The 2023 AFL Draft is concluding tonight after a record-setting 29 picks were made in the opening round on Monday.
Four clubs – Brisbane, Fremantle, Port Adelaide and Richmond – will finally make their first selections.
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MORE AFL DRAFT
DRAFT TRACKER: Every pick, trade and bid by every club as they happen
TUESDAY LATE MAIL: All the intel heading into night two of the draft
It’s official! Reid joins West Coast | 03:55
TWO MORE TRADES AS PORT TAKE BOLTER
We had our fourth trade of night two as Port Adelaide moved up to use its first pick of the entire draft on Geelong Falcons small forward Thomas Anastasopoulos.
It saw the Power trade a future fourth-rounder for North Melbourne’s Pick 48 to nab Anastasopoulos in one of the big bolters.
“This young fella can actually get up and about and find the footy,” Fox Footy draft expert Mick Ablett said.
The Giants and St Kilda then made another trade, with GWS giving away its Pick 50 in exchange for a future third-rounder.
The Saints would use the 50th selection on Calder Cannons midfielder Hugo Garcia.
HUGE SLIDER AS MURPHY FALLS TO DOCKERS
In perhaps the biggest slider of the entire draft, Sandringham Dragons defender Ollie Murphy slipped all the way to Fremantle’s Pick 41.
Ranked 22nd by the Fox Footy lab, the 200cm Murphy was regarded as one of the best defenders of this crop, though his light frame means he’ll be something of a long-term project.
“When you have a glance at his CV you’ll wonder how he got to Pick 41. He’s the MVP for Vic Metro, that’s normally guaranteed a top 10,” Fox Footy draft expert Kevin Sheehan noted.
“He’s a tall defender, he’s 200cm and 85 kg, so he’s lightly built. But he’s got all the hallmarks of someone that can handle that pressure.
“He’s a one touch player makes great decisions on when to mark and when to spoil.”
Mick Ablett added: “He has got the potential to be one of the absolutely elite intercept defenders.”
FINAL TWO REMAINING NGA PLAYERS OFF THE BOARD
The two remaining NGA players, Tew Jiath (Hawthorn) and Luamon Lual (Western Bulldogs) didn’t make it past Pick 40 — the threshold of when those clubs linked can match any bids on them.
Jiath landed at Collingwood with Pick 36 to join the club he grew up supporting, while the Bombers pounced on Lual with selection 39.
“It’s amazing now what list managers and recruiting groups have got to be across .. another couple of picks and these guys can be walked through the door through the NGA programs,” Fox Footy draft expert Mick Ablett said.
“Very smart recruiting again from Adrian Dodoro, he’s aware of that and he’s got his man.”
EARLY TRADES AS TIGERS MOVE DOWN TWICE
Fremantle was clearly keen on Dandenong Stingrays midfielder Cooper Simpson, making a trade with Richmond to move up to Pick 35 to snag him.
The trade saw the Dockers acquire Pick 35 in exchange for the Tigers’ Pick 38 and a future third-rounder.
Richmond, which hadn’t used a pick at all yet, then pushed down the board a second time, trading Pick 38 to West Coast for Pick 40 and a future third.
The Eagles used Pick 38 on Peel Thunder midfielder Clay Hall.
It marked the third deal of night two, with Gold Coast flipping its Pick 51 for Brisbane’s future fourth.
CATS PINCH DOCKERS NGA PLAYER, VFL GUN IN DOUBLE DRAFT SURPRISE
With the 32nd pick, the Cats swooped on Fremantle Academy ruckman Mitch Edwards.
Labelled a “Tim English” clone by Fox Footy draft expert Mike Sheehan, the Peel Thunder/South Mandurah prospect gives Geelong a long-term ruckman to develop it can develop.
As he was taken inside the top 40 picks, the Dockers couldn’t match the bid. Other NGA players still on the board are Tew Jiath (Hawthorn), Luamon Lual (Western Bulldogs).
The Cats soon after used Pick 36 on VFL gun Shaun Mannagh, a small forward/midfielder who starred for Werribee this season.
It included the 26-year old racking up 28 possessions with six goals in a dominant showing, claiming the Norm Goss Memorial Medal as best on ground in a losing effort to Gold Coast.
“if anyone was watching the VFL grand final, this boy put on a clinic … did he show his true talent that day and say ‘pick me’. That was a ‘pick me’ game if ever I’ve seen one that ‘I am ready to play AFL in game one of next year’,” Fox Footy draft expert Kevin Sheehan said.
“A later developing player, we say that can be the case, not everyone is ready at 18 years of age … he’s been a star of the VFL in recent years.”
EAGLES ADD ANOTHER REID
Make it two Reids heading west.
The much anticipated first pick of night two of the draft belonged to the Eagles, using it on Gippsland Power’s Archer Reid.
The 203m key forward prospect is the younger brother of Essendon’s Zach Reid.
“A young boy that will take a little bit of time and is lightly built but jeez he’s got all the class to be a key forward into the future,” Fox Footy draft expert Kevin Sheehan said.
BIG DRAWBACK FROM EAGLES’ BOLD SNUB EMERGES
Despite major interest from rival clubs, West Coast opted not to trade away the No.1 pick, landing consensus top prospect Harley Reid on Monday night.
But the drawback became clear as the first round stretched longer and longer after they got things underway.
The Eagles’ second pick, the first of the second round, is all the way down at No.30 after compensation picks and Academy/father-son bids blew out the opening round to 29 selections.
The wooden spooners would’ve had a bounty of picks had they traded down from No.1, and with holes all over their list, many experts believed it was the smarter play to add as many high picks as possible, instead of relying on Reid to be the superstar he’s billed as.
They also missed out on Next Generation Academy prospect Lance Collard when he was selected by St Kilda at No.28, while Carlton draftee Ashton Moir (taken at No.29) was too linked to their second-round selection.
They do have the benefit of the 21-hour period between the end of the first round and the start of the second, with rival clubs making offers for the opening pick of the night to ensure they don’t miss out on their preferred prospect who slid out of the first round.
Foxfooty.com.au’s Ben Waterworth reported Gippsland Power tall Archer Reid, Peel Thunder ruck Mitch Edwards and Tasmanian rebounding defender Arie Schoenmaker are among those being considered by West Coast. See all of the late mail ahead of Round 2 here.
Edwards, a Fremantle Next Generation Academy prospect, is also in the sights of St Kilda reports the Herald Sun. Teams cannot match bids for NGA prospects inside the top 40.
Night two of the draft gets underway at 7pm AEDT, with Fox Footy and Kayo Sports the only place to watch every pick live.
‘He is a steal’ Adelaide trade up | 02:40
REMAINING 2023 AFL DRAFT ORDER (at start of night two)
Round 2
30. West Coast Eagles
31. Brisbane Lions
32. Geelong
33. St Kilda
34. Carlton
35. Richmond
36. Geelong
37. Collingwood
38. Fremantle
39. Essendon
40. West Coast Eagles
41. Fremantle
42. Brisbane Lions
43. Richmond
44. GWS Giants
Round 3
45. Western Bulldogs
46. Hawthorn
47. Western Bulldogs
48. North Melbourne
49. West Coast Eagles
50. GWS Giants
51. Gold Coast Suns
52. Hawthorn
Round 4
53. Hawthorn
54. Gold Coast Suns
55. Richmond
56. Gold Coast Suns
57. Richmond
58. Western Bulldogs
59. Sydney Swans
60. Carlton
61. Gold Coast Suns
62. Port Adelaide
63. Geelong
64. GWS Giants
65. Collingwood
Round 5
66. West Coast Eagles
67. Fremantle
68. Geelong
69. Gold Coast Suns
70. Sydney Swans
71. Sydney Swans
72. St Kilda
73. Hawthorn
74. Melbourne
75. Geelong
76. Collingwood
Round 6
77. Geelong
78. St Kilda
79. Port Adelaide
80. Collingwood
Round 7
81. Geelong
82. St Kilda
83. Port Adelaide
Round 8
84. Fremantle
85. Essendon
86. Western Bulldogs
87. Melbourne
88. Brisbane Lions
Round 9
89. Fremantle
90. Western Buldogs
91. Brisbane Lions
Round 10
92. Brisbane Lions
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