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.
kicks for goal during the AFL Community Series match between the Geelong Cats and the Essendon Bombers at GMHBA Stadium on March 06, 2021 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
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.
1. Ben Ronke (Sydney)
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.
