Phantom Draft: Every pick, bid predicted for the first two rounds of the 2025 AFL Draft

Who goes where in this week’s draft? Where do the bids happen? Which trades turn the count on its head? Chris Cavanagh unpacks the first two rounds of the draft.

It shapes as the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it AFL Draft.

With a squeeze on list spots and pressure on list management teams resulting in fewer risks being taken, expectations are that around 50 players will be selected in the national draft on November 19 and 20.

Among those 50, there are tipped to be between 15 and 20 bids on club-tied talent – including four in the first six selections alone.

RECAP CHRIS CAVANAGH’S LIVE DRAFT Q&A BELOW, AND SCROLL DOWN FOR HIS FULL PHANTOM DRAFT

Recruiters believe the 2024 national draft will go down as one of the best in recent memory.

While they aren’t saying the same about 2025, there are plenty of players who have the potential to be future AFL stars — they are just not quite as advanced in their development as last year’s crop.

The bidding frenzy that is coming will change the draft order dramatically, but so too will some mooted trades.

Carlton currently holds picks 9 and 11 but is weighing up trading both selections as it looks to match bids on father-son Harry Dean and Next Generation Academy prospect Jack Ison.

The Blues also have next year in mind, where they will need the points to match an expected top-two bid on another father-son prospect in Cody Walker.

While any deals might not be done until draft night, West Coast is in the frame to grab pick 9 from Carlton in exchange for picks 13 and 34.

Such a deal would nudge the Eagles a touch higher up the board, while providing Carlton with a few more points for bid-matching purposes this year.

There have also been talks held with Adelaide, which is pondering trading a future first-round pick for Carlton’s pick 11.

It would leave the Crows with two first-round picks this year — at 11 and 16 — as this year’s minor premier’s look to make hay while the sun shines and push for a premiership in coming years.

The other potential pick swap to watch is between Essendon and Gold Coast.

Essendon could swap picks 21 and 27 to the Suns for picks 18 and 36.

Such a deal would bank a few more points for the Suns to match bids on Academy talents including Zeke Uwland, Dylan Patterson and Jai Murray.

It would also allow the Bombers to grab another high-end pick ahead of a bid for Next Generation Academy prospect Adam Sweid, which is expected to come in the early 20s.

Those mooted deals have been factored in to this Early Phantom Draft, which has been compiled after conversations with a raft of industry sources in recent days.

Here’s the latest mail on who your club could land later this month.

Originally published as Phantom Draft: Every pick, bid predicted for the first two rounds of the 2025 AFL Draft