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.
4. Josh Caddy (Richmond)
The past five seasons have been a rollercoaster for Josh Caddy. Initially, he was traded to Richmond before the 2017 season and immediately tasted success. He played an important role in the Tigers' unique forward line, which moved away from the traditional setup.
His 2018 season, in particular, was dominant, kicking over two goals a game while still obtaining 16.5 disposals per match.
The Tigers took a different direction after that season as they recruited Tom Lynch in the 2018 off-season. This created a more traditional two-tall forward lineup, which impacted Caddy's position on the team.
He was able to still be productive in 2019, playing his role in the side's second premiership in three years.
In 2020, he had to fight through some injury concerns which impacted his position on the team.
Over the past two years, Caddy has fallen out-of-favour from the Tigers, only managing to play 17 games total throughout those two seasons. That included losing his spot before the finals in 2020, and not playing in their third grand final win.
The Tigers have tried to find a place for Caddy, even playing him in defence this season. He hasn't taken to the role, however, seeing a drop in most statistics across the board.
In the VFL, he has been spent time between the back and forward line, still showing his ability to hit the scoreboard. Over the five games, he averaged 29 touches, 4.8 tackles, and a goal per game. This is despite spending a large amount of time down back.
A change of scenery for Caddy could allow him to spend more time up forward, where he has played his best football.
He is a strong smaller forward who would provide finals experience to another club. He has versatility on the field as he can play forward, in defensive and has the tank to play a defensive wing role if needed.
His contract doesn't end until 2022, but there have been reports that the Tigers would be willing to facilitate a trade if Caddy sought an opportunity elsewhere. While the Tigers might try to play hardball on a player with Caddy's resume, he could likely be traded for a 3rd/4th round pick or another player.
