Draft picks: 43, 68, 73, 78, 91
DEPTH CHART
KEY DEFENDERS: James Frawley, Kaiden Brand, Kurt Heatherley, Conor Nash
SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Ryan Burton, Grant Birchall, Jack Gunston, Ben Stratton, James Sicily, Blake Hardwick, Teia Miles, Harry Morrison
MIDFIELDERS: Tom Mitchell, Jaeger O'Meara, Isaac Smith, Daniel Howe, Shaun Burgoyne, Liam Shiels, Ricky Henderson, James Cousins, Jono O'Rourke, Kieran Lovell, Conor Glass, Oliver Hanrahan
KEY FORWARDS: Jarryd Roughead, Tim O'Brien, Ryan Schoenmakers, Mitchell Lewis
SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Cyril Rioli, Luke Breust, Jarman Impey, Paul Puopolo, Taylor Duryea, Will Langford, Brendan Whitecross
RUCKS: Ben McEvoy, Jonathon Ceglar, Marc Pittonet
What a strange season it was for the Hawks. For one thing they didn't make the finals, which is odd for Hawthorn, but the way Alastair Clarkson reinvented his team - in the absence of a lot of experienced players - in the second half of the season was remarkable and worthy of immense praise. The fascinating thing about Hawthorn in 2018 will be watching how they balance their line-up with guys like Rioli, Frawley, Birchall, Stratton and O'Meara all ideally available for much longer. The gutsy moves of October 2016, in which they landed Mitchell and O'Meara, again leaves Hawthorn with a relatively weak draft hand. Too much was left to too few in the midfield, and it still looks like the Hawks could do with considerably greater depth through that part of the ground, especially given Billy Hartung didn't work out. It's difficult to forecast who will be available this deep in the draft. Matthew Day should still be in the mix though, while Ethan Floyd is a good athlete whose left-foot kicking is rated highly, which would suit the Hawks' traditional style under Clarkson. Hawthorn have committed to re-drafting Dallas Willsmore as a rookie and have priority access to Xavier College's Changkuoth Jiath as a category B rookie. However, they have decided against nominating father-son options Devlin Brereton and James Langford and won't be taking Northern Territorian Tony Olango, to whom they had priority access.
MELBOURNE
Draft picks: 29, 31, 36, 57
DEPTH CHART
KEY DEFENDERS: Jake Lever, Oscar McDonald, Sam Frost
SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Michael Hibberd, Neville Jetta, Jayden Hunt, Christian Salem, Joel Smith, Josh Wagner, Pat McKenna
MIDFIELDERS: Clayton Oliver, Jack Viney, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson, Jordan Lewis, Bernie Vince, Angus Brayshaw, Alex Neal-Bullen, Aaron Vandenberg, Harley Balic, Billy Stretch, Tom Bugg, Corey Maynard
KEY FORWARDS: Jesse Hogan, Tom McDonald, Sam Weideman, Cam Pedersen, Tim Smith, Declan Keilty
SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Christian Petracca, Jeff Garlett, Mitch Hannan, Jake Melksham, Dean Kent, James Harmes, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Dion Johnstone
RUCKS: Max Gawn, Mitch King, Lachlan Filipovic
Melbourne have brought in most of their trade targets in recent seasons and still kept a reasonable draft hand, even though many of their fans had concerns about giving up former No. 1 pick Jack Watts for selection 31. The Dees have done the hard yards at the draft in recent seasons and have nailed enough picks in the last few years to ensure they have a very impressive young core, with few clear weaknesses. To nitpick, most of their best midfielders are primarily inside bulls, so while they have some good movers off half-back they could probably do with some more run through the midfield. Looking at who might be available when the Demons have a glut of picks from 29 to 36, Jack Petruccelle's pace could well be an option, while Ryley Stoddart and Zac Bailey are expected to fall in the second or third round. The Demons have also been linked to Oskar Baker, formerly of the Brisbane Lions' academy, another known for dash. The delisting of Jake Spencer leaves them a little short in the ruck, even though Tom McDonald and Cam Pedersen did decent jobs during the year with Max Gawn injured. It wouldn't be a surprise if Melbourne plucked a mature-age rookie ruck to provide further cover.
Will the Demons hunt another mature ruckman to pair with first-choice star Max Gawn? Photo: AAP
NORTH MELBOURNE
Draft picks: 4, 23, 64, 76, 87
DEPTH CHART
KEY DEFENDERS: Robbie Tarrant,Scott Thompson, Ed Vickers-Willis, Declan Watson, Daniel Nielson
SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Marley Williams, Luke McDonald, Shaun Atley, Jamie Macmillan, Mitch Hibberd, Alex Morgan, Sam Wright
MIDFIELDERS: Shaun Higgins, Jack Ziebell, Ben Cunnington, Trent Dumont, Nathan Hrovat, Ryan Clarke, Declan Mountford, Ben Jacobs, Paul Ahern, Josh Williams, Oscar Junker
KEY FORWARDS: Ben Brown, Jarrad Waite, Ben McKay, Sam Durdin, Nick Larkey
SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Mason Wood, Taylor Garner, Kayne Turner, Jy Simpkin, Jed Anderson, Cameron Zurhaar
RUCKS: Todd Goldstein, Braydon Preuss, Majak Daw
Having thrown the kitchen sink at big names Josh Kelly and Dustin Martin, North held their nerve at the trade table. If they couldn't land a superstar there wasn't much point plugging gaps with mid-range talent for the sake of it. The Kangaroos have shown some bite in recent days following repeated jibes about their lack of talent. The departures of Lachie Hansen, Sam Gibson, Aaron Mullett, Andrew Swallow and Lindsay Thomas meant that for the second straight year North lost a dramatic amount of experience, so there should be no shortage of opportunities at senior level next year for talented kids. Pick four looks particularly important for a club whose consistency over the past two decades has meant they haven't had too many picks this early. The Roos have long been linked to the freakish Jaidyn Stephenson, but the emergence of his heart issue has thrown a spanner in the works, with North said to have had second thoughts about whether to take a risk on the Eastern Ranges star, even though his management insist he won't be a liability if drafted. With the Adam Cerra-to-Carlton talk heating up, there is a view the Roos might choose to pounce on the slightly less polished but hard-running Paddy Dow, who has shown that he can be a handy goalkicker, but it would be no shock if he's snapped up before North's first pick. In recent days there has also been talk Darcy Fogarty is being considered at this pick. The South Australian has plenty of size and looks to have a fair bit of upside after an injury-cruelled 2017. Then there's Andy Brayshaw, probably as safe a bet as there is in the draft. If he ends up at Arden Street, where dad Mark played and uncle James was a chairman, it would be one of the feel-good stories of the draft. One thing North have plenty of on their list is height, so the Roos look unlikely to chance their arm on highly-speculative talls.
Haileybury students and best mates Andy Brayshaw (right) and Charlie Constable. Photo: Supplied
PORT ADELAIDE
Draft picks: 46, 49, 59, 62, 63, 82, 89
DRAFT PICKS
KEY DEFENDERS: Jack Hombsch, Tom Clurey
SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Tom Jonas, Darcy Byrne-Jones, Matthew Broadbent, Jasper Pittard, Dan Houston, Riley Bonner, Trent McKenzie, Cameron Hewett
MIDFIELDERS: Ollie Wines, Tom Rockliff, Chad Wingard, Travis Boak, Steven Motlop, Sam Powell-Pepper, Brad Ebert, Jared Polec, Sam Gray, Hamish Hartlett, Joe Atley, Jimmy Toumpas, Jack Trengove, Will Snelling, Jarrod Lienert, Emmanuel Irra
KEY FORWARDS: Charlie Dixon, Justin Westhoff, Jack Watts, Todd Marshall
SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Robbie Gray, Jake Neade, Aidyn Johnson, Karl Amon, Willem Drew
RUCKS: Paddy Ryder, Dougal Howard, Billy Frampton, Peter Ladhams
If ever a club's trade and free agency period was a declaration of intent it was Port Adelaide's effort this year. The Power clearly feel they are in a premiership window, and so have decided to top up to dramatic effect. Their midfield, on paper at least, looks as good as any in the league. The addition of Motlop adds spark, while Rockliff's hardness will ease the burden on the likes of Boak, Wines and Powell-Pepper. McKenzie and Trengove will boost their depth, and then there's Watts, taken for the relative bargain of pick 31, with Melbourne paying a portion of his salary as a further sweetener. The topping-up isn't over yet either, with Port set to land Lindsay Thomas, probably as a rookie, and they have also been considering delisted Brisbane tall Michael Close. Of course, it's rare in the AFL to have your cake and be able to eat it too, and Port will enter the draft late. They had made their feelings about the 2017 draft known last year when they traded away their future first-round selection. Trying to predict what will happen so deep in the draft is difficult, although Port have been linked with former tennis prodigy Jackson Ross. One area Port look a little bit light on is tall defenders following the exits of Jackson Trengove and Logan Austin. Close would help solve some of that problem and it would make sense for Port to think about bidding for Brisbane academy player Jack Payne, a well-built tall backman.
Lindsay Thomas looks another experienced player Port has their eye on. Photo: GETTY
RICHMOND
Draft picks: 17, 20, 25, 53, 55
DEPTH CHART
KEY DEFENDERS: Alex Rance, David Astbury, Dylan Grimes, Ryan Garthwaite
???SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Bachar Houli, Nick Vlastuin, Brandon Ellis, Nathan Broad, Kamdyn McIntosh, Oleg Markov, Jayden Short, Reece Conca
MIDFIELDERS: Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin, Dion Prestia, Kane Lambert, Shane Edwards, Josh Caddy, Shaun Grigg, Jack Graham, Anthony Miles, Corey Ellis, Connor Menadue
KEY FORWARDS: Jack Riewoldt, Ben Griffiths, Callum Moore, Mabior Chol
SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Daniel Rioli, Dan Butler, Jacob Townsend, Jason Castagna, Shai Bolton, Sam Lloyd, Tyson Stengle, Nathan Drummond
RUCKS: Toby Nankervis, Shaun Hampson, Ivan Soldo
For a club that has just won the premiership with a relatively young list, Richmond are in a remarkably good position at this draft. They have three picks in the top 25, as well as priority access to father-son prospect Patrick Naish. The son of Chris Naish is a speedy midfielder and talk in recent days suggests a bid may only come mid-way through the second round of the draft, which would be a terrific result for the Tigers as it could effectively mean four picks inside the top 30. It's set to become football folklore that Richmond won the flag with a mosquito fleet, and it's hard to predict whether the game is heading the way of smaller sides or if the Tigers' 2017 was just a highly-effective fad. In any case, it's hard to imagine the Tigers not trying to get a bit more height on their list, and they look right in the mix to nab ruckman Sam Hayes with one of their early picks. The sliding Jarrod Brander could be available and, if he is, the former Giants academy player looks a risk worth taking. It's also believed the Tigers had an eye on South Australian tall Harrison Petty, who shifted from the forward line to defence this year. Richmond's picks are also in the expected range of tall midfielder Charlie Constable, who would add something different to the midfield mix. Richmond also have bidding rights on next-generation academy player Derek Smith, who appeared a handful of times for the Tigers' VFL side this year.
Patrick Naish, son of former Tiger Chris, looks headed to Richmond. Photo: Eddie Jim
ST KILDA
Draft picks: 7,8,34,45
DEPTH CHART
KEY DEFENDERS: Jake Carlisle, Nathan Brown, Hugh Goddard, Logan Austin, Darragh Joyce
SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Dylan Roberton, Jarryn Geary, Jimmy Webster, Sam Gilbert, Shane Savage, Daniel McKenzie, Brandon White, Bailey Rice, Ray Connellan
MIDFIELDERS: Seb Ross, Jack Steven, Jack Sinclair, Jack Newnes, Koby Stevens, Jack Steele, Blake Acres, David Armitage, Luke Dunstan, Nathan Freeman
KEY FORWARDS: Tim Membrey, Josh Bruce, Paddy McCartin, Josh Battle
SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Jack Billings, Jade Gresham, Darren Minchington, Nathan Wright, Mav Weller, Jack Lonie, Ben Long, Ed Phillips
RUCKS: Billy Longer, Tom Hickey, Rowan Marshall
There was a stage early in the season it looked as though St Kilda's trade with Hawthorn last year could yield the Saints a pick right at the pointy end of the first round. True to form though, the Alastair Clarkson-coached Hawks didn't stay down for long, so St Kilda's draft hand - while very good - isn't as tantalising as it loomed. The Saints toyed with the idea of trading one of their early picks but there wasn't a compelling enough player available, so they have a bit of power here. It's no secret that the Saints could do with a bit more class through the midfield to complement their serviceable blue-collar core. Nick Coffield has been firming to be taken with one of those picks. Primarily a rebounding defender, he has pushed into the midfield too, where his evasiveness and good ball use would likely suit the Saints no end. There's a school of thought that St Kilda will roll the dice at pick eight on Aiden Bonar, who shapes as the most exciting utility in the draft, having come off two knee reconstructions. He played his junior football at Seaford, so at least before the Saints' move back to Moorabbin he will be very much at home. Hunter Clark is another they've been linked to, while the doubts about Jaidyn Stephenson could leave him within St Kilda's grasp. Axed trio Sam Collins (Fremantle), Tom Lamb (West Coast) and Will Fordham (North Melbourne) were all given permission to train with the Saints with a view to being taken as rookies. If Lamb joins the Saints he will follow in the footsteps of his grandfather Ian Cooper, who was a member of the club's 1966 premiership side.
Ex-West Coast Eagle Tom Lamb is training with the Saints. Photo: Leigh Henningham
SYDNEY
Draft picks: 14, 33, 51, 84
DRAFT PICKS
KEY DEFENDERS: Heath Grundy, Lewis Melican, Aliir Aliir, Jack Maibaum
SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Dane Rampe, Jarrad McVeigh, Callum Mills, Nick Smith, Nic Newman, Harrison Marsh, Colin O'Riordan
MIDFIELDERS: Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker Dan Hannebery, Jake Lloyd, Kieren Jack, Zak Jones, Isaac Heeney, George Hewett, Dan Robinson, Ollie Florent, Robie Fox, Jordan Foote, Ben Ronke
KEY FORWARDS: Lance Franklin, Sam Reid, Toby Pink
SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Gary Rohan, Tom Papley, Will Hayward, Dean Towers, Harry Cunningham, James Rose, Jordan Dawson
RUCKS: Sam Naismith, Kurt Tippett, Callum Sinclair, Darcy Cameron
After their 0-6 start to the 2017 season some had written Sydney off, not only for this year but for the next few. Premature talk of rebuilds had started to circulate. By the eve of the finals the Swans were well and truly in the premiership mix, and while their poor first month and a half cost them a double chance and left them vulnerable to a bad night, like they had against Geelong in the semi-final, they were arguably the best team in it by the end of the season. With Jake Lloyd having taken his game to another level and the likes of Zak Jones, Isaac Heeney and George Hewett all developing nicely, the midfield looks like remaining a strength in the medium term. Lewis Melican emerged this year to complement Aliir Aliir and the Swans took Jack Maibaum 12 months ago, so the young tall defensive stocks look better too. It's forward where they appear to need bolstering. It would come as a surprise if they didn't take high-leaping ex-cricket prodigy Nathan Murphy at pick 14 if he is still available. The concerns about Jaidyn Stephenson appear like they may push him into this range too, and he'd be hard to pass up as well. Of the genuine tall forwards, Tom McCartin has been tipped to go later and the Swans are believed to be interested. Speedy Swans academy player James Bell, who passed up a chance to join the Western Sydney Wanderers, looks likely to be taken as a rookie to be somewhat of a replacement for Sam Murray, while Alex Johnson - having finally returned to competitive football this year - has been made to wait on a rookie spot for 2018, more than five years after his most recent AFL game.
With his brother at St Kilda, is Tom McCartin headed to the Swans? Photo: Darrian Traynor
WEST COAST
Draft picks: 13, 21, 26, 32, 37, 69, 83
KEY DEFENDERS: Jeremy McGovern, Eric Mackenzie, Tom Barrass, Will Schofield
SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Shannon Hurn, Brad Sheppard, Jackson Nelson, Tom Cole, Josh Rotham, Francis Watson
MIDFIELDERS: Elliot Yeo, Luke Shuey, Andrew Gaff, Mark Hutchings, Dom Sheed, Lewis Jetta, Jack Redden, Chris Masten, Brendon Ah Chee, Liam Duggan, Luke Partington, Malcolm Karpany, Kurt Mutimer, Daniel Venables, Tarir Bayok
KEY FORWARDS Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling, Fraser McInnes, Matthew Allen
SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS Jamie Cripps, Mark LeCras, Willie Rioli, Jake Waterman
RUCKS: Nic Naitanui, Nathan Vardy, Scott Lycett
The Eagles topped up for a few years and teased their fans with moments of brilliance mixed in with days of immense frustration. By mid-season, and with the team stuck in no man's land, it was clear there was going to be something of a changing of the guard. It was symbolised by the surprise retirement of Matt Priddis, while the departures of Drew Petrie, Sam Mitchell, Sharrod Wellingham and Josh Hill give West Coast a younger look heading into 2018. Some nifty work at the trade table has also given them a very healthy draft hand, with a stack of picks in the second round. As for their first pick, they are believed to be keen on Hunter Clark - a Victorian half-back turned midfielder - although a few clubs ahead of them could beat the Eagles to the punch. The West Australian connection unsurprisingly has them linked to Oscar Allen, the slightly undersized tall forward who shone at the national championships. Their picks in the 20s and 30s are intriguing and they will clearly be good players. They are thought to be having a look at Geelong Falcons premiership captain James Worpel and are eyeing mature-age WA prospect Tim Kelly, who should fall around that range with interest from Geelong and Carlton as well. Daring half-back Ryley Stoddart is another they've been linked to with one of these picks. It wouldn't surprise either if another of the locals, exciting Subiaco forward Liam Ryan, ended up at West Coast. The door has also been left ajar for the Eagles to re-draft Tom Lamb as a rookie, but his pre-season training is at St Kilda.
Will Hunter Clark still be available if the Eagles come calling at No.13? Photo: Darrian Traynor
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Draft picks: 9, 16, 79
DEPTH CHART
KEY DEFENDERS: Marcus Adams, Jackson Trengove, Zaine Cordy, Fletcher Roberts, Lewis Young, Kieran Collins
???
SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Jason Johannisen, Easton Wood, Dale Morris, Shane Biggs, Matt Suckling, Hayden Crozier, Bailey Williams, Brad Lynch
MIDFIELDERS: Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae, Luke Dahlhaus, Lachie Hunter, Caleb Daniel, Toby McLean, Mitch Wallis, Liam Picken, Tom Liberatore, Lin Jong, Patrick Lipinski
KEY FORWARDS: Tom Boyd, Jack Redpath, Josh Schache
SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Bailey Dale, Josh Dunkley, Lukas Webb, Tory Dickson, Clay Smith, Mitch Honeychurch, Fergus Greene
RUCKS: Jordan Roughead, Tim English, Tom Campbell, Nathan Mullenger-McHugh
They had their critics during the trade period but credit to the Bulldogs, who eventually procured pick 16 to offset the turbulent departure of Jake Stringer. They also landed Josh Schache - a No. 2 draft pick only two years ago - on the cheap as well as filling holes with Jackson Trengove and Hayden Crozier. Both of these players are versatile, which is in fitting with the Dogs' mantra under Luke Beveridge and it will be interesting to see what they do with the pair. With Bob Murphy and Matthew Boyd having retired, the Dogs have a bit of a hole at half-back. Some have them linked to Hunter Clark, who uses the ball well and has developed a midfield string to his bow, while there's considerable talk they are keen on Ed Richards, whose speed and skill are attractive to recruiters. The Dogs won a premiership 14 months ago with a relatively small forward line but, with Stringer gone, Tory Dickson coming to the end and Clay Smith struggling to recapture his form of last year's finals, they look a bit shallow in that area of the ground too. Jack Higgins has long been identified as a leading candidate for GWS at pick 11, but with other small forwards available for the Giants at later picks he could get through to the Dogs at pick 16. They have been considered as a possible early bidder for Richmond father-son nominee Patrick Naish, although that talk has cooled. Nathan Murphy would be another forward option, but if they don't take him at pick nine it looks likely they will get pipped for his services.
