The booming kick set to be top pick in the mid-season draft

He will play this weekend for West Perth ahead of the mid-season draft, which will be held next Wednesday night, May 29, with ladder positions to determine the order clubs will pick.

Teams must have at least one list vacancy to take part, with the injury-hit Brisbane Lions to make at least three and up to four selections. There were 13 players picked in last year’s draft, and recruiters expect a similar number this year.

Jai Newcombe, John Noble, Marlion Pickett, Sam Durham and Ryan Gardner are among the success stories to arrive at AFL clubs via the mid-season draft.

North are winless through 10 rounds, so another defeat on Saturday to Port Adelaide in Hobart – the venue where they won in round 24 last year to hand West Coast the rights to Harley Reid – would guarantee them the top selection, ahead of Richmond, who have just one victory in 2024.

The Kangaroos previously took Jacob Edwards at No.1 in the 2021 mid-season draft, but he did not come close to playing a senior game despite plenty of hype initially.

Scaife, a Fremantle Next Generation Academy member who was overlooked in last year’s drafts, has not been as prolific in his past three games but boasts separate bags of four and three goals this season in the WAFL.

He is one of 24 players, including fellow top prospects Jack Hutchinson, Jacob Blight and Joe Pike, plus ex-AFL pair Brynn Teakle and Matt Ling, who will undergo medical testing ahead of the draft, at AFL clubs’ request.

The Tigers are considered a strong chance to pick in-form Peel Thunder key defender Blight, in part because Josh Gibcus (knee) is out for the season and Dylan Grimes may retire at season’s end.

North Melbourne have not spoken to Blight despite also having a need for key defenders. They selected Wil Dawson for his AFL debut at the weekend and are awaiting Griffin Logue’s return from an ACL rupture.

Their interest in Scaife coincides with coach Alastair Clarkson revealing after Sunday’s defeat to Essendon that the long-term plan was still for Charlie Comben, who has excelled down back this year, to be a forward-ruck.

The Roos played usual-defender Toby Pink alongside Larkey in attack against the Bombers, and have lost Callum Coleman-Jones (Achilles) for the rest of the season.

Collingwood’s 190-centimetre VFL forward Hutchinson is in the mix to be one of the first names read out, too, but is similar in height to North trio Cam Zurhaar, Zane Duursma and Jaidyn Stephenson.

Others rated a good chance of finding an AFL home next week include Woodville-West Torrens defender Luke Beecken, North Adelaide pressure forward Kelsey Rypstra, South Adelaide key forward Noah Howes, and South Australia’s under-18 captain from last year, Will Patton.

Forwards Oskar Smartt and Will McLachlan are two of Victoria’s leading candidates.

Hawthorn NGA ruckman Iliro Smit has also caught the eye playing for Eastern Ranges, while 200-centimetre ruck-forward Toby Murray could become the third member of his family to play in the AFL, behind Crow Nick and ex-Pie and Swan Sam.

St Kilda are committed to drafting a player from VFL affiliate Sandringham each year. This time around it could be 190-centimetre utility Max Benier, who played the past two matches for the Zebras after starting the season at Old Brighton.

Geelong and Melbourne are among the clubs interested in 200-centimetre Sandringham Dragons and Port Melbourne Colts defender Lachie Voss, sources told this masthead.

Season No.19 for Goldy?

Todd Goldstein’s late-career move from North Melbourne to Essendon won’t be a one-year arrangement if the season plays out as he hopes.

The 325-gamer has played every match for the Bombers this season and been especially important, given No.1 ruckman Sam Draper missed the start of the year with a groin injury and could now be out for two months after knee surgery.

Goldstein, 35, inked a one-year deal to move from Arden Street to Tullamarine, but plans to extend his stellar career for as long as he possibly can.

“I’m definitely not ruling it out,” Goldstein told this masthead about playing next year.

“I’ve never come into a season saying, ‘This is my last one’. I play like it’s my last one because you never know, a lot of things can happen, and we’re all one second away from [our career ending] – but I’m feeling really good.

“I haven’t had to be rested for any games yet, so that’s always a good sign for how the body’s holding up, so if I can get another year out, I definitely will.”

Tiger sidesteps questions on future

Daniel Rioli has stopped short of guaranteeing he will remain at Richmond, ahead of Saturday night’s Dreamtime at the ’G showdown with Essendon.

Gold Coast are again on the hunt for a half-back, after missing out on Western Bulldog Jason Johannisen then trading for Ben Long two years ago – and Rioli looms as their prime target with one of their bevy of first-round selections.

Speculation has been rife about Rioli’s future in the past month, particularly as injury has hastened the Tigers’ descent into the AFL’s bottom two.

Adem Yze-coached Richmond are set to invest heavily in the draft this year and could be tempted to offload established senior players if the price is right.

“Look, I’m obviously contracted to 2027,” Rioli said.

“But right now, I’m just focusing on this team and trying to get these boys better. I’m a young leader myself. I’ve been here for about nine years now, so I’m just trying to play happy footy. I lean on people like [our club] leaders, like Nathan Broad and all that.

“They keep me in good stead and all I’m focusing on is this year and getting this team to where we want to go.”

Pushed further on whether he had a message for Richmond fans nervous about his plans, Rioli said only that he loved the “Tiger army” before bringing the conversation back to the Dreamtime clash.

The Tigers’ list could look drastically different in 2025, with doubt around the future – for various reasons – of the likes of Dustin Martin, Liam Baker, Jack Graham, Dylan Grimes and Kamdyn McIntosh, whose contracts all expire at season’s end.

Deals are also still to be struck for captain Toby Nankervis, Dion Prestia, Maurice Rioli, Thomson Dow, Marlion Pickett, Ben Miller, Mykelti Lefau and Samson Ryan.

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