The Gold Coast Suns made a strong stand at the end of their first year in the AFL, when they refused to trade one of their freshly-picked draftees, Josh Caddy, to Essendon.
The Suns are still angry about having been forced into mediation over a contracted player in the final few hours of the trade period, a player they got a good deal for 12 months later.
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Five years on, the club's resolve will be tested more strongly, with Jaeger O'Meara on Wednesday requesting a trade to an interstate - read, Melbourne - club.
O'Meara is an independent thinker. Who knows for how long his mind was made up, but it was a 24-hour deadline placed upon him by the Suns that brought things to a head.
When the 22-year-old spoke to his teammates some of them understood. But at least one senior player is believed to have asked why they should be happy for someone who was walking out on them.
O'Meara shapes as the most interesting player in this trade period now. Not only because of the Suns' preemptive insistence they will send him to the draft if they have to, though that's one good reason.
Will they? It's impossible to see it coming to that, because it never does, though the Suns do already have six picks in the first two rounds of the draft this year and don't need to bring many more kids in or get younger again.
Even if they get the picks they want, O'Meara and Dion Prestia leaving means they will likely be looking to bring some senior players in. Some extremely good ones, if they can.
They're not happy. "The club traded two first round selections to the GWS Giants to secure Jaeger as a 17 year old, spent 12 months developing him prior to him being eligible to make his AFL debut, saw him impress on the field in his first two seasons and have then spend the last two seasons investing time and resources into rehabilitating his knee following multiple surgeries with the club's utmost support," said Suns chairman Tony Cochrane in a club statement.
"As Jaeger doesn't qualify as a free agent, AFL rules dictate he holds no rights to determine his destination of choice. With that being the case, Jaeger is on the market to a club that can provide us compensation we are prepared to accept.
"Should an appropriate exchange not be met he will have the option to enter the draft."
Things could get very tricky here. On talent, O'Meara is an extremely good player. Many would argue he is a better prospect than Adam Treloar, who Collingwood coughed up two good first round picks for this time last year.
He is a Rising Star winner; he was a very clear winner. He is dynamic; he is skilful. He was the Suns' second best player after he had played just his first few games there.
Who has what it will take to get him? Hawthorn, perhaps. Brad Hill going might help. Though the Hawks are also believed to be in for Tom Mitchell, and their picks won't be great ones.
Carlton? Maybe. They could probably find a way. North Melbourne? Perhaps, though the Suns don't think that's where he wants to go. Richmond have prioritised Prestia.
Collingwood doesn't have one first round pick as it stands, let alone two. It's difficult to imagine see a reunion with Guy McKenna at Essendon, though the Bombers have the No.1 pick and the first preseason one.
Sydney? They could do with his polish, though he seems determined to play in Melbourne. St Kilda? They seem a good fit. But that brings up to part two of the intrigue: O'Meara's injury.
The Saints found out with Nathan Freeman last year that no matter how much work you put into understanding an injured player's problems, to bring one in comes at great risk.
O'Meara's injury was a very bad one: a ruptured patella tendon. He hasn't played a senior AFL game in more than two years. His body didn't cope well when he tried to come back this year.
Even putting his his ability to get back to what he was aside, he has missed two years of development at a hugely important age.
O'Meara would have earned a lot of money, had he stayed on the Gold Coast. The club had upped their two year-offer and will rightly feel disappointed he has not given them more time.
He would have been around people who have an intimate understanding of what his body can and can't do, and what it should be able to get back to doing.
Wherever he goes, O'Meara is likely to be paid well, in the $600-700,000 ballpark, one would think. Should that be the case, the Suns' demands can't be dismissed as unreasonable.
This one will be fascinating, though. How much can you responsibly offer a highly talented 22-year-old who hasn't played a game in two years, and how do you get the deal done? We have six more weeks to talk about it.
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