00:00:00
Speaker 1: Well for our recruiters, our list bosses, our junior football is, our draft journalists, months and months of work is coming to an end. We're twenty four hours out from the first night of the AFL Draft and I have our Code Sports draft experts with us, Chris Kavanaugh and Dan Batton. Thanks for coming in, boys, been a very busy time. How are we feeling ahead of tomorrow night?

00:00:18
Speaker 2: Yeah?

00:00:18
Speaker 3: It feels a bit like Christmas eve ed, doesn't it. It's yeah, a pretty exciting time for us who have been following the draft all year and to see where all these kids end up and then where their futures lie.

00:00:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, plenty of our presidents under the tree ready waiting to be unrafted. But yeah, I have a feeling over the next few days is going to be a few disappointed kids as well with limited draft numbers. But yeah, it looks sorry to running through what might happen.

00:00:43
Speaker 1: And you two have been hard at work like the OL's at the North Pole. This morning. I've been watching on an or as you put together your final top ten in this phantom draft workout how some of it's going to play out. There's been a few changes from last week when we went through the phantom draft, cav can you talk us through how you think the current top team's going to shake out?

00:01:01
Speaker 3: Yeah, so I think basically the first part of the current the top ten from a week ago was pretty much the same. So William Durzma is the number one pick for West Coast, locked that in, lock in a zeke youule and bid at number two, and Harry Dean is likely to get a bid from West Coast at pick three, so Carlton'll matched that on their father's son kuber Du title at a West Coast with their second life pick effectively, and then it's Richmond comes in and as we said last week, it's bidman there, so Dylan Patterson Dan Annibal both get bids Gold Coast Sons and Brisbane Lines Academy Kids. And then it gets interesting because that's where things have changed a little bit. Sam Cumming has come in as the likely pick seven for Richmond, so the Tigers traveled up to mildru last week to nearby Wentworth where it coming's from, and did a home visit last Friday, So it looks like they're going to pick him at seven. Pickate Sullivan Roby, who we've thought for a while is going to the Tigers.

00:02:05
Speaker 4: Pick nine.

00:02:06
Speaker 3: We've got Xavier Taylor, who we had going to Richmond, but as that's obviously changed with the Coming coming in and then and then we've got Luckie Douveston it picked ten to Essen and so yeah, a few changes there down.

00:02:19
Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, and it's gonna be as you said, Richmond really gonna shape that sort of next part of the draft. So Xavier Taylor also could be a chance to let Richmond. That was the early mail that he seemed to be linked there and it could still happen.

00:02:39
Speaker 4: For them.

00:02:40
Speaker 2: But if he doesn't, whoever they don't pick, it seems like Coming is probably the most likely one at Richmond, whether it's Roby or Taylor they don't select, then then that opens the door for Essendon potentially to snap them up. You know, obviously Dyson Sharp as well could be taken with that second Essendon pick, but we know Melbourne are fans of Doveston as well, and Essiden has put plenty of work to him since the since the draft combines, So yeah, it could well shake out that Sharpe gets selected first by the Bombers. But we have doveson just in case, Yeah, Melbourne sap buck.

00:03:22
Speaker 1: Instead Richmond being more coy than they were last year with these early picks where they do you feel that they've adjusted the strategy bit to keep clubs guessing?

00:03:30
Speaker 4: Yeah, a little bit. I think.

00:03:31
Speaker 3: I think that's definitely been the case. I mean there's been a little bit of late mail today too that Jacob Pharaohs come into the mix, and that does have some traction, which is interesting because we had thought for a while it was down to about four for the Tigers and that was Roby Sullivan as Sullivan, Roby coming obviously Sam Grill Grill was the other one. Yes, and Taylor say, but now yeah, Pharaoh's come into the mix there too, which I think that's probably less likely, but yeah, you never know.

00:04:02
Speaker 1: Tell us about farrow Down. Is it a bit of a taller rebounding defender sort of player.

00:04:07
Speaker 2: Yeah at the moment, but I feel like he does transition into that sort of mid mid type who can have that penegee kick inside fifty. It's been likened a lot to Jordan Dawson, you know, through throughout this year, and he thinks he can. I suppoke to him at the draft combine and he said that he feels he can sort of have that similar transition, just like Jordan Dawson.

00:04:29
Speaker 4: So yeah, he's a pretty exciting one.

00:04:32
Speaker 2: Who's you look at a lot of this list and a lot of our fanom draft, a lot of these guys in the top fifteen to twenty mix, you know, weren't in those conversations before the National Championships that have really had quite a strong back half of the year. And the Troll pick it's one of the biggest examples of that. You know, a potential top fifteen pick who was playing soundful reserves and not really on the radar a great deal earlier in the year and then now he's you know, a genuine first round I've very likely first round pick.

00:05:02
Speaker 3: And for those who don't know about Sam coming so he's been liking to Rory Slane, the former Crow. So he's really got speed, got power, Yeah, just ball winning midfielder, forward, tough at it. So yeah, that's he's a pretty exciting pick for the Tigers if that's the way they go, which we think they will.

00:05:19
Speaker 1: There's no essay go home factor is there. So he played for South Australia, but he's basically from that Tri state area.

00:05:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, actually born in Yeah, born in New Yeah, went Worths his New South Wales played some of his junior foot year we start the Vilain Cup Bend Benico Pioneers and then obviously played born in South Australia. So yeah, no, no, no, go home concerns.

00:05:39
Speaker 1: They're the global citizens coming quick one. Before we move on to our first segment, Code Sports has a special deal for listeners and viewers twelve months for just forty nine dollars. So that gets you all the premium content, analysis, inside access and our massive documentary Chasing the Dream, which enters its final stages as we approach the draft. So still more to come on that in the next couple of weeks, so have a look at that offer. But it's time for a segment which I've created on the way in here, so that's called Match that Bid. We have ten bids projected in the top thirty picks and I just want to check the maths that these clubs can get a handle on them, particularly the Suns so Gold Coast. We do think that first bid will come in from West Coast cavn.

00:06:19
Speaker 3: Yep ezekuelin at two. So I've got the calculator out this morning, and currently the Sons have got three seven hundred and seventy three points. So we think they're going to execute a few trades on draft night to get some picks off GWS Adelaide and Port Adelaide in the in the second and third rounds of the draft. That would get them to two hundred and ninety nine points. So let's just say a big comes on you Land at pick two, that's two hundred and thirty three points. I need to match that, A big comes on Patterson at pick five, that's sixteen, one hundred and sixteen points to match that. And then we've got John Murray getting a bid at picker eighteen, which would cost him another seven hundred and fifty two points. The title of all that is four thousand and six hundred and one. And as we said, they only have two hundred ninety nine if they do those trades, which we expect them to do, so they're short already, and then you add Bo Adams into that, and they're in a bit of trouble, aren't they now?

00:07:17
Speaker 2: Yeah, And that's has been the layman's popped up over last a couple of days. Is that West Coast obviously Ji Murray that the obviously do rate Jai Murray, but they're gonna They're going to potentially bid on Ji Murray with their pick and Gold Coast will match it and then that'll obviously clear them out with points and then they bid on bo Adam Sol. So back to back bids is what we're predicting West Coast to do. And and you look at the Sun's list, they've got so many inside midfielders and that's what bo and Sol projects to be. Could potentially play different roles at the start of his career, but that's probably what what he will be down the track, and Gold Coasts have a stacked with them, West Coast aren't so much so a quality ball quality midfield like bow Adamsall could potentially step in next year for the Eagles, So it'll be a fascinating watch to see what happens there because obviously Gold Coast can go into draft episode as well, and they also have the son of their number one ticket holder, Kobe Colson as well to think about, but he's probably more likely to to snag a bid later, maybe on Night two. So yeah, it'd be very interesting to see what happens, and it's a lot of people. There's been a lot of Christians obviously about the academy system and about bids we're seeing this year, just the Titan constraints of a ninety percent or reduction from from eighty percent to ninety It were just sorry, a ten percent discount on those bids rather than twenty percent, and we're seeing the impact it might have. They may not be able to get one of their players. Yeah.

00:08:55
Speaker 3: I had to check to Bow Adams on Saturday as well, and yeah, he's accepting that he might have to go elsewhere. He would love to go to the Suns, obviously, but he knows that the situation is they just can't get five players in from their academy this year. I don't think as much as they'd like to, it's I can't see that happening.

00:09:11
Speaker 1: At least the Surf Goud and Perth bo if you do wind up there, Dan Annibal DoD Brisbane have the points there at number at pick six. That big comes in that early.

00:09:22
Speaker 3: Yeah, so that'll cost him basically just pick seventeen and twenty three, which they've got at the moment, that's pretty much wipes that out. And then they get a few picks out the back of the line. So he has been their target for some time. They knew last year and hitting into the trade bude last year that dan Anible was going to be a top pick this year, so they're well prepared for that situation there.

00:09:41
Speaker 1: Fantastic and Harry Kyle, that's one that's popped up for me. I think Lockel and Carmachel might have been ahead of him in a few draft orders coming into the draft that we were expecting early bid from JWS.

00:09:52
Speaker 2: Yes, yes, that seems to be the likelihood there and the Giants do rate him quite highly and has a bit of a different background. Has played a bit of a rugby union can sort of set rugby league. I think it is union was yeah, so yeah, you can see the way he does run is quite athletic as well. Lockie Carmichael and him that il Carmichael was a chance to get a bid night one, but it's probably more likely not to. Western Bulldogs probably one of the ones there who rate him quite highly a chance to bid and Sydney from what rival clubs believe that Sydney are confident they'll be able to get all their Academy kids. So it's Harry Kyle, that sort of winger who you know, pretty limited exposure in the Aussie Rules, so you could be anything. A Lockie Carmichael who's been there, he was MVP under sixteens, m VP under eighteens, is a pretty reliable half back, a bit of Archie Roberts about him. And then Max King as well, who is a high upside, a sort of medium forward or potentially a player who could could be pretty versatile with his all round athleticism. So yeah, there's a bit all Obviously Harry Kyle maybe early early on at that sort of that pick in the teens, but then you've got Max King and Carmichael who might attract bids in that in that sort of twenty to thirty range.

00:11:20
Speaker 3: Yeah, Harry Cole's only played about sixty games of AFL, so it's pretty crazy to think that he might be a first round draft pick on Wednesday night.

00:11:26
Speaker 1: So Calvin could be contending with a top five bid for Harry Dean that's been looking increasingly likely. Can they come back and match a bid on Jack Ice and if it comes on that first.

00:11:35
Speaker 3: Night, yeah, it's going to be it's going to be interesting for the Blues. So yeah, we are pretty certain that West Coast will place that bid on Howry doing it at three, which Carlton is looking to do some pick swaps to get rid of pick nine and eleven, trading back pick nine for some of those Essenon picks in the in the second round twenty one, twenty seven, and thirty, and then they might trade pick eleven to North Melbourne for twenty five in a future second So that's all going to change tomorrow night. But yes, Jack Eisen I think gets a bit probably from Geelong or Fremantle in that later sort of half of the first round. And yeah, I think Carlton is pretty keen to match a bit on him too, and they getting him those two through and Coddy Walker's on the way next year, which is pretty exciting if you're a Blues fan.

00:12:22
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think another thing to point out as well, the early part of the Like you look at the draft order right now and look at that early sort of second round, a lot of those picks are going to just evaporate out of thin air. So we're going to see a first round of potentially twenty nine picks. Second round might be about five or six obviously, So just at the start of the second round you got Gold Coast North Melbourn who was going to trade those picks to Carlton. So obviously with the bids we mentioned before, Essendon potentially with Adam Swayde set to attract a bit around the twenties Mark gold Coast obviously, with the guys that we mentioned before, Essendon, Sydney, Sydney obviously all have those academy picks. So it's going to be interesting to see how it looks like because you look at say even the Bulldogs, they've got a pick sort of later in that first round and they will probably shake out a little bit and then they'll have a pick probably only five or six picks later after bids and everything.

00:13:27
Speaker 4: So yeah, that's fun to watch.

00:13:29
Speaker 1: On night two, he's got a bit of mail from across the country cab that Fremantle probably going to plot a couple of bids. I'm not sure whether that's he's that at the start of the second night around the pick twenty four. It's going to be a long first night. So Tyler Williams, he's a local player West Coast NBA. They've got a genuine interest in the Dockers.

00:13:50
Speaker 3: Yeah, they do. Yeah, so there's a few clubs with an interest in him, but he's been working in the West Coast merchandise store this year, so yeah, I think the Eagles are very likely to match, which if that big comes from pick twenty five on Woods and we've got Fremantle placing that at pick twenty four, so yeah, roughly that range, so I think he ends up an Eagle, and then Adam Swade's an interesting one for Essenon because yeah, as we said, Essen's going to going to trade out those second round picks and push up the order to get picked nine, but it leaves them without any picks out the back, which could result in them missing out on Swede because they won't have the capital to match that bid unless they trade back in future pick back into this year. So that's quite an interesting watch as well.

00:14:39
Speaker 1: Okay, time for a new segment. I haven't named this one really, it's not very original. It's called Sliders and Bosses. Let's have a little bit of a look first some of these very talented players that we've been tracking over the course of the season that might have actually fallen out of the plans of some clubs in the first round. We might see them now on the second night of the draft.

00:14:57
Speaker 4: Yeah, jump in.

00:15:00
Speaker 2: I think, yeah, Ludowick's probably the one that some are expecting to be or not one that was even worth that he could be invited to the draft early days and he clubs as early sort of Jabus had shown interest there. But yeah, you know, the likely hu it is that he's probably a late night one chance and even potentially pushing into nine two as well. One ninety five centimeter key forward afl Academy was projected as a potential top ten pick towards the start of the year. It didn't quite work out for him with injury and then it will form and then injury suffered a.

00:15:40
Speaker 4: PCL blow just during the National champs.

00:15:42
Speaker 2: So he's one to definitely keep an eye on what it could be a steal And probably the one that's dominated the conversation in the last few weeks is Oli Greeves. You know, he's second the like metal behind Dyson Sharp after a Super National championships. Are tall and midfielder type, but I guess his running ability has sort of been really focused on by clubs and obviously it can't be pretty harsh for these kids where you know, dominated all year, Stack had a stack of disposals and it's sort of one area of the game that's really had the magnifying glass on it, and that's sort of been the case with Griefs. So he's one who could potentially prove a few wrong down the track, but he's one who could even be available sort of towards that second night as well.

00:16:31
Speaker 1: So Hawthorne was frustrated that they couldn't get him into the NGA program earlier in the season, but now you've got him potentially slipping into their second pick.

00:16:38
Speaker 3: Yes, I think that's probably where he lands. I think it's maybe Hawthorne or Geelong for Graeves at the moment he potentially gets to the long second pick, which is forty at the moment, that will come into mid thirties, but yeah, it's going to be. It is quite interesting how far he has dropped since the start of the year, But as we said, there's some other guys there too. For me, Gavanne Philippo is an interesting watch too. Some have him rated as a top twenty talent throughout the year, and I'm not quite sure where he lands. I think I know North Malvin and g WS has done a fair bit of late work on him. Sint Kilda clearly has interest, Richmond has interests, So yeah, there's enough clubs there that like him and what he could do. But he's probably going to slide back, I think at this stage, and sin killed us the watch whether or not they trade in a future pick to try and get back in the order if he does slide out a little bit. But Sin Kilda doesn't have a second round pick next year, so that will complicate things a little, I would think. And probably Fred rod Regis is the other one for me from WA so people were talking about him as a top ten pick earlier in the year as well. He had quite a good National Championships, had a pretty consistent year. Doesn't have the X factor of some other players, but pretty reliable, sort of hard out at midfielder type. I think he's probably in that group of players that at thirty plus is a big pool of them that had just got their fingers crossed for night too at the moment, and I know there's a handful of clubs with some solid interest in him, but yeah, it will be interesting to see where he lands as well.

00:18:14
Speaker 1: So if you just tuned in, this is our segment Sliders and Bolters. We've just done the slaters, now time for the bolters, and a lot connected to what Richmond do with those picks in the top ten.

00:18:23
Speaker 3: Yeah. Absolutely, So as we spoke about see him coming earlier, he sounds like he's a man for the Tigers now with one of those top ten picks, and Lockie Doveston's the other one. That's quite interesting too. So as of Saturday he hadn't got an invite to the first night of the draft. AFL has invited him on Sunday after that, and that was as it emerged that Essen was going to get a pickoff Carlton that pick nine. So that's and Locke was also at essenon training last Friday too, pictured up there on the balcony. So I think that's the firm mail that he will end up a bomber and he's the best more forward in the draft class. It's probably exactly what Essendon they'd see him up with Isaac Kaco and you're away.

00:19:10
Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, And yeah, I guess the other one touched on earlier, La treil Picket. I think he trained with Melbourne earlier in the year, but he hadn't nominated for the draft, so he wasn't able to be selected or picked up as an SSP. He's obviously the cousin of Cozy Picket, and yeah, he starred in the in the Samful Reserves comp dow two goals for him and then on debut I think Glennell in the Stamford kicked four goals and was just selling candy like it was no one's business. So yeah, he's a really exciting type. And we saw it's quite a similar sort of rise in his draft year too, not even his draft year. He's turning twenty in December Picket, but just like Cozy in his draft year, he was sort of railed around this maybe a thirty mark and then Melbourne just went nut. We're picking him with a pick which was sort of midway through the first round. Pretty could be a similar case for Picket with a lot of clubs interested there in the teens and JWS certainly put a lot of work into him.

00:20:20
Speaker 1: So just on Lucky doveson getting that he invite the laid invite to the first night of the draft. That's a pretty big logistical exercise for the AFL isn't it that they have to uninvite someone to create that room.

00:20:30
Speaker 3: No, so they started off with twelve invites. They added cam Nan who emerged as a target for Melbourne in late as well, so they invited him from South Australia and then Daves and come into it just over the weekend. But obviously being a local Melbourne boy that makes it a little bit easier. I don't have to organize flights for him and ten family members from into state or anythink so. But yeah, that's clearly there's some mail around him being a definite to be picked on that one now.

00:21:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, and just a couple of clubs that will quickly go through that are probably the most interesting heading into tomorrow night, I think Kangaroo's fans will be a bit anxious to see North Melbourne get back into the first round after they'd traded out of it last year to get Matt Whitlock. How likely do you think it is that they do something to get back in.

00:21:17
Speaker 3: Yeah, so, as we said, I think they're going to get that pickoff Carlton, which we've got us becoming picked fifteen in the end. Really interesting what the Rus do here because they've been linked to Latrell Pickett, maybe they beat gw Ass to him. But we've also got some mail that they like Aiden Schubert to key Ford from South Australia, who many had raided as a top twelve prospect, probably fits exactly what they needed the Rus there. I know they like Gavanne Philippa as well. I know they've met with Josh Lindsay in the past few days, Geelong Falcons half back and Blake three Golds. The other one who's been linked to them for a while was the key defender from St Australia. So they're all quite different players. So it would be interesting which way the Ruse do go. But that's going to be a real pivot point in.

00:22:06
Speaker 2: The draft, I think, yeah, definitely, And like you know, if they trade up and then get pick it, like obviously it is quite a risk picking someone out of the sample reserves. You know, I'm giving away a fair bit of draft capital, so it'd be really interesting to see if they do take that punt or you know, which way they go, whether they do go to the tall or the key defender. I guess probably the other sort of points where it could get a little bit shaky is, as sort of touched on before, is the the Richmond selections earlier. If they go for Xavier Taylor instead of Slim Roby, then that changes one out and maybe allows potentially a Jacob Farrow to slide a bit further or others like that. Cam Nancy has to be the lock though for Melbourne, and he's quite highly rated by clubs in the teams, even though he has been sort of projected maybe a bit later earlier in the years. So no, it's going to be pretty fascinating the way it does go. And I think more than ever, this is a draft that has proved to be more unpredictable than the ones that have come before.

00:23:21
Speaker 1: And Essendon cavif they do a deal with Carlton before bids, they'd come into the draft armed with three top ten picks that I'll bring back a lot of memories of twenty twenty when they didn't quite get it right.

00:23:31
Speaker 3: Will they didn't quite get that right with Perkins, Cocks and the other one great?

00:23:37
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, but it must put a lot of pressure on their recruiting team if they do go down that path and they get three picks.

00:23:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, massive, massive pressure on the Bombers to get this year right, and I think if you're picking in that top twelve range, you shouldn't. You know, it's hard to get it wrong if you're going for players that everyone else thinks is right in that mix. But yeah, it's it'submerged as a draft that's not quite as bad as we thought it might have been earlier in the year. I think it's very even. But there is a group of twelve or fourteen up the top that are a bit stand out to the rest.

00:24:10
Speaker 2: Yeah, and as we're seeing as well with Richmond's three and four and Essendon's Essendon's selections as well, they're pushed out a bit further because of these academy and father sons. Four of them, you know, within their predictors to go within in the top six. So yeah, it's a bit of a it's not a great draft to have picks at right at the top. But at the same time, Richmond's had a pretty good draft last year and Essen was able to get Isaac CaCO in the door, so I'm sure they won't be complaining too much.

00:24:42
Speaker 1: Final segment. I'm going to write these segments down so I remember them for next year. This is called Cavin Dan's best Buyers. I'd like to hear from both of you, just we're twenty four hours out now. Who you think is going to be the best valley pick up late in the draft. Someone who could be the next James Heard, the next Nick Larky, someone deep in the national draft.

00:24:58
Speaker 3: I couldn't arrow it down to one, so I've gone with three here. Gavann Philipo is one who I mentioned earlier, but one hundred and eighty three center made a midfielder. Ford miss the National Champs through injury, but really driven professional. He'd love to get this and killed with his brother Matthaeus, So that's just a big watch for me. Liam Heatherden's the other one. One ninety eight centimeter Key Ford from the Murray Bush Rangers started the season really strongly before he had a stress fraction in his back. But I think he's got a fair bit of talent and could be a great pick up for a club later in the order. And Sam Allen I want to put him on the radar. So he's the most athletic player in the draft. He's a wingman outside sort of running type who's a good over head. Mark kicks it well did in a c Allen May but he's PB in the two kilometer time trial. He's five minutes forty seconds. I'm not sure what yours has had, but that is pretty quick going. So yeah, those are the three to watch for me in the later in the order.

00:25:58
Speaker 2: Yeah, I've gone obviously went off a tangent before about Oli Greaves, but I'll stick with him.

00:26:06
Speaker 4: As one of them.

00:26:08
Speaker 2: Another one is Louis Emmett, who entered the year as a potential number one pick. A bit of an undersized ruckman. Clubs A bit unsure but where he might play if not in the ruck, but you know, he runs all day. He showed last year he could just absolutely dominate and take the P one fifty five in games. He was having thirty touches, twenty hit outs and kicking two goals. So I'm backing him to really go well at the next level. Another one who's a little maybe a little bit more off Broadway. I think it might be a decent chance of land at the Cats is Hunter Holmes. We saw obviously Max Holmes's late development, and he was a bit of a speculative selection by the Cats, who ended up picking in the first round in that twenty twenty COVID draft. But Hunter Holmes has that same sort of later development now and we saw what Max has been able to do in the space of five years. Wouldn't be surprised if Hunter Holmes also has a similar trajectory.

00:27:12
Speaker 1: I like that you've gone with off Broadway because the number one pick will and Dursmer very much on Broadways out this week. Thanks for a great story from cav Some great content to catch up on, including that trip down to Foster the Cattle to meet the Dursmas and find out what's in the water down there. Other grad analysis to come as we approach the draft. Wednesday and Thursday Night's National Draft and the Friday Rookie Draft will have all the news from that on Code Sports and The Herald's Sun cav Dan thanks for joining us, and good luck to all the players involved in tomorrow's draft.