Gold Coast have again proved shrewd operators in AFL trade week, effectively double-dipping into their draft concession rules.

First, they were able to recruit eight uncontracted players from rival clubs, with Geelong's Gary Ablett the biggest catch.

In turn, each club that lost a player to the Suns received draft compensation.

Now the Suns have used trade week to regain three of those compensation picks, which they can use at any time until 2014.

The last of the 21 deals confirmed in trade week involved Gold Coast gaining one of the two compensation picks that the Cats received for losing Ablett.

That means Geelong's first draft pick next month will come at No.15, not 23, while the Suns have a mid-first round draft pick that they can use in the future.

Gold Coast also gained Brisbane's pick at the end of the first round that the Lions had received for losing Jared Brennan and Richmond's round-two compensation pick for Nathan Krakouer.

The Suns were prolific and deliberate players in their first trade week and list manager Scott Clayton was delighted with the results.

"Certainly we set out to use our establishment rules to our advantage and clearly we've invested some of that currency in the future, that was the plan," Clayton said of gaining the three compensation picks.

"I'm really excited about what we've done for the future.

"We've come away with some compensation picks we're going to use two and three years down the track.

"It's win-win there (the Ablett pick), they get in at pick 15 and by the time we use the compensation pick, they might have 40-50 games into a young player."

Clayton said the Suns would probably have 10 picks in next month's national draft, with eight of them coming in the first round.

He said the Suns needed healthy concessions before their debut season if they were to be competitive.

"I suppose we lived them (the concession rules) more than other clubs - they were all aware of them, but we've been living this for 18 months," he said.

"So we've been very planned on what we're going to do.

"The rule makers have done a great job to give us a chance to put together a team ... that's going to be credible.

"We needed this sort of result."

Also at the end of trade week:

* With less than half an hour before Monday's 2pm deadline, Collingwood and Fremantle completed the deal that brings Chris Tarrant back to the Magpies.

* The Western Bulldogs and Brisbane confirmed that Justin Sherman will join the `Dogs in return for the Jarrod Harbrow compensation pick.

* Geelong traded young defender Jeremy Laidler to Carlton for draft picks.

* Melbourne defender Kyle Cheney is headed to Hawthorn.

* North Melbourne gave up a second-round pick, No.35, for North Ballarat utility Cameron Richardson, who was pre-listed to Gold Coast.

While that appeared a heavy price, the Kangaroos were convinced another club would have snapped up Richardson in the draft.

* Andrew Walker stays at Carlton, Josh Hill remains at the Bulldogs and there was also no trade for Port Adelaide forward Daniel Motlop.

* Essendon's Bachar Houli wanted to go to Richmond, but the two clubs could not agree on a deal.

The Tigers remain confident they will be able to draft him.

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