The Crows made a point of bolstering their tall defensive options, as well as their ruck stocks after ranking 11th in the League for defence in 2014.

Trade

Adelaide targeted two Hawks in the trade period – bringing in medium-sized defender Kyle Cheney and ruckman Luke Lowden. Cheney won favour at the start of the season and in the Crows' finals campaign, managing 12 games for the season. Lowden, who played one game for the Hawks in 2014, did not get a look in with Sam Jacobs dominating in the ruck. The swapping of second, third and fourth round picks was also part of that deal.

Free Agency

The Crows did not take part in last year's free agency period.

Draft

Three of the four players drafted by the Crows were talls. Jake Lever (pick No.14) demonstrated why Adelaide was so eager to recruit him, the key defender managing 12 games in his debut year. Harrison Wigg (No.35), a small-defender, honed his craft at SANFL level. Mitch McGovern (No.43), the younger brother of West Coast's Jeremy, and Harry Dear (No.58) are considered long-term prospects for the Crows. Of course, Geelong's desire to trade up to select Nakia Cockatoo at pick No.10 yielded Adelaide selections No.14 and No.35. Adelaide also picked up ruckman Reilly O'Brien, Keenan Ramsey and Anthony Lewis in the rookie draft.

Overall rating: C

Lever appears as if he will be an excellent draft selection for the Crows, while Cheney and Lowden are depth players as Adelaide looks to build a premiership contending team. – Ben Guthrie

Dayne Beams and Allen Christensen were traded in, while Mitch Robinson was picked up as a delisted free agent. Dual best and fairest Joel Patfull was traded to GWS.

Trade

Beams was the club's best player when he was on the park, playing 16 games before his season ended with a shoulder injury. He did enough to justify the high price the Lions paid for him, sharing the club's best and fairest award with Stefan Martin, Robinson and Dayne Zorko. Christensen, meanwhile, was effectively traded for Patfull and while the Lions could have used Patfull’s experience, Christensen is only 24 and came good at the back-end of the year after a slow start. Losing Crisp in the Beams trade could end up hurting the Lions.

Free Agency

Robinson showed the ferocity in the contest that has typified his career and was sixth in the competition for tackles per game. He was a joint best and fairest winner. The Lions were smashed by injuries this year so the experienced midfielder proved a handy acquisition.

Draft

The Lions traded out their first two picks to get Beams. They went pretty tall at the NAB AFL Draft and rookie draft, and got a reasonable return considering the absence of high picks. Harris Andrews was picked up as an academy selection and looks set to anchor the club's defence for the next decade, showing a knack for taking intercept marks.



Overall rating: B+

The Lions would have been even worse without their pick-ups but losing Crisp proved to be more damaging than most people predicted. - Dinny Navaratnam

Dayne Beams cost the Lions a fair bit, but he proved he was worth it. Picture: AFL Media



Acquired two ready-made key position players in last year's trade period and targeted speed in the draft, mainly to cover the departures of experienced pair Jeff Garlett and Jarrad Waite.

Trade

Took a risk by trading away pick No.7 to GWS for Kristian Jaksch, Mark Whiley and pick No.19. Jaksch was hindered by injury, while Whiley was forced to bide his time in the VFL. Out-of-favour goalkicker Garlett was offloaded to Melbourne for a fourth and fifth-round pick, and ex-Western Bulldog Liam Jones failed to fill the deficiency up forward after switching for a third-round selection.

Free Agency

Waite's defection to North Melbourne as an unrestricted free agent left a gaping hole in attack, which ultimately placed more pressure on power forward Levi Casboult. Former Sydney Swans-listed defender Matthew Dick, 20, was picked up as a delisted free agent, but wasn't able to secure a permanent spot in the back six.

Draft

Sprung a surprise by selecting mature-age midfielder Blaine Boekhorst with its first pick, No.19. The 22-year-old showed the most promise and was named the best first-year player. Fellow draftees Dillon Viojo-Rainbow and Clem Smith will take time, while rookie Brad Walsh is one to watch. Ex-Bulldog Jason Tutt was recruited via the pre-season draft, but showed little to suggest he was a valuable acquisition.

Overall rating: D

Boekhorst was one of the few positives to come out of the Blues' trade, free agency and draft periods, while Jones, 24, and Tutt, 24, will need to improve quickly if they're to form part of the rebuild. – Giulio Di Giorgio

Lost another two premiership players in Dayne Beams and Heritier Lumumba but somehow managed to produce an overall net gain, while continuing to acquire top-shelf talent at the draft.

Trade

Made the best of the potentially disastrous Beams departure, gaining in return picks No.5 (the promising Jordan De Goey) and No.25 (on-traded to North Melbourne for experienced hard-nut Levi Greenwood, who was injured for much of the season) and ex-Lion Jack Crisp, who proved a revelation. Also seem to have won in the trade that snared them Geelong premiership player Travis Varcoe in exchange for Lumumba. Missed out on ex-Demon Mitch Clark, who chose Geelong.

Free Agency

No movement here, other than the fact the Pies sounded out Hawthorn's dual premiership midfielder Brad Sewell, but the approach didn't progress beyond a preliminary discussion before Sewell retired.

Draft

Might well have struck gold. Had the luxury of securing forward/ruckman Darcy Moore as a father/son selection at pick No.9, and he didn't disappoint, overcoming a hamstring problem to play nine games and bag five goals in a loss to the Western Bulldogs. With pick No.5 they added another potential 200-gamer in hard-edged midfielder de Goey, who impressed in 16 games, while smooth left-footer Brayden Maynard (pick No.30) played nine games and runner Matthew Goodyear (No. 48) was also close to selection.

Overall rating: B+

The Magpies turned boiled lollies into chocolates. - Ben Collins

Injuries delayed Levi Greenwood's Collingwood journey but he soon found form. Picture: AFL Media



The Bombers added experience in last year's player exchange period with mixed results. Covering the loss of Paddy Ryder was always going to be a tough ask and the ruck was an area of concern for a large part of the season.

Trade

Jonathan Giles looked a handy pick-up after Ryder walked out the door, but despite a ruck crisis the ex-Giants big man only notched three games for his new club. It shone a glaring light on trade miss Daniel Gorringe and, to a lesser extent, Mitch Clark. Meanwhile, the jury is out on their bold move to take Adam Cooney on a two-year deal after his uninspiring first year in red and black.

Free agency

The Dons threw James Gwilt a lifeline after the ex-Saint was delisted and he offered some value by playing 11 games before he was injured late in the season. Fairly handy pick up considering the Bombers didn't give anything up for the 29-year-old.

Draft

Creative types Kyle Langford and Jayden Laverde appeared good value at picks 17 and 20 respectively and both showed plenty of promise in their debut seasons. Shaun McKernan was a shrewd pick-up and played well as an undersized ruckman, while Irish youngster Conor McKenna is a special talent.

Overall rating: B-

Giles and Cooney's output was below expectations, however Gwilt played a role and the Dons drafted shrewdly, with McKernan a bargain on the rookie list. – Travis King

The Dockers had a very quiet period in the end compared to previous seasons. They did no trades and picked up no free agents. They only added to their list through the NAB AFL Draft, pre-season and rookie drafts.

Trade

The Dockers did not do any trading in 2014 after securing Scott Gumbleton via a trade the previous year. They were more active in the free agency market.

Free Agency

The Dockers pushed very hard to recruit James Frawley via free agency with Ross Lyon meeting Frawley in Melbourne and the club flying him to Perth to visit the Dockers' training base. But the Dockers missed out on Frawley as he chose to join Hawthorn, where he became a premiership player.

Draft

The Dockers drafted a bevy of young talented midfielders last year. It was surprising given the need for key position players but the selections of Lachie Weller, Connor Blakely and Ed Langdon look like they will pay handsome dividends in the future even though they only got a small taste of senior football this year.

Overall rating: C

The Dockers were unable to recruit readymade players through trade or free agency, which they needed, but they did draft a good crop of young midfielders. - Alex Malcolm

The Cats addressed two key areas of specific need – bringing in versatile tall options and a bunch of players with speed to replace the outgoing Allen Christensen, Taylor Hunt and Travis Varcoe.

Trade

Geelong recruited Mitch Clark in a deal that saw Varcoe wind up at Collingwood, with Heritier Lumumba moving to Melbourne. Clark's stellar pre-season form provided plenty of optimism, but a calf injury in round nine meant he was not sighted again in 2015. Although he was held back by injury, Rhys Stanley, who was acquired when the Cats sent draft pick No.21 to St Kilda, showed he and Mark Blicavs will be an effective ruck/tall midfield combination in the coming years.

Free Agency

Having secured Jared Rivers and Hamish McIntosh in the previous year's free agency period, the Cats were not big players in 2015. However, they did get Sam Blease – who managed just one senior game before retiring because of the effects of a head knock – as a delisted free agent from Melbourne.

Draft

Nakia Cockatoo (pick No.10) and Cory Gregson (No.47) played 31 games between them, showing they will be important players in Geelong's next premiership tilt. Dean Gore (pick No.55) was unlucky not to play a senior game and is developing nicely as an inside midfielder. Jordan Cunico (No.59) also played good footy at VFL level late in the season after coming back from knee surgery in May. Rookies Tom Read and Padraig Lucey spent time in the VFL, while Cameron Delaney missed almost the entire year with a chronic toe injury.

Overall rating: B

The Cats fared well at the draft with Cockatoo and Gregson proving their worth, and if not for injuries, the recruitment of Stanley and Clark could have been far more successful. – Ben Guthrie

Nick Malceski was supposed to be the boom recruit and Mitch Hallahan was traded in. Peter Wright and Jarrod Garlett were drafted in the first round, while Touk Miller and Adam Saad were also picked up.

Trade

Hallahan came in for a couple of third round picks, which seemed relatively cheap, but one of those picks ended up being Geelong’s Cory Gregson, who looks promising. Hallahan was decent before having his season ended by an arm injury. The Suns were smashed by injuries this year so it will be harder for Hallahan to get a game in 2016.

Free Agency

There were high expectations on Malceski and he was a massive bust this year. Came to the club to provide rebound and leadership but didn’t deliver. The ex-Swan injured his knee but when he was on the park he didn’t provide the form he showed at his former club. Came to the Suns on a big contract and with two years remaining, Malceski needs to lift.

Draft

The Suns did well with their later picks. Miller and Saad finished sixth and seventh respectively in a stacked NAB AFL Rising Star Award field. Wright only played three games but as a tall forward/ruck he needs more time to develop. Picked up a few players to strengthen the reserves team after the Suns went winless in the NEAFL in 2014.

Overall rating: C

Malceski was hugely disappointing and Gold Coast didn’t get much out of its two first round picks but Miller and Saad look like future leaders. - Dinny Navaratnam

Used fringe players and draft picks to go for some big names in the trade period, a strategy that paid dividends during the season, before concentrating on youth on draft day.

Trade

The Giants secured former Western Bulldogs captain Ryan Griffen and pick No.6 for former No.1 pick Tom Boyd. Griffen proved a solid contributor for the Giants in 2015 with a top-10 finish in the best and fairest. The Giants also gave up a first-round pick to the Brisbane Lions for Joel Patfull, who was a key member of their young defence. They also made late, huge offers with single-digit picks for Steve Johnson and Jeremy Howe, among others, but nothing came of them.

Free Agency

The Giants had no need to be big players in free agency after the coup of grabbing Griffen in a trade steal from the Dogs, and Patfull from the Lions.

Draft

With Griffen and Patfull added via trade, the Giants concentrated on youth at the draft, with academy products Caleb Marchbank (five games) and Jack Steele (seven) the only two to play senior footy. Jarrod Pickett (pick No.4),

Paul Ahern (No.7), Pat McKenna and another academy player Jeremy Finlayson spent the year in the NEAFL, with Ahern the stand out.

Overall rating: B+

Griffen and Patfull were success stories and added vital experience to the list, giving the Giants more time to allow their younger players to develop. – Adam Curley

Ryan Griffen provided some much-needed experience in the middle for GWS. Picture: AFL Media







The Hawks wanted to reinforce their backline and swooped on prized free agent James Frawley, fighting off interest from Geelong for the ex-Demon. They also traded for former No.2 pick Jonathan O'Rourke before heading to the draft with three picks.

Trade

O'Rourke wanted to come home last year and the Hawks lived up to their 'destination club' ideal by beating off other suitors to snare him in exchange for picks 19 and 40. The ex-Giant was always going to struggle breaking into the best 22 and only played two matches this year, but shapes as a big part of the future onball brigade.

Free agency

Frawley had his critics after an injury-interrupted season in brown and gold but proved a shrewd selection in three excellent finals performances shutting down Taylor Walker, Matthew Pavlich and Josh Kennedy. Now steps into Brian Lake's shoes at full-back.

Draft

Picked up a tall running defender (Daniel Howe), small backman (Teia Miles) and ruckman (Marc Pittonet) at the draft, with Howe managing four games in a premiership-bound outfit. Rookies Jermaine Miller-Lewis and Lachlan Langford developed nicely, but Jared Hardisty has been delisted.

Overall rating: A

Frawley showed his worth on the big stage during finals, while O'Rourke and Howe will be players for the future. – Travis King

James Frawley pulled off the ultimate free agency trick by winning a flag with Hawthorn. Picture: AFL Media



Melbourne went into the 2014 off-season period looking to bring in as much talent as possible. The Demons got that in the draft with Angus Brayshaw and Christian Petracca with their two first picks, while they also added a goal-kicking small forward and versatile big man.

Trade

Melbourne identified a weak spot on its list and addressed it with the recruitment of crumbing forward Jeff Garlett. The former Blue, who was swapped for late-round draft picks, kicked 40 goals and finished eighth in the club's best and fairest. Former Pie Heritier Lumumba, who was effectively swapped for Mitch Clark, played 19 games in his first year but struggled to make an impact.

Sam Frost, who was brought in from Greater Western Sydney for pick No.23 (the Giants sent picks No.40 and No.53 back to the Demons), played the first three games of the season before suffering a year-ending toe injury. The club views him as versatile long-term prospect.

Free Agency

The Demons lost James Frawley to Hawthorn via free agency and he duly became a premiership player last Saturday. Tom McDonald's emergence as a genuine key defender helped offset the loss of Frawley. Melbourne also picked up former Port midfielder Ben Newton as a delisted free agent.

Draft

Brayshaw (pick No.3 overall) proved himself to be an excellent selection, finishing 11th in the club's best and fairest and fifth in the NAB AFL Rising Star race. As buoyant as the Demons were about Brayshaw, the season-ending injury to Petracca (No.2) was a major setback. Alex Neal-Bullen (No.40), Billy Stretch (No.42) and Oscar McDonald (No.53) also played some senior football in the back half of the season. Aaron vandenBerg was a revelation as a rookie selection and has been upgraded to the primary list permanently, while fellow rookie Mitch White played one match in round 23.

Overall rating: B+

Petracca's knee injury meant the Demons did not get to see the best of him, but their other youngsters are bubbling along nicely. The Demons were hit and miss with their trade acquisitions. – Ben Guthrie



Angus Brayshaw and Aaron vandenBerg were both success stories in their debut years. Picture: AFL Media









The Roos had dual goals in last year's player movement period – topping up with class for a premiership tilt and continuing to bring in youth. North secured Jarrad Waite and Shaun Higgins via free agency and then went to the draft with three picks.

Trade

Levi Greenwood's trade to Collingwood didn't work out as planned for either team in 2015. The Roos used the second-round draft pick they received on Daniel Nielson, who then ruptured his ACL in pre-season, while Greenwood struggled at the Pies due to a leg injury. The Roos might have dodged a bullet with ex-Dog Adam Cooney, who had limited impact for Essendon, although they missed out on Travis Varcoe, who was outstanding for Collingwood after switching from Geelong.

Free agency

Hindsight says the Roos were big winners from free agency after somewhat risky bids for Jarrad Waite (Carlton) and Shaun Higgins (Western Bulldogs). Waite starred during finals, while Higgins was named in the All Australian squad of 40 for the first time and was arguably the recruit of the year.

Draft

It was a nightmare first season for Sam Durdin (shoulder), Daniel Nielson (knee) and Ed Vickers-Willis (shoulder), none of whom played a senior game after suffering season-ending injuries early in the year. Rookies Will Fordham and Bradyon Preuss are coming along nicely.

Overall rating: B+

Waite and Higgins were outstanding contributors, but not getting any AFL match experience into their draftees was a disappointing result. – Travis King

The Power viewed their list as one that could contend for a premiership and made the move to bring in Patrick Ryder from Essendon as the defining move of last year's trade period.

Trade

Port gave up its first and second-round picks to acquire Ryder in a trade with Essendon. It took the former Bomber big man a while to find his feet, as he competed with Matthew Lobbe for time in the ruck. However, he played his best footy later in the year when given sole responsibility of the ruck position.

Free Agency

The Power did not recruit a player via free agency.

Draft

Giving up so much for Ryder, the Power had picks in the later-rounds of the draft: Dougal Howard (pick No.56), Logan Austin (No.69), Jesse Palmer (No.78) and Billy Frampton (No.84). The trio did not play a senior game in 2015, but Port was clearly focused on playing its established players. Nathan Krakouer was a more-than handy pick up in the rookie draft, playing 14 games for the season.

WATCH: The Wash-Up - Ryder didn't work out for Port

Overall rating: C

Ryder's impact was not quite realised in his first season at the club and the ruckman and the Power will be keen to atone for a modest showing when they get on the field in 2016. - Ben Guthrie

Paddy Ryder struggled for much of the year but found time to torch his old club. Picture: AFL Media



The Tigers had another crack at bolstering their list with tried talent but didn't go as hard as they have in previous years, with Taylor Hunt the only established player to head to Punt Road.

Trade

They were quiet on the trade front although made a move on Melbourne midfielder Jack Trengove. A failed medical, which led to Trengove undergoing further surgery on his foot before he missed the entire 2015 season, thwarted that action. Jason Winderlich was linked to the Tigers, but re-signed with Essendon – and they dodged a bullet there, with the veteran restricted to one game - and there were enquiries about David Armitage but talks didn't progress far after they were informed the contracted midfielder had no interest in leaving St Kilda.

Free Agency

Hunt became a Tiger as a delisted free agent after 63 games at Geelong. Played every game in his first season at Richmond and proved a versatile addition with scope to play a role, across half-back or through the midfield. The club was clearly impressed with what he contributed in his first year and extended his contract by two seasons until the end of 2017 in August.

Draft

They mainly went for midfield depth in the national draft with Corey Ellis spearheading the haul. Ellis was cut down with a pre-season foot injury and a mid-year hip problem, and played six senior games before further foot surgery ended his season in July. Kane Lambert was the pick of their new rookies, playing 13 games after arriving as a mature-age midfielder.

Overall rating: B

Didn't see much of the draftees, Lambert aside, with injury cruelling Ellis, Nathan Drummond and Dan Butler as the Tigers' line up became hard to break into. Hunt was a tick and Ellis will be good with the others to get more of a chance next year after overcoming body stuff. - Jennifer Phelan



The Saints put the No.1 pick on the table but weren't tempted by four packages of draft selections to deal and they used it on Paddy McCartin. Saw Rhys Stanley off to Geelong, which netted them a second first-round pick, and took a punt on one delisted free agent.

Trade

Missed out on Jono O'Rourke and Kristian Jaksch but Stanley to the Cattery benefitted both parties, with the ruckman showing good signs before a foot injury. In exchange, the Saints got pick No.21 from the Giants, via the Lions and Cats on-trades, which they used on Hugh Goddard. The key position prospect played eight games and showed glimpses of promise down back and later in attack.

Free Agency

Let James Gwilt go to Essendon as an unrestricted free agent but didn't get any compensation. Added to their forward line dimension by recruiting Sydney Swans' forward Tim Membrey as a delisted free agent, who had some impressive moments in his 12 games as a third forward and brought something new to their attacking mix.

Draft

Moved to address a variety of needs with a key forward, key back, midfielder (Daniel McKenzie) and small forward (Jack Lonie) – all of which played in their first season, with their No.41 pick Lonie the most prolific with 17 games. Top rookie pick Jack Sinclair was another revelation with 18 games while Lonie benefitted from close tutelage from the now-retired Adam Schneider.

Overall rating: A

Kept their big pick, landed another, and addressed a handful of requirements with players who all showed positive signs in their first year. - Jennifer Phelan

Hugh Goddard showed plenty in the back half of the season to suggest a strong future. Picture: AFL Media



It was a very quiet trade period for the Swans because of the restrictions placed on them by the AFL. The draft, however, was where they had a huge windfall, securing their academy selection Isaac Heeney with pick 18. A year on, that pick looks to be the biggest bargain since Nat Fyfe.



Trade

The AFL's shock trade ban, and the decision to phase out the cost-of-living-allowance, meant the Swans' hands were tied during this window. They lost Nick Malceski (a restricted free agent) to the Suns, Tim Membrey (who was delisted because a trade could not be worked out with St Kilda), and Shane Biggs (who went to the Bulldogs). Lewis Roberts-Thomson and Ryan O’Keefe (both retired) were the other notable departures.



Free Agency

Losing Malceski appeared to be the big loss for the Swans but the All Australian's output in 2015 was poor and the Swans' defence functioned OK without him. The compensation pick for Malceski was not great but he is over 30 with a history of knee injuries. The Swans were forced to experiment across half-back and Zak Jones (the brother of Melbourne's Nathan) received more game time which was a positive.



Draft

Isaac Heeney burst on the scene and was quick to impress. He played 14 games (out of 24) and would have played more if not for a PCL injury. He looks destined to become a bonafide star and his contested marking and goal sense was a feature in 2015. It is highly possible we will become the best pick of his draft year. The Swans used pick 38 on academy selection Jack Hiscox and pick 37 on James Rose. Hiscox – a running machine – is yet to debut. Rose made a stunning entrance to the AFL with a three-goal quarter in his first game. The versatile Abe Davis was the Swans' third academy selection – No.70 overall. Like Hiscox, he’s yet to debut.



Overall rating: B

The grade clearly seems overs but it is based on one thing … or one person. Isaac Heeney. The Swans may have had the shackles on when it came to trading but it's quite possible they walked away from a difficult year with the game's next superstar (and I’m not using that word flippantly). – Cameron Noakes

The Eagles went in with a clear strategy to build for the future rather than recruit for the here and now. They worked quietly during the trade period, enquiring about Travis Varcoe and Allen Christensen but did not make bold moves. They instead went to the draft and found some impressive young players.

Trade

The Eagles had done well in the previous few trade periods picking up Sharrod Wellingham, Jamie Cripps and Elliot Yeo but they were not as active last season. They did not get heavily involved in many negotiations and ultimately did not trade anyone in or out.

Free Agency

The Eagles picked up Xavier Ellis as a free agent at the end of 2013 but were not active in searching for another free agency recruit last year.

Draft

The Eagles were delighted with what they were able to do at the draft table. They recruited Liam Duggan and Jackson Nelson who both played more than 12 games this season and are set for big futures. Tom Lamb is also an exciting key position prospect and the Eagles are positive about Damien Cavka and Alec Waterman despite both having injury issues.

Overall rating: B

At the time it appeared as if the Eagles might have missed a trick by not being more active in the trade period but they trusted their development team and drafted well. - Alex Malcolm

Provided the headlines of the trade period with the Tom Boyd-Ryan Griffen swap and saw another few players – including a Brownlow medallist – head out the door as uncertainty with the coaching situation stretched into November.

Trade

Missed on Levi Greenwood but sent Griffen and pick No.6 to the Giants for Boyd. There's no doubt Boyd will be a key player but his debut season as a Dog underwhelmed as he finished the year in the VFL. Shane Biggs looked good late in the year in defence, while the picks they brought in netted Declan Hamilton and Caleb Daniel, with the former essentially obtained via a trade for Adam Cooney and the latter – who showed promise as an impact player – recruited with the pick traded for Liam Jones.

Free Agency

They were busy at the trade table with picks flying around – especially when it came to the Cooney deal with the Swans involved in trading selections – but had time to decide on delisted free agent Joel Hamling, who had some solid defensive performances in his 11 games. Shaun Higgins went to North Melbourne, which provided a second-round pick used on Lukas Webb, who looked good in 10 games.

Draft

They went for smaller types and did well with their picks, with all but Hamilton making their AFL debuts. Bailey Dale, Webb and Daniel played 10 games each in a year the Dogs played a final, and rookie Roarke Smith pushed in for his debut in round 21, which is also promising for their future.

Overall rating: A

Didn't make an immediate impact but Boyd is their future and is locked down until 2021, while their draftees were able to consistently play despite the team's good form. - Jennifer Phelan