you want to see some drama ...

fast forward to draft night. We reckon the Crows will privately broker in advance a pick trade with the Suns (and quite possibly negotiate where either Lukosius or Rankine are not taken by the Suns at No.2) and then create some theatre on draft night itself with some on-the-clock swaps which will get them pick three. 

we fully respect Beams' right and need to demand an exit ...

at the same time we fully empathise with Fagan and co who felt the addition of Neale would make this team a finals contender.

SOS was still loitering at Marvel Stadium right up until deadline ...

we know he got Doriemus-style close (v Might and Power in the 1997 Melbourne Cup) with Dylan Shiel.  

Beams and Roughead were the ins ...

it was a very good NAB AFL Trade Period.

Dylan Shiel ever tells what really happened between the moment he chose Essendon and actually finding himself a Bomber on Wednesday night ...

it'd make for fascinating listening, particularly for Carlton supporters. But we doubt he ever will. 

the feather never went in to Belly's cap ...

so be it. Neale's decision was made long before he took the gig and, after a bad start to Trade Period followed by an unneeded and old-fashioned ambiguous general release statement, the Trade Period novices Belly and Steve Rosich became experts and maximised the Dockers' possibilities. Well played.  

you recruit the tackling-focused Dahlhaus ...

you might as well keep the goal-focused Menzel. Could be a dangerous mix inside forward 50. 

the last person out could please turn off the lights ...

… well, it's not quite at that stage. But, that person's finger is hovering over the switch. This is the official last chance for the AFL wanting permanent presence on the Gold Coast .  

you've been forced to take the full dose of medicine in one hit, which came in the firesale of Shiel, Lobb and Scully ...

the problem would normally disappear. But there's a double dose already prescribed for this time next year, when Kelly and Coniglio, and others, get to make decisions on their futures.  

you miss on Lynch and May and Shiel ...

you keep going and you hit Wingard. Many criticise this club for coughing up big draft picks and all-time greats (Mitchell, Hodge, Lewis) or budding superstars (Burton) every single year. We admire the preparedness to be ruthless in the pursuit of success.  

there was a narrative-defining moment of Trade Period 2018 ...

it was Josh Mahoney on Trade Radio two Tuesdays ago. Publicly revealed the Dees wanted May and Kolodjashnij, and were prepared to let go Hogan. A risky yet genius move. All other clubs knew they were cooked in the pursuit of May. No coincidence the Pies re-contracted Moore that night and gave more cash to Langdon after it. Mahoney controlled the Trade Period from that moment, and ultimately got what he wanted. 

the focus the past two weeks has been on Polec, Hall, Tyson and Pittard ... 

the real improvement for North in 2019 will come if Simpkin and LDU take massive steps.  

we like the ins, particularly Burton ...

we still can't get our head around Wingard being an out. In 2013, 2014 and 2015, he was the most must-watch player in the comp. Will never understand how it came to this.     

you ask us which team won Trade Period ...

this one did. By the length of Winx's second Cox Plate victory.  

You ask us which team finished bottom of the ladder in trade period ...

this one came second last.  

you ask again which team finished bottom of the ladder in Trade Period ...

this one did.  

we ran the Eagles ...

there would have been zero chance we would've let Tim Kelly go back to Geelong. The inaction could cost a premiership defence. Yes, we know there wasn't much draft pick scope, but when a player of this calibre presents himself on a platter, you don't push the platter back.

we keep hearing Libba is about to re-sign ... 

we can only assume he is. We've heard it a lot, though, and note at the same time that there's less than two weeks to run of his current contract. 

Steve Hocking now has his spare time back having completed the arduous task of finalising the rule changes ...

we'd now recommend a thorough review of all aspects of the player exchange system. Our two bob's worth: remove compo for loss of free agents; open a full-blown, 48-hour club-to-club trade window (say, a Tuesday and Wednesday) in mid-May; allow the trading of draft picks up to three years in advance (with no restriction on how often you chose to do that).