With the NAB AFL Trade period up and running, we look back on some great Cats trades ...

1. Dean Gore, picks 11 (Wayne Milera) and 33 (Mitch Hibberd) for Patrick Dangerfield
The Crows essentially did the Cats a favour by trading Dangerfield rather than forcing him to leave as a free agent. For its part, Geelong threw in Dean Gore, although Gore was recently delisted after two seasons with Adelaide.

2. Leigh Colbert, picks 53 (Clayton Lasscock) and 67 (Robert Shirley) for picks 15 (David Spriggs), 17 (Ezra Bray), 47 (Corey Enright) and Cameron Mooney for in 1999 
The Cats were able to turn the devastation of losing captain Leigh Colbert into part of the nucleus of the club’s greatest era. Both Enright and Mooney became club legends thanks to their role in ending the 44-year premiership drought. Enright ended his career as one of the greatest half-back flankers in the history of the game.

3. Michael Mansfield for pick 31 (Paul Chapman) in 1999 
Mansfield was 10 years and 181 games into his career with the Cats when he was swapped for pick 31 in the 1999 draft. The Cats used the pick to snare Chapman, who became one of the club’s greats. ‘Chappy’ played 251 games for Geelong, won a ‘Carji’ Greeves Medal, a Norm Smith Medal and three premierships.

4. Billie Smedts, pick 59 (Cameron Polson) and a 2017 first-round selection for Zach Tuohy
The deal the Cats struck with Carlton for Tuohy was seen as expensive at the time, but the Irishman was a revelation in his first season at Simonds Stadium, finishing third in the best and fairest.

5. Picks 12 (Danny Meyer) and 16 (Adam Pattison) for Brad Ottens in 2004 
The trade was crucial in putting together the list that created Geelong’s golden era. Ottens was initially recruited to fill a key forward role, but he ended up developing into a superstar ruckman. One of the most popular blokes in the playing group during his time with the Cats, ‘Otto’ featured prominently in the 2007, ’09 and ’11 premierships.