The draft is upon us, and the anticipation is palpable! With the top picks up for grabs, the Richmond Tigers and the Essendon Bombers are at the center of all the intrigue.
Richmond, with their ears open to late trade offers, is keeping everyone on their toes as we head into Wednesday night's draft. West Coast is all set to crown Willem Duursma as the number one pick, followed by Zeke Uwland and then the highly anticipated Carlton father-son prospect, Harry Dean. But here's where it gets controversial...
The Eagles have their eyes on an exciting ruck/forward, Cooper Duff-Tytler, and are likely to go for him. However, the Bombers are the only club showing interest in moving up the draft order. With their bundle of picks, Essendon could make a bold move and try to snatch one of the Eagles' top selections. But will West Coast play ball? It's highly unlikely at this stage, and no formal offer has been made yet.
Richmond, meanwhile, has been keeping their cards close to their chest. They've met with Dan Annable and are expected to place bids on Dylan Patterson and Annable before making their picks. The Tigers' targets remain a mystery, but Sam Cumming, Sullivan Robey, Sam Grlj, and Xavier Taylor are the leading contenders for their two live picks. There's also a late buzz around West Australian Jacob Farrow, but he's still considered an outside chance.
Grlj, if he makes it past Richmond, could be snapped up by Hawthorn, North Melbourne, or Greater Western Sydney in the first round. The Tigers have done their homework on him and identified speed as a priority.
The Bombers' deal with Carlton has them entering the draft with picks 5, 6, and 9, and a potential pick 43. This could see them land three top-10 picks for the first time since 2020. Cumming, Robey, Taylor, and Farrow are all in the mix for the Bombers, along with Dyson Sharp, who could be a risky but rewarding choice.
And this is the part most people miss... the next set of picks sees clubs scrambling for a similar group of players. Essendon has interviewed Latrelle Pickett and Oskar Taylor, and Lachy Dovaston is also in the frame. The Hawks have been doing their due diligence too, with Dovaston firmly in their sights.
North Melbourne has been active, securing pick 11 from Carlton. If a bid comes for Dean as expected, it could push the Blues' next pick to around 25. Dovaston, Pickett, Grlj, and Lindsay are all in North's thinking, and the Hawks could also shuffle back and potentially trade with the Giants.
The Western Bulldogs are open to moving down the order, and Geelong has been in talks with the Giants about a potential move. The Giants, meanwhile, are eyeing Sydney Academy's Harry Kyle and could make a bid in the 15-25 range.
So, who will make the first move? Will the Tigers stick to their guns, or will the Bombers pull off a surprise? And what about the other clubs? The draft is a game of strategy and surprises, and we can't wait to see how it all unfolds!
[DRAFT ORDER, DRAFT PROSPECTS, and DRAFT HUB links as per original content]
LATE MAIL PHANTOM DRAFT:
Pick 1 - West Coast: Willem Duursma
Pick 2 - Gold Coast: Zeke Uwland (matching West Coast)
Pick 3 - Carlton: Harry Dean (matching West Coast)
Pick 4 - West Coast: Cooper Duff Tytler
Pick 5 - Gold Coast: Dylan Patterson (matching Richmond)
Pick 6 - Brisbane: Daniel Annable (matching Richmond)
Pick 7 - Richmond: Sam Cumming
Pick 8 - Richmond: Sullivan Robey
Pick 9 - Essendon: Xavier Taylor
Pick 10 - Essendon: Dyson Sharp
Pick 11 - Melbourne: Jacob Farrow
Pick 12 - Melbourne: Cam Nairn
Pick 13 - Essendon: Lachy Dovaston
Pick 14 - Hawthorn: Sam Grlj
Pick 15 - North Melbourne: Latrelle Pickett
Pick 16 - Sydney: Harry Kyle (matching GWS)
Pick 17 - Greater Western Sydney: Oskar Taylor
Pick 18 - Gold Coast: Jai Murray (matching West Coast)
Pick 19 - West Coast: Beau Addinsall
Pick 20 - Western Bulldogs: Josh Lindsay
Pick 21 - Adelaide: Mitch Marsh
Pick 22 - Carlton: Jack Ison (matching Geelong)
Pick 23 - Geelong: Blake Thredgold
Pick 24 - West Coast: Tylah Williams (matching Fremantle)
Pick 25 - Essendon: Adam Sweid (matching Fremantle)
Pick 26 - Fremantle: Aidan Schubert
Pick 27 - Hawthorn: Liam Hetherton
Pick 28 - North Melbourne: Harley Barker
Pick 29 - Sydney: Lachie Carmichael (matching Western Bulldogs)
Pick 30 - Western Bulldogs: Louis Emmett
