Behind the scenes at the AFL National Draft: Jay Clark on why Essendon had to trade pick nine
Critics lashed Essendon’s decision to trade pick nine after Isaac Kako’s draft bid happened at selection 13. But, as JAY CLARK writes, it was a shrewd move the Bombers had to make. Go behind-the-scenes of the national draft.
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Blair Hartley’s phone was running hot when it came to pick 23.
North Melbourne was desperate for key forward Harry Armstrong and had offered up the Kangaroos’ future first-round pick for the Tigers’ 23 to jag the goal kicker.
But Hartley politely declined.
No way they were passing up on the goal kicker they had rated inside the top-15 on their own draft board.
It was the cream on the cake of a bumper draft night at Punt Rd.
At pick 14, Richmond took a pack-crashing forward Jonty Faull (who Sydney Swans loved and tried to trade up to grab) then the rebound jet Luke Trainor at 21, and Armstrong at 23 to build the next generation Richmond spine.
Faull is the one who will jump through a brick wall a bit like St Kilda’s Justin Koschitzke did, while Armstrong is the mobile floater and long-kicking left-footer.
There have been concerns about Trainor’s concussion history, but the Tigers were happy with the medical report.
Alex Rance was the king of the rebound game and Trainor has brilliant aerial skills in the back half.
At pick one, Sam Lalor is the Bacchus Marsh bull, who is not yet the full professional product, like perhaps Finn O’Sullivan (North Melbourne) and Jagga Smith (Carlton) already are.
But it’s the upside in Lalor the Tigers fell in love with.
The Tigers believe Lalor will boom when he commits to a full-time football program, in the same way Dustin Martin did with his aggression and fend-off power.
This is Sam Lalor 🔥#AFLDraft | #gotigespic.twitter.com/TDy3wee8P9
— Richmond FC 🯠(@Richmond_FC) November 20, 2024
He is a Hartley kind of player. Dangerous and damaging. Aggressive. Physically imposing.
Smooth-moving Josh Smillie is perhaps the risk, but with eight picks in hand, the Tigers can afford to take the punt on a 195cm playmaker and beautiful user who can be anything if he makes it as a giant-sized onballer.
And the deal with North Melbourne at the end was an extraordinary bonus, when the Roos finally handed over the future first-rounder (which Richmond knocked back only 15 minutes earlier) for pick 27.
That is when the Roos got the key forward they were after, landing Matt Whitlock to help partner Nick Larkey in attack, after missing on Armstrong.
BOOM OR BUST
For North Melbourne, this was as bold as we have seen for some time.
They have coughed up a potential top-three pick for the big fella they craved, hoping the club will bounce up the ladder next season like Hawthorn did in its third-year under Alastair Clarkson.
But did they pick the right twin? Some clubs had Jack ahead of new Roo Matt.
The cost looks enormous on the surface of it all, but perhaps it’s a bit of a final play from a club which needs to stop relying on the draft only to bring in talent.
They haven’t been able to attract stars as free agents, but perhaps this blue-chip young engine room can be the drawcard for potential recruits if it can flourish in 2025.
The midfield already looks stacked but Tasmania will make Colby McKercher a top target.
BOMBERS’ BLUNDER?
Mick Ablett dropped a bomb on Essendon, labelling their future-first round pick trade with Melbourne a disaster.
But there aren’t any alarm bells blaring at Tullamarine.
The reality is if Essendon kept pick nine in Wednesday night’s draft, Melbourne and St Kilda were a certainty to bid on him, knowing Essendon would match.
It was a tricky position for the Bombers who had to shift their pick into next year to avoid it being effectively wiped out.
It might have been an unsexy move, but it was the smart one. A patient one.
This year is a big one for some of its recent high picks such as Archie Perkins, Nik Cox, Zach Reid, Ben Hobbs and Elijah Tsatas.
And next year, if the Bombers and Demons both miss the finals (which could easily happen) they will have a pair of picks inside the first dozen or so.
Not quite a disaster.
PLOT REJECTED
St Kilda was another club which was busy on the phones.
The Saints were in a peculiar position as they needed midfield guns but landed two defenders in Alix Tauru and Tobie Travaglia.
Travaglia can move into the middle and has a huge tank which Ross Lyon will love, and Tauru can reel in breathtaking marks across half back.
But the Saints also had their eyes on busy left-footed small forward Joe Berry, and were prepared to dangle their future first-round pick for him with clubs in the teens.
But there were no takers.
Port Adelaide snaffled up the quick and clean goal kicker at pick 15, and that is when the Saints went quiet.
They put the first-round pick back in their pocket, and might offer the deal of a lifetime to GWS Giant to Finn Callaghan in a bid to lure him home.
The Giants would want multiple early picks in a trade.
A little taste of what's to come from Harry Oliver 👀 pic.twitter.com/goO44T2Te9
— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) November 21, 2024
BONE-JARRING GIANT
The Giants dance to the beat of their own drum at draft time.
After pulling out one of the shocks of last year’s draft snaring Phoenix Gothard earlier (pick 12) than most thought, they again did their own thing taking aggressive small forward Oliver Hannaford (18), running defender Harrison Oliver (19) and, in perhaps the biggest surprise, outside midfielder half forward Cody Angove (24).
But the Giants’ pick players who meet their chaos game style, and Hannaford might be the best tackler in this year’s crop.
Hannaford smashes into opposition defenders, wins the footy forward of the ball, and hits the scoreboard.
Hope you're as hyped as we are to see Ollie Hannaford in the orange and charcoal 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nzMorlrisD
— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) November 21, 2024
Fans will love him, and Giants’ recruiting boss Adrian Caruso has a great record taking gun small forwards like Brent Daniels and Darcy Jones.
It all fits Adam Kingsley’s style, and this is a club which had Sydney Swans and Brisbane on toast at times in last year’s finals series.
Oliver runs hard from behind the ball and the athletic link-up man Angove was more of a punt.
But they pick players for their system, regardless of where others rank them.
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