We are deep into the 2023 AFL trade period and some big deals have already gone through, with the likes of Brodie Grundy and Taylor Adams ending up at the Sydney Swans already, whilst Tom Doedee has found himself at Brisbane.
There are many potential deals still on the table with this exchange window threatening to go down to the wire through to next Wednesday's deadline.
This year's trade period draws some comparisons to the off-season of 2020, where massive deals, plenty of trade requests and some shock moves eventuated all the way through to the final hour.
An unexpected Adam Treloar to Western Bulldogs trade was finalised in the final minute of the trade period, whilst a potential Josh Dunkley to Essendon trade request failed. GWS spearhead Jeremy Cameron headlined the player movement space in his venture to Geelong, whilst veteran Shaun Higgins landed at his third AFL club in also landing at Kardinia Park.
Jye Caldwell's move from GWS to Essendon, Jack Higgins' from Richmond to St Kilda, and Aliir Aliir's from Sydney to Port Adelaide also eventuated.
Three years on, we look back at four of the biggest trades of the 2020 AFL trade period to see how they have played since.
Jeremy Cameron
GWS Giants to Geelong
Geelong received: Jeremy Cameron, 2x 2021 second-round picks
GWS received: Picks 13, 15, 20 and 1x 2021 first-round pick
In another trade that went down to the wire, Jeremy Cameron became a Cat after nine seasons with the Giants. Geelong paid a high price for Cameron, sending Picks 13,15 and 20 to GWS in exchange for Cameron and two future second-round selections after the Giants matched Geelong's bid for the restricted free agent.
It's one of the biggest trades in the AFL given Geelong took a risk and parted way with so many first-round picks, but it is one that has paid great dividends for the Cats. Cameron's first season at Geelong was interrupted, playing just 15 games, but 2022 and 2023 have shown that Cameron remains one of the competition's best key forwards.
The partnership of Tom Hawkins and Cameron is troubling for opposition teams and with the pair both in form last year they were crucial in Geelong's premiership run, finishing joint third in the Coleman Medal with 132 goals between the pair. 2022 was undoubtedly Cameron's best season personally, becoming a premiership player, earning his third All-Australian blazer and maiden Carji Greeves Medal.
This season, Cameron raced out of the blocks kicking 34 goals in the first nine rounds, before he was held goalless for the first time in Round 10.
3. Adam Saad
Essendon to Carlton
Carlton received: Adam Saad, Picks 48 and 78
Essendon received: Picks 8 and 87
It took over a month for Adam Saad to successfully be traded from Essendon to Carlton, with the two clubs locked in a standoff over the deal. In the end, Carlton received Saad and Picks 48 and 78, whilst Essendon gained Picks 8 and 87.
The trade saw Saad land at his third club after he move to Essendon from the Gold Coast at the end of the 2017 season. Saad carried over his impressive form to Carlton, with a career-best season in 2022 that saw him earn a maiden All-Australian blazer and a sixth-placed finish in Carlton's John Nicholls Medal.
This season Saad averaged 20.1 disposals and 384.6 metres gained per outing, and was one of the only Blues to have previously played in a final, despite that being a 55-point loss for Essendon at the hands of West Coast.
