Crows, Power face tough task to get a top four draft pick, warns Kevin Sheehan

Adelaide and Port Adelaide’s hopes of moving up the AFL draft order have been made tougher with draft expert Kevin Sheehan declaring four players have separated themselves from the pack.

VYING FOR NO. 1: Top Victorian draft contender Sam Walsh. Picture: Robert Prezioso Picture: AFL Media/Getty Images

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Adelaide and Port Adelaide’s hopes of moving up the AFL draft board have been made tougher, with draft expert Kevin Sheehan declaring four players have separated themselves from the pack.

A week before what Sheehan described as the strongest draft since the 2001 “Super Draft’’, the AFL talent ambassador said South Australians Jack Lukosius and Izak Rankine and Victorians Sam Walsh and Max King had emerged as the four standout prospects.

This complicates the Crows and Power’s chances of packaging picks to move into the top four.

Port currently has high-end selections 5, 10 and 15. Adelaide owns picks 8, 13, 16 and 21.

Sheehan conceded it would be tough for the two clubs to find a trade partner in the top four — Carlton has pick 1, Gold Coast 2 and 3 and St Kilda 4 — because of the clear gap between the core four and the rest.

“They are the four players who, for me, are in the conversation to be taken at pick 1,’’ Sheehan told The Advertiser.

“King, Lukosius, Rankine and Walsh — you could make a strong case for all of them to go at No. 1, based on their performances in the past few years, their potential and their ability to change games.

“The beauty of this draft is that it does allow you to trade up and that will be a conversation right up until the draft (on November 22 and 23) as to what clubs are prepared to trade to move up.

“But it might take a fair bit to get into that top four.’’

The Suns and Saints have publicly stated they are happy with their draft position and that it would take an “extraordinary’’ offer to trade a top-four selection.

Clubs can trade picks until Friday and then again at the draft.

Walsh — favourite to be taken at pick 1 by the Blues — is a midfielder, King and Lukosius are key forwards and Rankine is a speedy small forward/midfielder.

Sheehan said even if the Power and Crows don’t trade their picks they hold very strong draft hands.

Izak Rankine of South Australia runs with the ball during the U18 AFL Championships Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

“They will still get some very good kids,’’ he said.

“So that is a tough decision both clubs have to make. Do they try to give up a lot to get one of the top four or do they hold what they’ve got because there is still some very good players later in the top 10 and through the teens.’’

Six Croweaters could be selected in the top 25, with North Adelaide’s Connor Rozee, Central District’s Jackson Hately and Jez McLennan and Norwood’s Luke Valente joining Woodville-West Torrens’ Lukosius and West Adelaide’s Rankine in being firmly in the mix.

South Adelaide’s Tom Sparrow could be a top-25 bolter.

But Sheehan warned Port and Adelaide not to be fixated with the locals.

“Obviously there is a lot of terrific South Australians in this draft and there’s been a lot of talk about them but it is a very strong draft overall,’’ he said.

“Clubs would be wise to take the best available talent and then back themselves in to keep them.’’

Power football manager Chris Davies has publicly stated his club will take a “best player available’’ philosophy into the draft.

Originally published as Crows, Power face tough task to get a top four draft pick, warns Kevin Sheehan