Everyone’s a winner, or at least it felt that way as the AFL trade period wound up with disgruntled Essendon ruckman Paddy Ryder moving to Port Adelaide.

The Power were pleased, having potentially found the missing piece in their premiership puzzle.

The Bombers spruiked it as the best outcome of an unfortunate situation.

And that’s not without reason, given they received 2008 Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney and draft pick No.17 as compensation for Ryder.

The Dons also signed Jonathan Giles, giving up pick No.53.

Neither club was as relieved as Ryder, having finally walked out of Essendon over a month after his misgivings about the side’s supplements scandal came to light.

The 26-year-old had left for Port Douglas with his fiance not knowing if the trade was going to get through, as the Bombers refused to budge despite the threat of a grievance tribunal.

It will be a particularly blissful wedding on Saturday.

“His phone has probably gone into meltdown,” Ryder’s manager Paul Connors said.

“There certainly were (genuine fears the trade would not be completed) last night.

“But today a few things fell into place.

“We were adamant we weren’t going to change at the last minute and go to another club.”

Bombers list manager Adrian Dodoro opined the club were well placed to fill the resultant ruck void.

“Tom Bellchambers is a No.1 ruckman in any AFL club,” he said, also pointing to Giles’ 51 games of AFL experience with Greater Western Sydney.

The Power were pipped by Hawthorn in the preliminary finals this season.

Ryder’s arrival will do wonders to their premiership hopes.

“We think Paddy can really add a lot to our team, both to share the ruck duties … and help out up forward,” coach Ken Hinkley said.

“Paddy is clearly a gifted player and we believe with the footy environment we’re creating at Alberton, he can take his game to a new level.”

Dodoro and Connors agreed trade talks had been respectful, despite the need for mediation on Wednesday.

“They’ve never really stalled and they’ve kept talking,” Connors said.

“Credit goes to both clubs – they worked hard together.”

Essendon was not an outlier in that regard, with all clubs proving more organised and accommodating than past years.

Never before has so much expensive cattle been shipped off through the league’s meat market.

And never have players and player agents been so bullish about their demands to break contract.

Collingwood’s 2012 best-and-fairest winner Dayne Beams, Western Bulldogs captain Ryan Griffen and Ryder all lobbed at their clubs of choice as player empowerment reached new heights.

Beams and Griffen’s departures were brokered on Wednesday, while Ryder’s deal was ticked off with a couple of hours to spare.

With the exception of Adelaide’s last-minute recruitment of low-profile Hawthorn duo Kyle Cheney and Luke Lowden, there was no deadline drama.

Richmond, Fremantle and West Coast were the only clubs to take no part in trade period.