Greater Western Sydney will have the first three picks in November’s AFL national draft and five of the first 13 after further boosting their stocks in a trade with Melbourne.
The deal delivered Northern Territory speedster Dominic Barry to the Demons and the right to recruit exciting WA 17-year-old power forward Jesse Hogan, along with draft pick No.20 from the Giants.
Melbourne gave up draft picks No.3 and No.13 in return, still leaving them with No.4, which they have been trying to use to snare Collingwood pair Chris Dawes and Sharrod Wellingham.
The imposing Hogan, already 195cm and 97.4kg, will have to spend next year in the VFL under rules governing the select group of four 17-year-olds the Giants were able to trade away this year and last.
Barry, who was able to be traded by the Giants under their NT zone concession, has been playing with North Ballarat in the TAC Cup under 18 competition.
The Giants, who already had the No.1 draft pick as wooden spooners, picked up the No.2 choice on Monday in a deal which gave Gold Coast the right to draft 17-year-old Jack Martin.
They also gained the No.12 pick from St Kilda as part of a deal to net the Saints 21-year-old key forward Tom Lee.
It means GWS now have picks one, two, three, 12 and 13.
The Giants engineered a similar scenario last year, when they also used recruiting concessions designed to help them gain experienced players from other AFL clubs to instead snare 11 of the first 14 picks in the national draft.
“We are focused on securing the best young talent available to ensure the long-term success of the Giants,” GWS list manager Stephen Silvagni said.
“To have five of the first 13 selections, on top of the 11 first-round picks we had last year, puts us in the position to build on an already exciting young list.”
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