The Gaff-Tsatas Trade

The Gaff-Tsatas Trade, also known as *The Gaff Firesale* or *Madman* *Slavik's Inexplicable Gaff-Tastic Meltdown*, was a controversy during the 2023 season. Slavik grew fed up with fallen fantasy star Andrew Gaff producing terrible scores, and traded him to Mora in exchange for the yet-to-debut Elijah Tsatas. The trade was criticised as being "complete bullshit", with calls to reverse the trade arising the following week.

## Background

Andrew Gaff finished the 2022 season with an average of 81, a drop of 16 points from the season prior. Consequently, despite being a proven scorer with five 100+ seasons to his name (including an adjusted 2020), he was available to Slavik at pick 89.

However, a victim of West Coast's historically bad season, Gaff's fantasy output slid further, producing a 67 average after 15 rounds. He had posted six scores in the 40s in the last eight matches to that point. Fed up, Slavik posted on the Wall that he "needed Gaff gone within 24 hours" and that he "genuinely believes (Gaff) is cursed... If anybody wants their own severe mental health decline, please offer me literally anything and he's yours."

The offer attracted quite a bit of interest, with Mora's offer of Tsatas ultimately winning out. Slavik said Tsatas was "literally the best trade I was offered after I made it clear I wanted him gone. Everybody had an opportunity to offer something better but didn't".

## Controversy

Although he was a highly regarded top-five draftee, Tsatas had yet to play an AFL game at the time. He had been injured for the first months of his debut season, and although he had been playing in the VFL (and playing quite well), he was unlikely to break in to Essendon's deep midfield any time soon.

Gaff scored 83 in the match following the trade, his highest score since Round 6. This prompted Tal to raise an objection on the Wall: "Nobody is going to raise the Slavik & Mora trade as complete bullshit? No one else thinks that needs to be reversed?" The objection received support from Lakous, who intimated that Slavik's decision to choose Tsatas over the powerhouse duo of Corey Durdin (who was averaging 49.3 at the time) and Griffin Logue (55.3) was evidence of collusion.

## Resolution

There is no mechanism in the League rules that allows for trades to be reversed. Even if there was, Elliot ruled that there would be no reason to apply it here. "It could be seen as a bad trade but nothing more," he wrote on the Wall.

Elliot, a Bombers fan, noted that Tsatas had been playing well in the VFL and had still had the potential to be a "regular scoring player" this season. He also said it was unlikely to be a case of tanking as Slavik was fifth on the ladder, outside the top four on points scored alone.

## Aftermath

With the curse seemingly lifted, Slavik immediately snapped a five-game losing streak, beating Lakous by 19 points in his first match following the trade.

Gaff proceeded to score 30 in the game following the wall meltdown, after which calls to reverse the trade fell conspicuously silent. He was demoted to the sub the following week.

Tsatas did go on to make his debut, timed perfectly to coincide with the first week of Fantasy Finals. He scored 65, Gaff (in the same match) scored 77. The following week, Tsatas scored 86 to Gaff's 76.

Amazingly, the trade may have cost Mora's Horrors the premiership, after they lost the Grand Final to Beano's Brigade by 25 points. Morawetz fielded Gaff (54) in the Grand Final. His first bench mid, Xavier Duursma, scored 105. Without Gaff, it can be presumed Duursma would have been in the midfield, which would have resulted in a Horrors win.