Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Gold Coast has a loaded draft hand.
The Suns had one of the strangest 2022 trade periods, most notably handing Geelong pick 7 in the Jack Bowes salary dump, but in the process boosted their suite of selections for 2023 – and with very good reason.
Gold Coast has a remarkable nine picks in the 2023 draft after adding five future selections to their own natural hand, most notably a potentially juicy top-25 pick in GWS’ second-rounder.
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They’ll need them because they will almost certainly have to match bids on at least three players from their Academy; Jed Walter, Ethan Read and Jake Rogers.
All three made the Under-18 Allies squad as bottom-agers with Walter, a 195cm key forward, one of the contenders for the top five of the 2023 draft. He was named at centre half forward in the Under-18 All-Australian team, with potential 2022 No.1 pick Aaron Cadman at full forward
Will Graham, who joined the aforementioned trio in the 2022 AFL Futures match of the best under-17 talent on Grand Final day, could also be in the mix.
Kangaroos fight back to defeat Port | 01:03
Only West Coast (six future picks) comes even close to the Suns’ huge hand which could also allow them to be busy on the trade market.
In contrast Geelong has just one selection, its first-rounder, having traded out the other three – the second and fourth in a pick swap with Brisbane (to land pick 25), the third to make the Jack Bowes deal legal.
Four teams do not own a first-round pick heading into the 2023 season: Fremantle (traded for Luke Jackson), Brisbane (for Josh Dunkley), Richmond (for Jacob Hopper) and Port Adelaide (for Jason Horne-Francis).
In turn that will leave four clubs hoping for them to struggle as much as possible, ensuring the picks are as high as possible – Melbourne (owns Fremantle’s first pick), the Western Bulldogs (Brisbane’s pick), GWS (Richmond’s pick) and North Melbourne (Port Adelaide’s pick).
Other notable rooting interests include…
– Fremantle owns the Kangaroos’ two assistance package picks, which will come after their natural second and third-round picks. If the Kangaroos struggle again, that former pick (effectively swapped for Griffin Logue) could be in the early 20s;
– The Bulldogs would really love Brisbane to flop, as they own the Lions’ first and second-round picks. Likewise Melbourne owns Fremantle’s first two picks;
– Similar but to a lesser extent, West Coast owns Port Adelaide’s second and third-round picks.
More picks could still be traded as teams can continue to trade picks until a week before late November’s national draft, and then can make deals through the draft itself.
Lions flex might with win over Crows | 01:05
See which future picks your club has traded away and traded in, and who you should be cheering against in season 2023.
2023 DRAFT PICKS TRADED (After the trade period, Rounds 1-4 only)
Adelaide (total picks: 4)
IN: Round 3 (Collingwood), Round 4 (Fremantle)
OUT: Round 3 (to Gold Coast), Round 4 (to Gold Coast)
Brisbane Lions (total picks: 4)
IN: Round 2 (Geelong), Round 3 (Melbourne), Round 3 (Western Bulldogs)
OUT: Round 1 (to Western Bulldogs), Round 2 (to Western Bulldogs), Round 4 (to Hawthorn)
Carlton (total picks: 4)
IN: Round 4 (to Essendon)
OUT: Round 3 (to Fremantle)
Collingwood (total picks: 2)
IN: Nil
OUT: Round 2 (to GWS Giants), Round 3 (to Adelaide)
Essendon (total picks: 4)
IN: Round 4 (Sydney)
OUT: Round 4 (to Carlton)
Fremantle (total picks: 5)
IN: Round 2 (North Melbourne special assistance), Round 3 (North Melbourne special assistance), Round 3 (Carlton), Round 4 (Hawthorn), Round 4 (North Melbourne)
OUT: Round 1 (to Melbourne), Round 2 (to Melbourne), Round 3 (to North Melbourne), Round 4 (to Gold Coast)
Geelong (total picks: 1)
IN: Nil
OUT: Round 2 (to Brisbane), Round 3 (to Gold Coast), Round 4 (to Brisbane)
Gold Coast Suns (total picks: 9)
IN: Round 2 (GWS), Round 3 (Adelaide), Round 3 (Geelong), Round 4 (Adelaide), Round 4 (St Kilda)
OUT: Nil
GWS Giants (total picks: 4)
IN: Round 1 (Richmond)
OUT: Round 2 (Brisbane)
Hawthorn (total picks: 5)
IN: Round 2 (Western Bulldogs), Round 4 (Brisbane)
OUT: Round 4 (to Fremantle)
Melbourne (total picks: 4)
IN: Round 1 (Fremantle), Round 2 (Fremantle)
OUT: Round 3 (Western Bulldogs), Round 4 (Western Bulldogs)
North Melbourne (total picks: 4)
IN: Round 1 (Port Adelaide)
OUT: Round 2 special assistance (to Fremantle), Round 3 special assistance (to Fremantle), Round 4 (to Fremantle)
Port Adelaide (total picks: 3)
IN: Round 2 (Collingwood), Round 3 (Fremantle)
OUT: Round 1 (to North Melbourne), Round 2 (to West Coast), Round 3 (to West Coast)
Richmond (total picks: 3)
IN: Nil
OUT: Round 1 (to GWS)
St Kilda (total picks: 3)
IN: Nil
OUT: Round 4 (to Gold Coast)
Sydney Swans (total picks: 3)
IN: Nil
OUT: Round 4 (to Essendon)
West Coast Eagles (total picks: 6)
IN: Round 2 (Port Adelaide), Round 3 (Port Adelaide)
OUT: Nil
Western Bulldogs (total picks: 6)
IN: Round 1 (Brisbane), Round 2 (Brisbane), Round 4 (Melbourne), Round 4 (Geelong)
OUT: Round 2 (to Fremantle), Round 3 (to Brisbane)
Note: Teams are required to use three draft picks and so may use selections past the fourth round if they have traded their previous ones out.
Bombers still in finals hunt | 01:27
AFL 2023 INDICATIVE DRAFT ORDER (Based on 2022 finishing positions)
Round 1
1. North Melbourne
2. West Coast Eagles
3. GWS Giants
4. Essendon
5. Adelaide Crows
6. Hawthorn
7. Gold Coast Suns
8. North Melbourne (via PA)
9. St Kilda
10. Carlton
11. Western Bulldogs
12. GWS Giants (via RIC)
13. Melbourne (via FRE)
14. Melbourne
15. Western Bulldogs (via BL)
16. Collingwood
17. Sydney Swans
18. Geelong Cats
Round 2
19. North Melbourne
20. Fremantle (via NM)
21. West Coast Eagles
22. Gold Coast Suns (via GWS)
23. Essendon
24. Adelaide Crows
25. Hawthorn
26. Gold Coast Suns
27. West Coast Eagles (via PA)
28. St Kilda
29. Carlton
30. Hawthorn (via WB)
31. Richmond
32. Melbourne (via FRE)
33. Melbourne
34. Western Bulldogs (via BL)
35. Port Adelaide (via COL)
36. Sydney Swans
37. Brisbane Lions (via GEE)
Round 3
38. North Melbourne
39. Fremantle (via NM)
40. West Coast Eagles
41. GWS Giants
42. Essendon
43. Gold Coast Suns (via ADE)
44. Hawthorn
45. Gold Coast Suns
46. West Coast Eagles (via PA)
47. St Kilda
48. Fremantle (via CAR)
49. Brisbane Lions (via WB)
50. Richmond
51. Port Adelaide (via FRE)
52. Brisbane Lions (via MEL)
53. Brisbane Lions
54. Adelaide Crows (via COL)
55. Sydney Swans
56. Gold Coast Suns (via GEE)
Round 4
57. Fremantle (via NM)
58. West Coast Eagles
59. GWS Giants
60. Carlton (via ESS)
61. Gold Coast Suns (via ADE)
62. Fremantle (via HAW)
63. Gold Coast Suns
64. Port Adelaide
65. Gold Coast Suns (via STK)
66. Carlton
67. Western Bulldogs
68. Richmond
69. Adelaide Crows (via FRE)
70. Western Bulldogs (via MEL)
71. Hawthorn (via BL)
72. Collingwood
73. Essendon (via SYD)
74. Western Bulldogs (via GEE)
