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.
Essendon (2009)
In - Mark Williams, pick 24 (Jake Carlisle), pick 33 (Anthony Long) and pick 89 (unused)
Out - Jay Nash, pick 16 (Jasper Pittard), pick 42 (Nathan Vardy) and pick 58 (Rhan Hooper)
While we all know that they are the undisputed kings of the off-season, the Bombers bombed this one, parting with a pick that could have snared any of Jack Gunston, Max Gawn, David Astbury, Sam Reid or Ben Stratton for a shotgun that no longer fired. Though Jake Carlisle's arrival would ease some of the pain, the deal that saw the defender become a Saint some six seasons later wouldn't work in Essendon's favour.
