Churches that still rankles. The Duck was able to slot 56 goals in 28 starts as a Crow, but two seasons of service just isn't enough for a pair of early picks.
