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Live sport on SN this weekendBiggest AFL-non trades: Sliding doors, backflips and private jets
SEN • October 19th, 2025 2:00 pm
Sam Edmund has named some of the biggest trades that never happened.
Or as he calls it, “the near-misses list.”
Former Swan Ryan O’Keefe sits atop of the list, after his request to join Hawthorn fell through, resulting in him winning the 2012 premiership and Norm Smith medal with Sydney.
See the list of the biggest non-trades in recent AFL history below:
Ryan O’Keefe
Sydney to Hawthorn – 2008
“He requested the trade to Hawthorn. He absolutely wanted to get there,” Edmund said.
“He put all his eggs in the one basket. He was kept.
“That was 2008, and obviously goes on, wins a premiership, wins a Norm Smith. The rest is history.”
Josh Dunkley
Western Bulldogs to Essendon – 2020
“Josh Dunkley is here, absolutely.
“Requested the trade to Essendon. The Dogs were united, like Essendon are now.
“From the board down, they didn’t want him to go and if he was going to go, it was going to take two pointy first rounders to get him out of there.
“Essendon bluffed, blustered, huffed, puffed, couldn’t do it. Went close to doing it. Wouldn’t meet the asking price. Didn’t want to compromise their future they said and he stayed.”
Nick Stevens
Port Adelaide to Collingwood - 2003
“That was huge news back in the day.
“He ended up getting to Carlton the long, long way around.”
“He was desperate to get there,” Kane Cornes added.
“Forced him through the draft because they didn’t want to give him to Collingwood and then he missed out on a premiership the next year.”
Joe Daniher
Essendon to Sydney – 2019
“He wanted to get to Sydney,” Edmund said.
“Essendon turned down multiple offers from the Swans, and they said ‘nup, just not going to happen.
“He stayed one more year, I think he only played the four games in that final year. Up and left for Brisbane.
“Swans missed out there.”
Tom Papley
Sydney to Carlton – 2019
“Daniher’s deal falling over meant that Papley could not get to the Blues.
“He was resolute on getting there.
“Carlton in the end couldn’t make the deal happen because they needed the pick tied to the Joe Daniher deal, that didn’t happen.”
Mitch Clark
Brisbane to Fremantle – 2011
“One of my absolute favourites.
“He took the extraordinary step, actually, of notifying the football world via a statement release by Fremantle that he only wanted to be traded and he only wanted to be traded to the Dockers. That’s it.
“He joined Melbourne 24 hours later.
“That was one of my best.”
Dylan Shiel
GWS to Carlton - 2018
“Another Carlton one.
“They got him in the private jet, flew him up to Noosa to meet with ‘SOS’ (Stephen Silvagni), (Bruce) Mathieson, Chris Judd was there, all the power brokers. And they couldn’t get him.
“He went to Essendon in the end and that one got done really late.”
Bobby Hill
GWS to Essendon – 2021
“This time in 2021, Bobby Hill said, ‘make me a Bomber. That’s it. I’m out of GWS. I want to get to Essendon.’
“It was denied, he joined Collingwood actually as the first player to be traded in the next year’s trade period.
“Talk about sliding doors moments.
“Norm Smith medallist, premiership player at Collingwood could have been at Essendon.”
Lachie Neale
Brisbane to Fremantle – 2021
“Sliding doors moment there,” Kane Cornes said.
“He was keen for family reasons. I think they just had their first child.
“There was an interest to get back. But not long after he stayed and then re-committed long-term to Brisbane, and a couple of premierships later.”
Travis Boak
Port Adelaide to Geelong – 2012
“Geelong came pretty hard famously and publicly,” Edmund said.
“It was probably still the biggest blindsiding in trade period history.”
Lance Franklin
Hawthorn to GWS – 2013
“If you didn’t live this period of time avidly as a footy fan, words don’t do it justice.
“The entire football world was conditioned and expecting just a matter of time before the Giants get him given all the riches they had available.
“For then Sydney to nab him was just the biggest curveball you’ve ever seen in the trade period.
“And it still gets talked about annually, so shows you how big that was.”
Andrew Gaff
West Coast to North Melbourne – 2018
“Seriously tempted as a free agent. Pretty close and delayed a decision all year until he stayed at West Coast.
“The deal from North at the time, massive.
“Seven years at about $8 million over the life of it.
“That was big.”
Dustin Martin
Richmond to GWS – 2013
“Went up with the hard hat to the GWS facilities.
“I don’t know whether that was just for show.
“I don’t actually know what happened there.”
Peter Matera
West Coast to Melbourne - 1998
“Biggest non-trade.
“Peter Matera to the Dees via the 1998 pre-season draft.
“All but left, and backflipped to stay.
“What a player that man was.”
