Every great storyline in football has its fair share of subplots.

While 10 years is certainly a long time in the context of the AFL, one of those intriguing sliding door moments from a decade ago could be a big factor in a Round 3 blockbuster. 

Geelong and Adelaide agreed on an exchange at the end of 2015 which saw Patrick Dangerfield return home, the Cats sending two picks and a player back to the Crows. 

But what may slip the minds of many is that Adelaide used one of those picks to draft Wayne Milera, who has gone on to be a dynamic player for the Crows off half back. 

The conversation was reignited on Geelong's podcast 'To the Final Bell,' after Milera received a perfect 10 coaches votes for his sensational display in Adelaide's Round 1 victory over Collingwood. 

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"Wayne Milera was probably the other one that had his best game," Cameron Ling said when discussing Adelaide's Round 1 victory. 

"I was doing a bit of work on him over the weekend for another show I was doing, I actually had to be reminded that he was part of the Patrick Dangerfield deal to come to the Cats.

"Geelong traded pick number nine to the Adelaide Crows plus a few other things in the deal for Dangerfield. Because of academy bids it got pushed out by a couple and at pick 11, the Crows took Milera. He has played 125 games but had a horror run with injuries at times, he had patella tendon tears and all of that.

"But then you watch him on the weekend against the Magpies and you think, oh that is the talent and that is the level that the Crows would hope he would get to.

"He is going to have to factor into Geelong's preparations."

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 10: Jeremy Cameron of the Cats celebrates a goal watched by Wayne Milera of the Crows during the round five AFL match between Adelaide Crows and Geelong Cats at Adelaide Oval, on April 10, 2025, in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

While Milera has been a valuable asset for the Crows, Geelong could not have asked for much more from Dangerfield during his time at Kardinia Park. 

Into his fourth season as the Cats captain, the superstar on-baller has won a Brownlow Medal, an AFLCA champion player of the year award, three Carji Greeves Medals and five All-Australian blazers during his tenure with Geelong.

Add to that the premiership triumph in 2022, it has been quite the journey for the Cats and Dangerfield, who now sits 15th on the all-time V/AFL leaderboard for the most games played. 

But just over 10 years on from the blockbuster trade, Dangerfield and Milera are set to square off in another important battle when Geelong host Adelaide in a Thursday night blockbuster at GMHBA Stadium next week. 

Zach Tuohy also previewed Adelaide's main strengths ahead of the big match during this week's episode of 'To the Final Bell.' 

"You talk about players that you need to be concerned about, there are half a dozen on the Adelaide team that you think on any given day, this guy could have a field day," Tuohy said.

"They have got a couple of big guys up forward, a couple through the midfield. Dawson is no slouch, Rankine comes back in and now you chuck Milera into the mix.

"You wonder when you are coming up against a team like that, how much focus do you put into how many players?

"How much is addressing their strengths, don't be naive enough to think you can just walk out and beat everyone, but the rest of it will surely be doubling down on what we saw after quarter time against Fremantle.

"I think that is what good teams tend to do."