With picks 2 and 3 in the 2018 National Draft, the structure of the draft lies in the hands of the Gold Coast Suns.
The Suns are projected to go after South Australian lead up forward Jack Lukosius and goal kicking small forward Izak Rankine on November 22.
However, both Adelaide clubs have already issued a strong warning to the Suns that they will go after the two SA youngsters in the coming years when out of contract.
Which brings the Gold Coast to the reoccurring nightmare of players departing to rival clubs.
To stop the trend of players leaving the club, it is only rational for the Suns to draft Sandringham twin brothers Max and Ben King.
Ben is predicted to be picked up later in the draft than Max but to stop the exits of players from their list, the Suns will have to sacrifice a generational talent like Lukosius to move forward for the future.
The East Sandringham juniors and Haileybury college students have played all their football together, albeit at either ends of the ground.
Max being a more natural forward and Ben likewise a backman, they provide a futuristic replacement to recent departures Tom Lynch and Steven May.
Both standing in excess of 200cm and 86kg, Max and Ben are an AFL preseason away from a prosperous career.
An ACL injury in a school match for Haileybury College against Geelong Grammar in April saw the end of Max’s season and a slide in the draft order from his 2017 predicted number one.
Yet in the same match, Ben swung forward to fill the void of Max’s absence and slotted a jaw dropping ten goals.
Gold Coast Suns players show their emotions (Photo by Sean Garnsworthy/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Both have said they would love to play with each other at some stage in their careers.
As the McGovern brothers have shown in recent years, getting to a club to play alongside your brother once in the AFL system is an extremely difficult task.
If picked up by the Suns, the Kings will thrive on the opportunity to play alongside each other, reflecting that in their immense competitiveness and loyalty on the field: withstanding a flowing exodus of players.
Max has been completing his recovery at St Kilda and is an almost certainty to be picked up by the Saints if he slips to pick four.
With St Kilda having pick four and then 36 it is highly unlikely Max and Ben will be at the same club if looked passed by the Suns.
However, if drafted by the Suns, both Lukosius and Rankine will slip to St Kilda, who has the opportunity to complete the inaugural live trade on draft night to enhance their early round picks.
Adelaide having picks 8 and 13 and Port Adelaide picks 5, 10 and 15, and both desperate for South Australian talent, the Saints will find themselves in a strong position if Gold Coast picks up the Kings.
With this year being labelled the ‘super draft’, the Suns are undeniably going to walk away with an abundance of talent from picks 2, 3, 6, 24, 29 and 80.
It is just whether or not they make the right choices that result in them still having that talent in years to come.
Professor X
Guest
You're a smart one Paul. The king seem like they are happy to play at gold coast and Stephen May and Tom Lynch replacements. I just have a feeling that lukosius will go back home in a couple of years if gc take him. What gold coast should do is really stop over relying on top 10 picks. The last time me eagles had a top 10 pick was 2010 AFL drafting with Gaff. GWS has had 22 top 10 picks and gold coast have had 10. A Yet the eagles won the premiership. You need mid range picks. There is plenty of quality players from picks 16-36. Witherden was pick 25.
Aligee
Roar Rookie
Seem to have the same sort of build like the Reid Brothers who were drafted years ago now, they are probably similar type players as well - who knows the draft is a lottery.
Ditto
Roar Rookie
Sunscape, it sounds like a pretty good pick swap, especially if St Kilda are ambivalent to which twin they take ( pick 16 or 17 is plain wrong) but if I were St Kilda I'd be a little more greedy and ask for pick 29 as well and give back pick 46 in the deal.
Paul ThompsonWhy
Guest
Why is 3 Young Ballarat Footballers being Drafted to Brisbane any different than 3 Young Footballers from Adelaide being Drafted to Gold Coast.
Keith Brown
Guest
Grow up! That is the media beat up on an innocent comment, oft repeated by many a Vic club.
Ditto
Roar Rookie
It's a fair point, if GC do take the Kings at 2&3 the likelihood is that Bailey Smith who is also a Sandringham product will fall to pick 6. That looks a pretty good set.
Larry1950
Guest
Virtually every article about the Suns skipping Lukosius & Rankine seems to be written by supporters of SA clubs with a vested interest in them staying in that state. Has Tyler declared his allegiance elsewhere, not sure who he follows but reckon the Suns take the SA kids & ignore threats as tampering.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Going after all three SA youngsters, not bad.
Sunscape
Guest
No. No. No. They have to take Luko then either Rozee or Rankine, however there could be a better way on the horizon. Gerald Healy has reported that Pick 6 and 24 could be traded to St Kilda for Pick 4, which then opens up the opportunity to grab all three. The Kings are not game changers and should not be drafted within the top 10, maybe by pick 16-17 at best.
sammy
Guest
I don't recall Adelaide threatening GC - only Cripps. But as for draft tampering, surely the word coming from the King twins and Smith lately that they are not very interested in leaving Victoria is far more worthy of being looked at for draft tampering
David Gazia
Guest
I find the scaremongering of the Gold Coast Suns tasteless. Do people really think they will draft the King brothers , for the purpose of player retention. They will go best available which will be clearly 2 of either Walsh , Rankine or Luko. The AFL need to change the system so clubs aren't held to ransom by players that have been in it 5 minutes. Time to play hardball Gold Coast , and also lobby behind the scenes to have the system changed a bit more in the clubs favour.
Paul D
Roar Guru
If I was the Suns I'd go the King twins. Lions have shown the way forward, drafting a cluster of Vic youngsters all from the same patch in recent years, Mcluggage, Berry and Cox all from the North Ballarat rebels - bringing in McCarthy to keep Neale company - this is the path for retaining players. As you say, if they have both Kings, it will be very difficult for other clubs to break them up. If they draft Lukosius and Rankine and have them walk in a few years, even for a huge draft pay-off, you have to question what is the point.
Vigour
Guest
The SA clubs warning to the Suns about who they should or shouldn’t pick with their picks is draft tampering, pure and simple. Call it out, don’t pander to them!