Crows and Port Adelaide need to reflect on the risk of giving up two first-round picks to secure a top-four call in AFL national draft
PORT Adelaide and Adelaide Crows have more first-round picks for one draft than ever before. But will they keep them all as the countdown to the national draft continues.
NEVER before have so many first-round draft picks been in the hands of the SA-based AFL clubs.
Six of them. Three with the Adelaide Football Club (8, 13 and 16) for the first time since the Crows were allowed to call at the draft in 1992. Three at Port Adelaide (5, 10 and 15) for the third time since the Power entered the national competition at the end of 1996 (and first time since 2009).
But will there still be six when the AFL national draft begins on November 22?
The fascination with three SA-based juniors - Jack Lukosius, Izak Rankine and Connor Rozee - and the prospect of all three being gone within the first four draft calls has created an apparent eagerness for the Crows to get St Kilda’s No. 4 pick.
But are two draft picks in hand worth more than a seemingly guaranteed call on one of the SA teenagers?
There is the lesson from history - and Adelaide’s only messiah Malcolm Blight often advises to take note of the past - on how more is better in the draft.
In 2015, the Crows held two first-round draft picks (10 and 17) after accepting it was better to trade co-captain Patrick Dangerfield to Geelong rather than accept the AFL’s free-agency compensation.
Had Adelaide chased Brisbane’s No. 2 draft pick, the Crows today would be without one or perhaps both of Wayne Milera and Rising Star runner-up Tom Doedee. Two superb long-term Crows might not be at West Lakes.
And there is a further lesson in this reflection on 2015. As exciting as the draft pool appears today for its bounty of SA-based talent, there is the cautionary tale that temptation for the local lads can deny the Crows and Power a superb non-South Australian option ... such as Doedee.
This is noted by Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley.
“My concern with (trading two picks for one) is that there is no guarantee with drafting, whether a player is at the top end or not,’’ he said.
“You’ve got to be really careful if you are going to parcel up two high picks to try to get one pick and think that’s going to be the saviour.
“I’m a bit more on the numbers. Give us a few (picks and players), instead of one, and we might be better.’’
For the first time, the trade period continues with the swapping of draft picks until November 16. Also for the first time, there can be “live trading” on the draft nights of November 22-23.
By the AFL’s weighting system, St Kilda’s No. 4 draft pick carries a value of 2034 points. Adelaide’s No. 8 pick (1551 points) and No. 13 (1268) could be very tempting for the Saints when St Kilda, with all its list-management needs, is to be left waiting to call No. 36 if it continues to hold No. 4.
There are some interesting calls to be made in the next month - and all will be judged in time by fans blessed with the benefit of hindsight.