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Sport Nation
Net gain or loss: Bickley's 18-club rating of the AFL Trade Period
SEN • October 22nd, 2025 8:58 am
Two-time Adelaide premiership captain Mark Bickley has assessed each AFL team following the 2025 Trade Period, providing each side with a basic score based on their ins and outs ahead of 2026.
Judging only first team players moving around the competition, Bickley assessed all 18 sides, weighing up the significance of players lost and the strength of players introduced.
“By a rough guide, your top 15 (players are) what we’re talking about,” Bickley told SEN SA Breakfast.
See Bickley's scores below:
Adelaide
“Adelaide didn’t really lose anyone. They lost Brodie Smith, but Smith only played a handful of games for the year, he was the sub a lot and he retired, so I’m not going to count Brodie.
“They (likely) bring in Callum Ah Chee – I think he is in their top 15 players. They don’t lose anyone, but they bring in someone, so they are +1.”
Rating: +1
Brisbane
“They lose (Brandon) Starcevich, Ah Chee and Oscar McInerney retires.
They bring in Sam Draper and Oscar Allen. That squares out. They’re about even, and they’ve got great depth, so they’ll be around the mark next year.”
Rating: Even
Carlton
“They lose (Tom) De Koning, (Charlie) Curnow, (Sam) Docherty, (Jack) Silvagni, and (Corey) Durdin – I reckon four of the five are in their top 15.
“They bring in (Ben) Ainsworth, (Ollie) Florent, (Will) Hayward, (Liam) Reidy and (Campbell) Chesser. There are two top 15 players in there, so they are -3.
“Last year, not a great season, and they are -3… not a great deal for them.”
Rating: -3
Collingwood
“-1. They really only lose (Brodie) Mihocek. (Mason) Cox and (Jack) Buller cancel each other out.”
Rating: -1
Essendon
“They lose (Sam) Draper, (Brayden) Fiorini comes in – that’s about even, which isn’t great for Essendon. They get lots of draft picks, but they aren’t going to get them out of the hole next year.”
Rating: Even
Fremantle
“+1. (Judd) McVee comes in, didn’t really lose anything of note.
“Finished in the finals, and they add a player, so that is good play.”
Rating: -1
Geelong
“They don’t really lose anything of note from their Grand Final side, but they bring (James) Worpel into the equation, so that is a +1.”
Rating: +1
Gold Coast
“They lost a lot of players, but reslly (Sam) Flanders was the only one who was inside their top 15. They bring in (Christian) Petracca, who is upwards of Flanders.
“Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, I haven’t really factored in, so they are +1.”
Rating: +1
GWS Giants
“They bring in (Clayton) Oliver, they don’t really lose anyone. +1.”
Rating: +1
Hawthorn
“Hawthorn are the only finalists that are negative. (James) Worpel and (Changkuoth) Jiath go out of the side, and they weren’t able to bring anyone in. -2.”
Rating: -2
Melbourne
“-1. They brought in a couple of players (Jack Steele, Changkuoth Jiath), but they lose McVee, Oliver and Petracca.”
Rating: -1
North Melbourne
“Even. They did nothing, so they will continue to be where they are.”
Rating: Even
Port Adelaide
“I’ve got Port Adelaide as even. They lose (Travis) Boak and (Willie) Rioli, and they bring in Will Brodie -who I don’t think is going to play a whole lot – Durdin and Jacob Wehr.
“They are squared off.”
Rating: Even
Richmond
“Even, didn’t do a whole lot.”
Rating: Even
St Kilda
“The Saints are +3. They bring in De Koning, Silvagni, Flanders and (Liam) Ryan, and they lose Steele.
“Even towards the end of the year, Steele wasn’t a big factor in their side.”
Rating: +3
Sydney
“The only other one who I think could challenge and move up is Sydney.
“They bring in Curnow and Malcolm Rosas, and they lose Florent and Hayward. Hayward is definitely a good player, but Curnow trumps him, and Florent is okay, but fell out of favour towards the back end of the year.
“I think Sydney will get better. +1.”
Rating: +1
West Coast
“Unfortunately for West Coast, they are -2 (Liam Ryan, Oscar Allen).”
Rating: -2
Western Bulldogs
“The Bulldogs are about the same. Even.”
Rating: Even
Summary:
“Out of that summary, expect St Kilda to improve, and most of the finalists to stay as the finalists.
“It’s going to be hard to displace some of those teams, because apart from St Kilda, everyone else outside the finals didn’t really improve. It’s really difficult – who is going to drop out?
“The Swans are the other ones that make the finals, I think. So, if they Saints and the Swans are going to come in, we have got to find two clubs that drop out.”
