It's that one-and-only night on the AFL calendar. No, the Brownlow Medal count hasn't been delayed a couple of months. It's draft night. The big occasion when the 18 clubs make vital decisions about new personnel .... decisions that can eventually result in premierships.
It's that one-and-only night on the AFL calendar. No, the Brownlow Medal count hasn't been delayed a couple of months. It's draft night. The big occasion when the 18 clubs make vital decisions about new personnel .... decisions that can eventually result in premierships.
I'll be sharing draft night with all of you, trying to make heads and tails of proceedings. I'm already particularly interested in Tasmanian twins Kade and Jake Kolodjashnij. What a great name! But what are the chances of one of them ending up in Queensland (likely - Kade to the Gold Coast) and other (Jake) finding his way to Western Australia. Perish the thought ...null
Some last-minute thoughts from a name closely associated with AFL recruiting ... the one-and-only Kevin 'Shifter' Sheehan. He is saying the top-end of the AFL national draft will be among the most talented in history. The league's AFL's national and international development manager, expects the bulk of the top 10 picks can become to become long-term success stories.
"The clubs can't lose in that top 10, I reckon it could end up one of the best top 10s of all time," Sheehan told reporters. Read more
The Bombers are busy, even though they don't enter the draft until pick 26:
All is in readiness for tonight's #AFLDraft. Adrian Dodoro & Merv Keane read over their notes. #DraftDons pic.twitter.com/Rn44xj9v9l — Essendon FC (@EssendonFC) November 21, 2013
There's some serious last-minute swotting going on ... Most of the prospective draftees are merely unknown names for pundits at the moment. Six months from now (three months in some cases!) they'll be hot on the lips of footy fans across the country.
We all know that our very own Emma Quayle is the out-and-out expert on AFL draft matters. As always, the industry expert has made her predictions as to how the first round will pan out. Check it out HERE, including answers to all your questions.
This is a seriously long preamble from Demetriou and other AFL folk .... The night is getting milked for everything that it's worth. We even just got a reminder for everyone to turn off their mobile phone!
There it is ... it's official. Thomas Boyd goes to the Giants with the No.1 pick. Simply no surprises at all ...
The big fella gets presented on stage. Boyd is adamant that his selection was no certainty until his name was all read out. "Until we get our name read out, it's all hearsay," Boyd says.
Good luck tweeting at #AFLDraft "mobile phones to be turned off" will all draft picks get a choc top as well? #notthemovies — Sean Callanan (@seancallanan) November 21, 2013
The Giants don't mess around, do they?
"I'm super excited to get started at the GIANTS - they're a really exciting club." Tom Boyd on joining the club. #StandTall #AFLDraft — GWS Giants (@GWS_Giants) November 21, 2013
The top three selections are locked in: Tom Boyd, Josh Kelly and Jack Billings. They represent Eastern Rangers, Sandringham Dragons and Oakleigh Chargers respectively. A great start for Victoria!
And the best name of the draft, Kade Kolodjashnij, goes to the Gold Coast with pick No.5. James Aish goes to the Brisbane Lions with the next selection.
AFL boss Andrew Demetriou is welcoming all guest to the draft function ... and, naturally, special congratulations to the Hawthorn Football Club for their premiership victory. So much water seems to have passed under the bridge since then.null
Melbourne goes for Christian Salem with their first round pick, No.9 overall. That leaves Collingwood with the next pick to choose Nathan Freeman. Magpies have used their two top 10 selections.
Freeman is a line-breaking midfielder who finished first in the repeat sprint at the Draft Combine. Speed + stamina are his go #piespicks — Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) November 21, 2013
A quick re-cap of the top 10:
1 - Tom Boyd
2 - Josh Kelly
3 - Jack Billings
4 - Marcus Bontempelli
5 - Kade Kolodjashnij
6 - Marcus Scharenberg
7 - James Aish
8 - Luke McDonald
9 - Christian Salem
10 - Nathan Freeman
We're racing through the picks now ... up to selection No.25. But the Brisbane Lions are taking their time!
Here comes Essendon ... The Bombers get their first selection (who can forget those draft penalties?), No.26 overall: Zachary Merrett goes to Essendon.
So, the Tassie twins are sorted out. With Kade heading to the Gold Coast, Jake Kolodjashnij has just been snapped up by Geelong.
.@Jake_Kola is a tall defender who loves to attack! Great teacher in @HTSeven! #InWellsWeTrust — Geelong Cats (@GeelongCats) November 21, 2013
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE! We've got our first 'pass' of the draft ... the Giants decide enough is enough and don't use the No.48 pick. No more bids!
We're well into the third round of the draft. Check out a full list of the selections so far click HERE.
OK, let's look at the stuff that really matters ... What about some of the best names of the draft ...
Kade Kolodjashnij (Gold Coast)
Jake Kolodjashnij (Geelong)
Jarman Impey (Port Adelaide)
Aliir Aliir (Sydney Swans)
Tom Barrass (West Coast) .... that's a great footy name!
Orazio Fantasia (Essendon)
Mitch Honeychurch (Western Bulldogs)
Lauchlan Dalgleish (Essendon)
Well, we're deep into the fifth and sixth founds - the territory where players get recycled (usually rookie elevations) by their clubs. Ed Curnow (Carlton), Sam Dwyer (Collingwood), Brett Goodes (Western Bulldogs) and Dane Rampe (Sydney) are some of the offerings.
That wraps up our live coverage of this year's draft .... But it's certainly far from over. Stay with this website for the expert analysis from the best in the business Emma Quayle, news on the ground from Michael Gleeson and Andrew Stafford. And for a complete list of this year's picks, click HERE.
Initial, off the top thoughts... I really like Brisbane's group. Aish and Taylor #wow — Emma Quayle (@emmasq) November 21, 2013
That stand-out name among the young guns, a player clubs shied away from last year, Dayle Garlett, finds his way to Hawthorn with pick No.38 overall. Fascinating.