WHAT a relief trade week is over.
I’m sick of reading about it, having to watch it on the television and hear it on the radio.
For days on end we are bombarded with non-stop trade talk.
I’m as interested as anyone in the trade period, but it goes for too long.
I know I have the choice to switch off and ignore it, but it’s pretty hard to when every media outlet in the country is covering it.
It must be tough on the journos, trying to come up with a different angle every day.
If this player goes there, then that club will give up that pick and then receive that one.
The ifs and buts are exhausting and, in the end, simply boring.
It’s a circus that could be done and dusted in a couple of days.
Why do we even need a trade period?
The only reason we do is because the AFL wants to keep footy in the news.
They showed that by closing the trade period off at 3pm on Wednesday, but not releasing the final trades until 7.30pm.
Oh the suspense – I almost couldn’t bear it.
And then the biggest potential trade didn’t even go through.
For a week I had been reading, listening to and watching news about Joe Daniher’s potential move to Sydney.
Every journo had an opinion and theory on how the trade would get done.
In the end it didn’t, but we could have been spared all this if Sydney, Essendon and Daniher’s management had been allowed to sit down during the season and negotiate a deal.
Wouldn’t it make more sense having six or even 12 months to discuss the trade?
Instead, it has to be done during one small window and in the end it didn’t get done.
The stupid thing about the Daniher deal is we are more than likely going to have to endure it all again in 12 months when he becomes a restricted free agent.
I personally think the NRL does it so much better.
Why can’t player trades be done during the season?
The only reason they aren’t is because the AFL wants to make sure they capitlise on every media opportunity they can.
They are the masters at it and good on them for being great at their job.
But for everything I love about AFL footy the trade period is not one of them.
