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No delay commentary at Go MediaCameron Mooney’s five most shocking trade/free agent moves in AFL history
SEN • February 9th, 2025 6:31 pm
Triple-premiership forward Cameron Mooney has named his top five most shocking player moves in AFL history.
With the VFL turning into the AFL in 1990, Mooney’s list covers the last 35 years with five massive names moving clubs at critical points of their careers.
Check out Mooney’s most shocking trades/free agent moves below. With number one his most surprising.
5 – Tony Lockett (from St Kilda to Sydney in 1995)
St Kilda received picks 5, 13, 48, Joshua Kitchen, Glenn Nugent and Robert Neill in return.
“I'm going to go back a little bit back to 1995 now, this one was huge at the time, we’re talking about the greatest goal kicker ever,” Mooney said on The Warm Up with Worlo & Moons.
“That was one of the biggest trades that we ever saw.”
4 – Jeremy Cameron (from GWS to Geelong in 2020)
GWS received picks 13, 15, 20 and a future fourth-round pick in return.
“At number four, this one was just recently, and it happened down at Geelong actually, it was Jeremy Cameron.
“We're talking about a huge name up in Sydney. I don't think anyone really thought he was going to go to Geelong.
“I think Andrew Mackie when he was first going into that part of the business pulled off the trade and everyone just went, ‘Oh my god.
“What an unbelievable trade.”
3 - Gary Ablett Jr (from Geelong to Gold Coast in 2010)
Geelong received two mid-first-round compensation picks in return.
“Another one of my teammates … and we knew it was coming, but still, we're talking about at that stage in 2010 the greatest player in the game.
“I remember saying to him, ‘Buddy, I'll pack your bags for you, you've got to take this deal. You've done everything you can at this football club’.”
2 – Chris Judd (from West Coast to Carlton in 2007)
West Coast received pick 3, 20 and Josh Kennedy in return.
“This one was the biggest surprise for me because when you're a premiership captain, I’d find it very hard to then up and leave your footy club.
“But Chris Judd came to Carlton and we all thought maybe it's probably going to be Melbourne or Collingwood.
“I thought that was an unbelievable move … he was at an age where he's absolutely still in his prime … that was a huge one.”
1 – Lance Franklin (from Hawthorn to Sydney in 2013)
Hawthorn received a first-round compensation pick in return.
“At number one, I was absolutely blown away when Buddy went to Sydney.
“We all believed he was going to the Giants, even the AFL … everybody was blindsided.
“It was huge, and there were complaints about the length of the deal, but he fulfilled it and went on as well, so that was the biggest move I can remember.”
