Lukosius, Rankine out of SA clubs’ reach as price is too high, says Port Adelaide’s Geoff Parker

Power recruiting manager Geoff Parker says he doesn’t expect any club to trade a top 10 pick before the AFL draft, pushing Jack Lukosius and Izak Rankine out of the Power and Crows’ reach.

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Port Adelaide recruiting manager Geoff Parker has revealed the club’s No. 15 selection is hot property but that he doesn’t expect any club to trade away a top 10 pick on the opening night of the AFL national draft.

With live trading in place for the first time, a strong core of players at the top of the draft and clubs unwilling to pay “overs’’ to move up the order, Parker said it is highly unlikely there will be any movement of high-end picks at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.

This means that both the Power and Adelaide — armed with three first-round picks — are unlikely to get a crack at the top-two rated Croweaters, Jack Lukosius and Izak Rankine, who seemed destined to join Gold Coast at picks 2 and 3.

“We’ve spoken to clubs just ahead of us and just behind us in the draft order and I suspect nothing will happen,’’ Parker said as Port’s recruiting team gathered in Melbourne for the two-day draft.

“I think we’ve come to the realisation that the price to pay (to move up) is too great.

“There’s been enough discussion among clubs with those (top) picks to make me think it is doubtful anything will happen.

“We’re satisfied to be going in with (picks) 5, 10 and 15 because the first 15 players is as good a group as a collective that I have seen at a draft.’’

Parker said clubs had inquired about the Power’s No. 15 selection this week and that while Port is likely to hold on it, it had not completely ruled out moving it for multiple selections.

“We’ve had a few calls in the past 48 hours in regard to our pick 15 and whether we are prepared to move that in some way,’’ he told The Advertiser.

Henley High School students Jack Lukosius and Izak Rankine, who are classmates and contenders to go at pick one at this year's AFL national draft. Picture: Matt Turner

“I would be very surprised if we did because (list manager) Jason Cripps worked really hard in the trade period to get three picks in the first 20.

“But if we can turn it into four picks in the first 25 you never know.’’

Parker said the industry expects Carlton, which holds pick 1, and the Suns to take Victorian Sam Walsh and Lukosius and Rankine with the first three selections.

He said St Kilda, which has pick 4, holds the key to how the rest of the top 10 falls because of the secrecy surrounding its selection.

The Saints have been linked with Victorians Max King and Bailey Smith and Croweater Connor Rozee.

“Because of the ability of clubs to trade picks it’s really hard to get a read on this draft,’’ said Parker, who expects picks to be traded freely on day two of the draft.

“It has made it more interesting but also more frustrating.’’

Adelaide recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie, who currently holds selections 8, 13, 16 and 21 in what is the club’s greatest draft hand, said his club is “prepared for everything’’ at the draft and remained open-minded about trading up.

“We’ve looked at all the options,’’ he said.

“Whether we go up much higher, I’m not sure, but there’s always a possibility so we’re open when that phone call comes, and some have already come, to how that looks.’’

Ogilvie said he expects Walsh, Lukosius and Rankine to go one, two, three.

“Whoever gets those players, and hopefully we get in a position to get one of them, they’ll be very pleased,” he said.