The Salty Bulldog Top 5s - Biggest Bulldog Trades

The Western Bulldogs have been making waves on the player movement front this week, already securing unrestricted free agent Tim O'Brien from Hawthorn, while moving on The Salty Bulldog Sleeved Hall of Fame's sole Legend representative in Lewis Young.

But while these movements will be discussed at length over the coming, the Bulldogs have been involved in far more headline-grabbing deals over the years, as we approach the end of the working week, we thought it a good time to head down memory lane and rank the top 5 biggest Bulldogs trades ever done.

5. Jason Akermanis, 2006

Trade: Jason Akermanis for Pick 34

As talented as the Western Bulldogs side of 2006 was, it was far from perfect. While it was an extremely attacking and entertaining side to watch, it lacked experience in winning big games and a reliable matchwinner that could be counted to regularly get the team out of a tight spot.

So when the charismatic Jason Akermanis became available after falling out with the Brisbane hierarchy, the Bulldogs immediately pounced, expressing great interest in the 30-year-old, before the Brownlow medalist confirmed his intentions to join the club during the 2006 Finals Series.

While these days you would expect plenty of negotiable sparring to take place between the two clubs, in the case of Akermanis, a deal was agreed between the Bulldogs and Brisbane virtually minutes after trade period opened, with the Bulldogs parting with Pick 34 in exchange for the triple-Premiership player.

While Akermanis would not lead the Bulldogs to the Premiership that he was ultimately brought in to help achieve, he enjoyed a highly successful stint at the Bulldogs, booting 114 in 77 games, winning several off of his own boot, as the Bulldogs made three consecutive Preliminary Final appearances

Jason Akermanis was a terrific pickup for the Bulldogs, regularly winning games of his own boot. Source: AFL.com.au

4. Barry Hall, 2009

Trade: Barry Hall for Pick 47

Another big-name veteran, Barry Hall fell out with Sydney after several serious on-field indiscretions that saw him suspended four times for a total of 10 matches across his time at the Swans, which ultimately saw the two part ways at the end of the 2009 season.

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, in desperate search of filling the final missing piece to their Premiership puzzle - a key forward - seized the opportunity that presented itself with Hall's availability. While the deal wasn't completed as swiftly as Akermanis' trade, the two clubs settled on a relatively straightforward deal, exchanging Hall for Pick 47.

Like Akermanis, Hall's arrival did not bring with it the Premiership that the Bulldogs so desperately craved, but he proved to be an invaluable asset to the lineup over the next two years, kicking 135 goals in 39 games to finish as the club's leading goalkicker both times, and won All-Australian honours in 2010. The Swans Pick 47, meanwhile, was washed through a number of different fronts during the 2009 Trade Period, but they managed to eventually convert it into Hawthorn pair Josh Kennedy and Ben McGlynn, so this trade turned into a win-win for both parties.

Barry Hall’s arrival at the Bulldogs was big news at the time, becoming the key forward that the club desperately craved. Source: AAP Image

3. Adam Treloar, 2020

Trade: Adam Treloar and Picks 26, 33, and 42 for Pick 14 and a future second-round pick

I'm not sure what is harder to believe: that this blockbuster trade took place not even 12 months ago, or that it only ranks third on this list.

But what separates this trade from the pack is that this was a sign of changing times for the Western Bulldogs, for this was the first instance of the club being able to lure an elite talent from another club during their prime. What's more, they prized him out of arguably the biggest sporting club in the country.

Collingwood was in desperate financial trouble in 2020. being forced to offload several first-team stars just to balance the books. Having already found new homes for Tom Phillips and Jaidyn Stephenson, next on the list was Adam Treloar, who had been told by the club to look for a new home (against Treloar's wishes), but in the final minutes of the Trade Period, was still tied to Collingwood.

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, were facing their own battles, trying to cling onto the wantaway star Josh Dunkley, with Essendon circling. The Bulldogs had named a high-price for the under-contract midfielder, and when the Bombers refused to play ball, the Bulldogs walked away from the table, but not before sensing an opportunity to slip away with one of the stars of the competition in Treloar.

Armed with a first-round draft pick, the Bulldogs sensed Collingwood's desperation to part ways with Treloar, and eventually agreed on a cut-deal price moments before the Trade Period ended, that not only saw Treloar leave for just a first and a second-round pick, but the draft picks that Collingwood sent the Bulldogs way in exchange also secured them further draft points to eventually bring in Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. What's more, Collingwood also agreed to pay one-third of Treloar's salary for his time at the Bulldogs, roughly $300,000 per year. An almighty trade steal.

Adam Treloar has been arguably one of the Bulldogs best ever recruits from another club. Source: Getty Images

2. Lochie Veale, 2003

Trade: Lochie Veale and Mark Alvey for Pick 6 (Essendon) and Danny Jacobs (Hawthorn)

A trade dripping in such high levels of suspicion that it forced the AFL to literally rewrite the rulebook.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, this infamous trade later referred to as "The Veale Deal" capped off what turned out to be a massive Trade Period bust, that would cost the club dearly in the years to come.

It all started with the departure of Nathan Brown to Richmond, which saw the Bulldogs collect Picks 6 and 20 in return, leaving them with a draft hand of Picks 1, 4, 6, 19, and 20. An unbelievable hand, to say the least.

Sadly, however, they frittered it away. Picks 19 and 20 were turned into Steven Koops and Peter Street respectively for just 72 games, while Farren Ray at Pick 4 largely underwhelmed during his 75-game stint at the club. Adam Cooney was a success at Pick 1, although was held back by injury for most of his career.

But it was what the Bulldogs did with Pick 6 that was most controversial. Desperate to add height to their forward line, the Bulldogs sought the services of Hawthorn's Jade Rawlings, who was seeking a move elsewhere due to being unable to agree a new deal with the Hawks. There was just one problem, however: Rawlings wasn't interested in a move to the Bulldogs. His preference was to join his brother Brady at North Melbourne.

But when Hawthorn and North Melbourne couldn't agree on a deal, the Bulldogs pounced. With the Bulldogs unable to convince Rawlings to commit to the club ahead of the Trade Deadline, they instead reached an agreement with Hawthorn: Pick 6 for unknown youngster Lochie Veale; a player taken at Pick 65 in the draft the year prior. The deal came with an agreement that the Hawks would not trade Rawlings to another club, leaving the Bulldogs to select him with Pick 1 in the Pre-Season Draft.

The lopsided nature of the deal was received with such suspicion that it was even investigated (and eventually cleared) by acting AFL Football Operations Boss Rod Austin. Furthermore, the Bulldogs had to convince Rawlings to join the club by offering him a four-year deal (Hawthorn were not prepared to offer him anymore than a two-year contract).

As history will tell you, Rawlings led the club's goalkicking with 30.30 in 2004 (10 of those coming in the first two weeks of the season), but persistent knee injuries saw him play just 29 games for 32 goals. Two years into his four-year contract, and Rawlings eventually got his wish and landed at North Melbourne, with the Bulldogs paying part of his salary to get the deal over the line.

As for Lochie Veale, he was delisted after one year. He never played for the Bulldogs.

Jade Rawlings led the club’s goalkicking in 2004, but never really delivered on the hopes of being the powerhouse forward the Bulldogs needed. Source: Getty Images

1. Tom Boyd, 2014

Trade: Tom Boyd for Ryan Griffen and Pick 6

If the previous trade re-wrote the rulebook, this one completely shifted the balance of power between player and club.

At the end of the 2014 season, the Western Bulldogs were on their knees. Following another disappointing campaign, they already saw fan favourite Daniel Giansiracusa retire, and influential utility Shaun Higgins walk out on the club, bound for North Melbourne.

But that was only a sampler for what was to come. The big news came on October 9, 2014, when club captain Ryan Griffen sensationally requested a trade to the GWS Giants.

The news sent the club into chaos. Within 24 hours, coach Brendan McCartney resigned from his post, while President Peter Gordon was forced to front the media, making it clear that the Bulldogs intended to hold Griffen to his contract.

On the following Monday, however, the Bulldogs bit back. While the Giants were in the process of tabling a deal for Griffen, one of their own - reigning No. 1 draft pick Tom Boyd - informed the club of his intentions to be traded to the Bulldogs.

This time it was the Giants' turn to put the foot down, also claiming that Boyd would not be leaving the club. Two days later, however, both clubs acquiesced, with Griffen and Boyd both getting their wish of a new home, while the Bulldogs also added Pick 6 into the deal.

It continues to be debated to this day whether a winner even emerged from the Boyd-Griffen deal. There is no doubt that Griffen's best football had deserted him before he joined the Giants, while Tom Boyd wasn't able to justify the million-dollar-a-year deal that he signed with the Bulldogs, playing just 52 games and kicking 42 goals for the club. However, he was a key member of the Bulldogs 2016 Premiership triumph, and was one of the best players afield in the Grand Final.

This trade, however, was the catalyst for the player power that we now see at this time of year. This was the deal that opened the floodgate for greater freedom of player movement from club to club. Up until this point, most trades were as a result of clubs having the final say on which players go where. But with players now being the ones who decide where they end up, the Boyd-Griffen deal can easily be viewed as the deal that changed the Trade Period forever.

He may have only played 52 games for the Bulldogs, but Tom Boyd delivered one of the most iconic moments in the clubs history in the 2016 Grand Final. Source: Getty Images