Collingwood have already been busy wheeling and dealing picks… and they might not be done yet.
Plus an AFL draft guru has heaped praise on two South Australian prospects.
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PIES’ DRAFT PLANS REVEALED
More pick swaps could yet be on the way for Collingwood ahead of next month’s National Draft.
The Magpies have already made several trades to accumulate draft points for an early bid on father-son prospect Nick Daicos, leaving the club with selections 36, 38, 40, 46, 48, 55, 58, 78 and 79 this year.
And they mightn’t be done yet, with Pies recruiting manager Derek Hine revealing they’re keen to bring in another strong pick in addition to Daicos.
“We‘ve got three picks in the (third) round in 2022 and we’ve got an excess of picks this year where we can use to facilitate some trades leading into the draft,” Hine told AFL.com.au‘s Road to the Draft podcast.
“Hopefully prior to the draft we’ll be in a position where we’ve got the required points for Nick, and we’ve got to plan for the worst but hope for the best in that situation.”
“And then use the potential currency around future picks to be able to get ourselves back into the draft if there was an appetite to. There‘s a lot of variables there and a lot of our planning has been around trying to cover off around all of them.”
Hine revealed the Magpies would explore moving their first Pick, No. 36, as well as selections 38 and 40, but that they didn’t want to go into points deficit for next year.
Clubs have until Monday, November 15 to trade picks and then again during the draft from November 24 to 25.
PRAISE FOR TWO SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PROSPECTS
AFL Talent Ambassador and draft guru Kevin Sheehan has heaped praise on South Australian prospects Matthew Roberts and Arlo Draper.
Roberts looms as a potential top 20 pick after a strong second half of season for the Panthers in the SANFL.
Speaking on SEN SA’s Kymbo and The Rooch, Sheehan likened Roberts to Demons recruit Luke Dunstan.
“I think he (Roberts) was their best player for SA in the representative matches they played this year,” Sheehan said.
“He’s your safe bet, the left footer. He’s a bit like a Luke Dunstan, another boy from SA, strongly built, contested ball winner.
“Young Matty can get forward as he did in that Prelim Final where Jason Horne-Francis played so well, kicked a couple of goals in that game.
“He rises to every challenge. He’s a draftable player I think in the top 25.”
Meanwhile, Draper faces a delayed start to his first AFL pre-season due to an ACL joint injury. Alas, Sheehan thinks he has exciting potential.
“Arlo Draper’s an interesting one,” Sheehan said.
“He was a boy I first saw at the Under-16s over in Perth in 2019. He was playing on a back flank and Jason Horne-Francis was clearly best player clearly for SA that day, and Draper was the second best.
“But then he was injured and didn’t play the other couple of games as I recall. We’ve seen him play some good senior footy as a forward.
“We don’t know where many of these boys are going to end up in AFL careers. He’s got some exciting attributes and mercurial type of ability, no doubt.”
