THE HITS

Lance Franklin

Certainly there are concerns over the length of the contract that Sydney have committed to and what the future might hold, but when "Buddy" has been on the field, and fit, he has delivered at a high level. Memories can be short in football and Franklin's limited impact in 2015 because of a back injury and other issues, combined with Hawthorn's rise since his departure, have created a negative connotation for some around the move. But don't forget that this time 12 months ago Franklin was the Coleman medallist and All-Australian key forward, playing a big role in Sydney finishing as minor premiers and entering the grand final as favourites.

Brendon Goddard

The first big-name player to leave via free agency (Gary Ablett was not a free agent), joining the Bombers from St Kilda on the opening day of the new frontier in 2012. He could not have predicted the turmoil he was walking into when the supplements saga erupted months later, which has likely ruined any hopes he had at the time of closing his career with a premiership. Nevertheless, Goddard has provided terrific individual service, winning the club's best and fairest in his first year (2013), finishing third in his second (2014) and emerging as a strong leader in the playing group.

Eddie Betts

When he left the Blues in 2013 as a restricted free agent, good industry judges thought it would have been irresponsible for Carlton to even contemplate matching the lucrative deal offered to the small forward by Adelaide. Two years later, the $2 million splurge on Betts over four years is being described as a bargain, as the freakish goal-kicker has contributed tallies of 51 and 63 goals, and was named All-Australian this year. More than that, his uncanny talent brings people through the gates.

The Crows will look to Eddie Betts to continue his goalkicking form. Photo: AFL Media/Getty Images

James Frawley

The jury was out on this one right up until September, and there were even commentators who thought that the agile swingman wasn't in the Hawks' best 22 after the qualifying final loss to West Coast. But this is a business based around finals performances, and now there would be very few Hawthorn supporters unhappy that their club made a lucrative offer to last year's hottest free agent target after he took down Taylor Walker, Matthew Pavlich and Josh Kennedy in consecutive weeks.

Shaun Higgins

You could argue that Nick Dal Santo's solid two years at the Roos or Jarrad Waite's sensational finals series make them equally prime pick-ups, but Higgins' 2015 is the best individual season any of the three have produced, one that earned him a spot in the All-Australian squad and a likely top-three finish in the best and fairest. But most importantly, he is still only 27 and should he stay fit, could provide between three and five more seasons of elite outside class and finishing.

THE MISSES

Colin Sylvia

The former No.3 pick joined Fremantle's run at a premiership as an unrestricted free agent in 2013, but the move was a disaster from the outset. The midfielder did not play his first game until round 13 of his first year and was not picked at all in 2015. With still one year to run on lucrative three-year deal, the Dockers cut the former Demon citing that he "didn't deliver the work-rate required" to senior football. He played only six times for the club.



Colin Sylvia's move to Fremantle did not pay off for either party. Photo: Getty Images

Quinten Lynch

The veteran power forward signed a two-year deal with Collingwood as an unrestricted free agent in the hope he could establish himself as the tag-team partner the Pies desperately needed for Travis Cloke. However the plan never came to fruition, with Lynch contributing only nine goals in 18 matches in 2013 before deciding to retire.

Clinton Young

It must be said that the expectations on Young were not as big as the others on this list. He was brought in from Hawthorn as an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2012. He endured three injury-ravaged seasons at Collingwood, managing just 21 games and none in 2015 before being delisted. Every time he seemed to be making ground in his recovery and building form in the VFL, another injury issue would knock him back down.

Dale Thomas

It can only be categorised as a "miss" on the evidence so far, but the Blues will be hopeful the 28-year-old can get his body right and make a meaningful impact. For now, though, the Blues have not received the return they hoped given the scale of the investment they made to secure the restricted free agent in 2013 – a long-term deal estimated at nearly $700,000 a season. He played 20 games in 2014, mostly under duress, and just when it looked like he was ready to return to his best after a strong pre-season, he suffered a serious injury in round one that cruelled his season.

Nick Malceski

This is another tough call based on just one year's work. But measured against the external expectations – the rebounding defender arrived at the Suns this year having being named All-Australian in 2014 – both player and club would not be satisfied with how 2015 panned out. The star play-maker averaged 16 disposals across as a season hampered by injury, well down on last year's output of 23 disposals. He still has two more years to deliver on the deal that brought him to Gold Coast.

*Does not include delisted free agents