Chris Groom

Recruited from South Adelaide, Chris Groom was a talented key forward whose AFL career is frequently remembered through the lens of a pivotal trade rather than his on-field contributions. After showing early potential at the Crows, he was traded to inaugural club Fremantle ahead of the 1995 season in a deal that saw the rights to future dual Norm Smith Medallist Andrew McLeod sent to Adelaide, a transaction widely regarded as one of the most significant in league history. Groom played just seven games for the Dockers before moving to North Melbourne, where his misfortune continued; he missed the entire 1996 premiership season due to a knee reconstruction. Despite possessing natural goal-kicking ability and managing to kick more goals than games played across his three-club tenure, persistent injuries and stiff competition for spots ultimately limited him to just 24 senior appearances.