I get that Biz, but sometimes if there is a good player that wants to come to Freo, and the price is reasonable, don't you just have to take it. Chances don't always last for ever. For example, wouldn't we still have to trade to get those players back when they are out of contract? B Hill had a career best year for us last year. If that year was with the Hawks, wouldn't that have just added to Hawthorn's asking price? And how much lower than a second round pick were they ever going to go? Same with Hamling. We got him as a back-up at the Bulldogs. If he had cemented his place in the firsts, doesn't that make a trade harder the following year?
As an aside, I see the AFL has introduced draft-night trading. I think that's long overdue.