With the big news breaking today that Leo Messi will be leaving Barcelona, the sporting world has gone into overdrive suggesting where he may end up.

From Paris, to Manchester, to even Los Angeles, there's no shortage of quality internet work being done. While in soccer, it's not uncommon for players to move, the size of the name in this scenario warrants a double take.

It's gotten us thinking. Over the years, the AFL has increasingly gone down this path, with player movement in the off-season becoming the norm.

Related: Has Free Agent Saint played last game with the club?

With this in mind, we decided to take a look at the some of the biggest moves the AFL has ever seen.

Not just in size of the name, the money or the destination. But in terms of the impact that it had. Here are the ones we think have created the biggest splash over the years.

3. Ian Stewart

You would think a club would be keen to keep a Brownlow Medal winner happy. The Saints did not and learnt the hard way after Ian Stewart left for Richmond. The dual Brownlow medalist was unhappy with a perceived lack of support from the club, deciding to ask to leave.

Going on to star for the Tigers and winning his third Brownlow, the Tasmanian's move was unprecedented at the time. Richmond were able to broker a deal that saw them add one of the games most damaging midfielders.

In a sign of things to come, Stewart's move to Richmond not only impacted the two clubs he played for, but would have lasting ramifications on the league. Player movement has only become more and more common thanks to moves like this.