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.
6. Will Brodie (Gold Coast)
Will Brodie has struggled to maintain a spot for the Suns, finding himself on the fringes of selection. The midfielder finds himself on a team with Touk Miller, Noah Anderson, Matt Rowell, Hugh Greenwood, Brandon Ellis, David Swallow, and Brayden Fiorini all being ahead of him in selection.
Due to this, he has only managed to play 25 games since his debut in 2017 (with one game being the medical sub).
For Brodie, opportunities have been his biggest issue, playing solid football when playing. He averaged 16 disposals, two tackles, three clearances and nearly eight contested possession per game this season.
Since his rookie year, he has averaged 19.19 disposals, 4.14 tackles, and 4.05 clearances.
Despite being starved for AFL opportunities, Brodie showed excellent character by making the most of his coaching and lower level matches.
He was awarded the Suns VFL player of the year in 2021 for his consistent play throughout the season. His 31.7 disposals per game were eighth-best in the entire league, while also averaging six tackles too.
He also demonstrated other skills that he hadn't been able to show in his limited AFL experience. There was an ability to hit the scoreboard and he was praised for his exceptional leadership on and off the field. He became a valuable member of the team being a mentor to many of the younger players.
Brodie will continue to find himself on the outside looking in due to the depth of the Sun's midfielders. There have already been reports of Brodie looking for more opportunities elsewhere in the upcoming off-season.
Similar to Gold Coast trading away Peter Wright in 2020, the Suns could facilitate a win-win trade for both parties. Brodie wouldn't cost much for a rival club but is still developing as a prospect.
At only 23-years of age at the beginning of next season, he could provide some inside midfield depth straight away. His age and work ethic would see him continue to improve and prove to be more valuable than what the Suns would expect in return.
