AFL Draft 2024: Brisbane hopeful Levi Ashcroft slides down order to avoid going into points deficit

Nick Daicos slid to pick 4 in the 2021 draft in a huge win for the Pies. Brisbane are hoping for a similar slide for Levi Ashcroft, or they will have to go into ‘points deficit’. JON RALPH has more.

Brisbane will be hopeful of a Nick Daicos-style slide down the draft order for Levi Ashcroft as it seeks to take a third draft selection on Wednesday behind the much-hyped father-son and academy mid Sam Marshall.

Richmond, North Melbourne and Carlton have the first three picks in the national draft and are all adamant that they will make a bid for Ashcroft where they have him in their draft order despite his certain move to Brisbane.

Adelaide might end up moving up to the No.2 draft pick but has already shown it will bid on elite talent after the Dogs matched its bid for Jamarra Ugle-Hagan as the No.1 pick in the 2020 national draft.

The league has already warned clubs against any side deals in trades which would see them overlooking players like Ashcroft in the draft in return for preferable treatment in other deals to come.

If Levi Ashcroft is bid on before pick 4, the Lions face the prospect of going into points deficit. Picture: Getty Images

But there is every chance Ashcroft slides out of the top three selections given the exceptional evenness of that group of midfielders, which has No.1 draft contender Finn O’Sullivan still a chance to slip out of the top eight.

In the 2021 national draft Collingwood was able to use picks 38, 40, 42, and 44 for Daicos after the draft’s most dominant player slid to pick four, where the Suns bid on him.

Instead of having to secure 2400 draft points (pick one is worth 3000 points, plus a 20 per cent father-son deduction), the Pies needed to find only 1627 points for a player who already looks a generational talent.

The Magpies had enough points left over to take Arlo Draper (pick 45), Cooper Murley (pick 49) and Harvey Harrison (pick 52).

Nick Daicos went at pick four in his draft year. Picture: Mark Stewart

Brisbane’s current draft hand is 27, 34, 42, 43, 49, 58, and is cumulatively worth 2650 points in a system where individual draft picks have a points value assigned to them.

A Richmond bid at No.1 for Levi Ashcroft would all but wipe out that draft hand after the Lions matched the selection.

A bid at four or later would still give the Lions enough points to match a second bid on Coates League Grand Final best-afield Sam Marshall, who could be selected in the early 20s.

Brisbane is keen to take a third selection later in the draft, and also has a spot available on its list for delisted free agent Sam Day later in the summer.

The Herald Sun revealed during the trade period he was the club’s first preference to replace the retiring Joe Daniher given his capacity to crash packs up forward and also play second ruck.

Brisbane is only allowed to have as many draft selections as it has open list spots entering draft night under AFL rules.

But it is allowed to make further trades again on draft night so could trade 27 or 34 for multiple later picks to continue accumulating its tally of draft points to match bids on Ashcroft and Marshall.

Trading pick 20 for Richmond’s 32,42,43 and 45 meant it handed over a pick worth 912 points for selections worth 1704 points.

Next year the league’s changes to the bidding system will mean clubs get only a 10 per cent discount on father-son picks, picks after No.54 have no points attached to them, and the value of picks outside the top 10 drops away much more quickly.

The league hopes it forces clubs to retain first-round draft picks when securing academy and father-son talent and pay a fairer price overall for elite talent.

Clubs believe as many as eight of the top 25 picks will be academy talent, with academy players chosen in the AFL Academy squad last week including Beau Addinsall, Daniel Annable, Lachlan Carmichael, Noah Chamberlain, Dylan Patterson, Kalani White (also father-son eligible at Melbourne) and possible No.1 pick Zeke Uwland.