Essendon’s AFL draft strategy to replace key talls with prized first-round picks

Essendon has big plans for its prized selections in the AFL draft as it sets the foundation for its next era without Joe Daniher, Michael Hurley and Cale Hooker.

Essendon will replace its all-star spine on Wednesday when it drafts several big Victorians to help prepare for life after Joe Daniher, Michael Hurley and Cale Hooker.

The Bombers boast their best draft hand in history – picks No. 6, 7 and 8 – and are zeroing in on 200cm fullback Nik Cox and powerful midfielder Archie Perkins.

The Bombers can then match bids for academy prospects Cody Brand (195cm) and Josh Eyre (197cm), giving new coach Ben Rutten enough tall timber to build a new base for his team.

They are also big fans of Port Adelaide’s academy gun Lachie Jones and are considering bidding on the defender with one of their early picks.

DRAFT DOSSIER: PROFILES, STATS ON THE TOP PROSPECTS

Daniher walked out on the Bombers last month while fellow All-Australians Hurley, 30, and Hooker, 32, are coming towards the end of their careers.

Cox is unlikely to make it past Essendon’s trio of top-10 picks and securing the freakish athlete along with lockdown defender Brand and goalkicker Eyre would, quite literally, make it a big draft for the Bombers.

Nikolas Cox is one of the players Essendon has been looking at.

The Bombers are set to draft the next Cale Hooker and Michael Hurley.

Similarly, Carlton used the 2015 draft to build its spine by taking Jacob Weitering, Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow with three first-round picks.

Brand and Eyre are rated as second-round talents and, while Hawthorn is eyeing Eyre, the Bombers have the list spots to match bids and secure both players.

That would see the Bombers walk away with five draftees – the most in the AFL.

While Sydney (No. 3) or Hawthorn (No. 4) could swoop first on Perkins, rivals think both he and Cox will land at Tullamarine.

Cox stacked on 5kg of muscle this year although the query from recruiters is whether the Montmorency boy will be able to keep filling out his thin frame.

Archie Perkins has bolted up the draft board this year and is set to be a top-10 pick.

Former Northern Knights talent boss Rhy Gieschen said Cox had special traits, exemplified by a moment in Werribee last year.

“He took a mark leading, which took him outside 50m, and he wheeled to put it to the top of the square,” Gieschen said.

“But there weren’t many options, so he decided to go for home and it sailed through at goalpost height.

“That’s when clubs went, ‘Woah – he could be something pretty special’.

“It’s uncanny for a tall key position type player to be able to switch on to either the left or right foot and hit targets.

“That’s his No. 1 attribute.

“For a tall he’s got elite endurance, he ticks all the boxes athletically with his speed, he’s 200cm and still growing and he kicks the ball really well.”

While the prototype has been compared to Geelong’s Mark Blicavs, Cox grew up with a Sherrin in his hand and his father, Darryl, played 30 games for Fitzroy, Melbourne and Brisbane in the 1980s.

Recruiters have described the draft as an “unpredictable market” because they have not seen many of the elite prospects play this year.

It means clubs are poised to use top-10 picks on players they aren’t certain about.

“Pick 3 this year might be worth a pick 7 or 8 next year,” one club’s head recruiter said.

Recruiting budgets at most clubs have been slashed by 35-40 per cent and talent spotters are unsure how often they’ll be able to travel interstate to watch games next year.

They are also expecting to conduct initial draft interviews over Zoom to save money going forward and are lamenting the redundancies felt by dozens this year.