All eyes are on the West Coast Eagles, who have multiple massive decisions to make which will shape the first round of the 2023 AFL national draft. Live from 7pm AEDT!
The wooden spooners are set to use the No.1 pick for the first time since 1996 (Michael Gardiner), unless they’re convinced to trade away the rights to top prospect Harley Reid in the coming hours.
North Melbourne, Melbourne and Hawthorn have all made attempts to move up the order and secure Reid, who is from Tongala in Victoria’s north, offering multiple first-round picks to the struggling Eagles to no avail thus far.
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WA journalist Lachy Reid reported Eagles champion Nic Naitanui was flying to Melbourne, suggesting he would be there to hand a West Coast guernsey to the No.1 selection.
If the Eagles don’t trade out of Pick 1, and select Reid (as is currently expected), all eyes will turn to top WA prospect Daniel Curtin – and whether he slides down the order.
Among the next five picks (owned by North Melbourne, Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs and Melbourne) only the Hawks are viewed as a realistic option for Curtin, meaning he would fall to GWS at No.7 (would become No.8 after a bid for Gold Coast Academy prospect Jed Walter, likely by the Kangaroos).
The Eagles would then consider trading their 2024 first-round pick – which could be the No.1 selection if they struggle next season, as expected – as part of a deal to land the Giants’ selection, and take Curtin.
It may be too good an offer to refuse for the Giants, who are not laser-focused on any singular prospect with their first selection and have a list packed with young talent that belies their 2023 preliminary final berth.
Meanwhile Fremantle will complete a trade with Gold Coast once the draft opens on Monday night.
Dockers list boss David Walls confirmed the club will land either pick 36 or 38, handing the Suns several late selections to help the Queensland club match bids for its Academy prospects.
“We’ve done a deal with Gold Coast that when the draft opens, we will look to move some of our later picks higher,” Walls told The West Australian.
“We’ve got three future first-round picks, so we will have a look to see if there are some players who we like that do like who slip and there’s a possibility for us to get them, we’re open to that but we do think it’s unlikely as well.
“We would look at everything, but it would have to be pretty compelling, and it’d have to be a player that we’ve rated highly who has slipped. We’d look at it, but I do think it’s unlikely that clubs will be moving too much as well.”
The Dockers own picks 34, 46, 60 and 64 – the latter three worth a combined 578 points on the AFL Draft Value Index, which is used to calculate bid matching. Pick 36 is worth 502 points, while pick 38 is worth 465 points.
The Suns are also expected to send pick 24 to Brisbane in exchange for later selections, gaining more points.
The first round of the draft will be held tonight with the second round and onwards held on Tuesday night.
AFL ROUND 1 DRAFT ORDER (At start of the night)
1. West Coast Eagles
2. North Melbourne
3. North Melbourne (Ben McKay compensation)
4. Hawthorn
5. Western Bulldogs (via Gold Coast Suns)
6. Melbourne (via Fremantle)
7. GWS Giants (via Richmond)
8. Geelong
9. Essendon
10. Adelaide Crows
11. Melbourne (via Gold Coast and Western Bulldogs)
12. Sydney Swans
13. St Kilda
14. Adelaide Crows (via Gold Coast and Melbourne)
15. North Melbourne (via Port Adelaide)
16. GWS Giants
17. North Melbourne (via Carlton)
18. North Melbourne (via Gold Coast and Western Bulldogs)
19. Collingwood
20. Adelaide Crows (Tom Doedee compensation)
21. St Kilda (Jade Gresham compensation)
22. Carlton (via North Melbourne, from AFL assistance package)
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