‘SILLY season’ is upon us which means the next week will be filled with all things trade and free agency.

Melbourne has been active during this period in previous years, securing five players that have gone on to help the side to its 2021 AFL Premiership.

We’re taking a trip down memory lane and looking at the moves that landed those Demons at the club.

Michael Hibberd
The trade:
At the end of the 2016 season, Melbourne traded pick No.29 and pick No.68 to Essendon for pick No.59 and experienced defender Michael Hibberd.

The Demons were looking to “add experience to their young defence” and Hibberd was the perfect fit, having played 84 games for the Bombers.

2021 impact:
At 29 years of age, Hibberd started the 2021 season as one of Melbourne’s more experienced players, with a wealth of knowledge under his belt. The defender had to fight for his spot towards the back end of the season but proved his strength on the track and made his way back into the starting 22, just at the right time.

Hibberd clocked up his 173^rd game on Grand Final Day and became a member of Melbourne’s drought-breaking premiership team.

Jake Lever
The trade:
During the 2017 Trade Period, Melbourne gave up its pick No.10, alongside its 2018 first and fourth round picks, in return for young defender Jake Lever, pick No.35 and a 2018 third round pick.

At the time, Lever was an already established strong defender – albeit he was still young – topping the league for intercept marks and making the All Australian 40-man squad. The Demons were excited about securing a player who was ready to make an immediate impact at the club, expecting him to become “an important member of the defence”.

2021 impact:
In just his second full season in the red and blue, after two years that were interrupted by injury, Lever has well and truly made the impact the Demons were after.

The 25-year-old has become a stalwart of Melbourne’s backline and this year, he received first-time All-Australian honours and broke the record for highest average intercept marks in the league’s history with 4.3 per game. With the ability to restrict some of the competition’s top forwards, Lever was instrumental in helping the Demons reach the AFL Grand Final and can now call himself a premiership-winning defender.

Steven May
The trade:
The end of 2018 saw Melbourne look to further boost its backline, completing a deal with the Gold Coast Suns to receive key defender Steven May. After a number of early deals throughout the trade period, the Demons were able to secure pick No.6 which they then traded to the Suns, in return for May and Kade Kolodjashnij.

2021 impact:
Much-like Lever, May spent majority of his first year at Melbourne on the sidelines due to injury, but has since made up for lost ground, putting up consecutive impressive seasons.

The 29-year-old came runner-up in the club’s best and fairest last year, and this season saw him solidify himself as one of the league’s best defenders, often limiting a variety of opposition forwards from scoreboard impact. May received first-time All-Australian honours and finished off his stellar season by becoming a premiership-winning player.

Ed Langdon
The trade:
After a disappointing 2019 season, the Demons were looking to add some pace to their list, which they found in Fremantle’s Ed Langdon. The Demons traded picks No.22 and 79, alongside a future second-round selection, in return for Langdon, pick No.26 and a future fourth-round pick. 

Langdon had played 68 games across five seasons for the Dockers and was fast becoming one of the side’s biggest talents, averaging 25 disposals. He had also achieved consecutive top five finishes in the club’s best and fairest award. The Dees looked to Langdon as a “ready-made” player who they saw as a “long-term” prospect for the club.

2021 impact:
After a strong first season for the Dees last year, where he averaged 20 disposals and finished fourth in the best and fairest, Langdon has further proven his ability to make an impact on the ground in 2021.

The 25-year-old has comfortably settled into the wingman role, an often under-appreciated position within the wider football community. However, Langdon’s ability this year to utilise his speed and endurance while equally impacting on the scoreboard, kicking 13 goals, has demonstrated just how important his role is within the side. 

Ben Brown
The trade:
At the end of the 2020 season, Ben Brown and North Melbourne had agreed to part ways with Melbourne set to be the tall forward’s new home. The Demons secured Brown alongside pick No.28 and a future fourth-round selection, with the club trading out pick No.26, pick No.33 and a future fourth-round selection.

Brown had played 130 games for the Kangaroos, having kicked more than 60 goals in each of the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons. Melbourne said it was happy to have found a “proven goal kicker” to complement its existing forward line. 

2021 impact:
The 28-year-old took a little while to find his feet in the red and blue, having undergone knee surgery during the pre-season. After regaining his fitness, he strung together some impressive performances at VFL level, earning a Demon debut in Round 7. It wasn’t until Round 17 when he managed to secure his spot in the senior side, playing out the remainder of the year up forward for the Dees.

Brown booted a total of 25 goals over his 13 games for the club, topping off the season with three majors in the AFL Grand Final and walking away with a premiership medallion.