Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide recruiting gurus give hints on how they will attack the 2019 AFL draft
On the eve of the 2019 AFL Draft, Adelaide Crows’ list manager and Port Adelaide’s national recruiting manager drop some big hints as to how the two SA AFL clubs will attack it.
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Dylan Stephens and Fischer McAsey are “right in the mix” for the Crows No. 6 pick, while Port Adelaide is set to use its three first rounders for all three lines.
On the eve of the AFL Draft both South Australian clubs are finalising their recruitment strategies, with the Crows and Power holding significant selection hands.
The Crows did have pick four but after a trade with GWS have slid to No. 6.
List manager Justin Reid said the Crows had about “three or four” top targets at pick No. 6.
These included Norwood’s Stephens, who has been touted as the next Josh Kelly, and Sandringham’s McAsey – considered to be the best key-position player in the pool.
“I think if you asked at the start of the year most clubs would have had Dylan somewhere in that five to 15 range and he will probably fit there,” Reid told SEN SA.
“He and a few others are in the mix at that pick.
“After (Matthew) Rowell, it’s a really even group from pick two or three to pick eight or nine.
“Fischer, he is a quality young man, he has really good leadership.
“He’s an intercept marking centre half back who can also go forward and has played in the ruck as well, he is right in the mix. I know some clubs around that pick six just after us are just waiting.”
Reid said despite a lack of cover for Reilly O’Brien in the ruck, the Crows would not look for tall depth this week – but could look for cover in the mid-season draft next year.
“There is a bit of risk there but we want to expose the height on the list,” he said.
Across Port Rd at Alberton, the Power are looking to use their three first-round picks (12, 16 and 18) to strengthen in all areas of the ground.
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Port’s national recruiting manager, Geoff Parker, said unless the Power live-traded some of its picks, the plan would be to get those three picks in and then take father-son prospect Jackson Mead.
“Generally you say (you want) the best talent but you can pick three of the same player,” he said on SEN SA.
“So we need to get that balance of the list right as best as we can so maybe you are looking at all thirds of the ground (with the three first round picks) this year.
“Last year we loaded up through the forward and midfield area of the ground with Connor (Rozee), Zak (Butters) and Xavier (Duursma).
“So this year we will probably try and spread it through the whole field.”
Parker said as a club, Port had interviewed about 80 prospects, while he himself had interviewed 50.
