For the second year in the row Carlton have shaken up the first night of the draft with some live trading, making two deals to shift their picks during the night.
The first four picks went as expected with Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson joining Gold Coast at the first two selections, Luke Jackson to Melbourne at pick 3, and Lachie Ash to GWS after.
However Sydney then dropped one of the first surprises of the night by picking Dylan Stephens at pick 5, setting off a chain of events that saw Sam Flanders, their expected pick, slide down the order.
Adelaide and Fremantle went with their expected picks – Fisher McAsey to the Crows, and Hayden Young and Caleb Serong to the Dockers – leaving Flanders still on the board for the Blues.
Carlton made bids on Liam Henry and Tom Green, matched by Fremantle and GWS respectively, then swapped their selection for two from Gold Coast, with the Suns jumping up to add Flanders to their list.
Will Day landed at Hawthorn, Miles Bergman at Port Adelaide, and Cody Weightman at the Bulldogs, as had been widely expected ahead of time.
However Geelong lobbed another surprise by taking Cooper Stephens a few picks earlier than expected, and Carlton took a slider in Brodie Kemp thereafter.
Probably the biggest shock of the night came at the next pick, as Port Adelaide picked up Mitch Georgardies, a key forward prospect who missed the entire year with injury.
Geelong picked a key defender in Sam De Koning before Carlton made another trade, giving Port Adelaide the first pick of Day 2 to move up to pick 20, and select something of a bolter in Sam Philp.
Richmond had the final pick of the evening and selected Thomson Dow.
The big slider of the evening was Deven Robertson however who was invited to the first night of the draft but will go home still not knowing which AFL club he will land at.
Robertson was linked to potentially go to Fremantle as early as pick 8, but the prolific inside mid surprisingly saw a number of players of his type in Stephens, Philp and Dow taken ahead of him.
Clubs would not have expected Robertson to still be available tomorrow and with Port holding the first pick of the day, the Power can expect to field offers from sides who’d love to move up the order and snag him.
Teams like Hawthorn and Essendon in particular are known to be willing to move on their 2020 first-round pick to get back into this draft, and would be keen to land a player like Robertson.
| 2019 AFL Draft | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gold Coast | Matt Rowell |
| 2 | Gold Coast | Noah Anderson |
| 3 | Melbourne | Luke Jackson |
| 4 | GWS | Lachie Ash |
| 5 | Sydney | Dylan Stephens |
| 6 | Adelaide | Fisher McAsey |
| 7 | Fremantle | Hayden Young |
| 8 | Fremantle | Caleb Serong |
| 9 | Fremantle | Liam Henry |
| 10 | GWS | Tom Green |
| 11 | Gold Coast | Sam Flanders |
| 12 | Melbourne | Kysaiah Pickett |
| 13 | Hawthorn | Will Day |
| 14 | Port Adelaide | Miles Bergman |
| 15 | Western Bulldogs | Cody Weightman |
| 16 | Geelong | Cooper Stephens |
| 17 | Carlton | Brodie Kemp |
| 18 | Port Adelaide | Mitch Georgiades |
| 19 | Geelong | Sam De Koning |
| 20 | Carlton | Sam Philp |
| 21 | Richmond | Thomson Dow |
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Generally they involve a lot more expletives surrounding it.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Heard a lot of words used to describe Dodoro before, but ‘boring’? That’s a first.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
I am happy they nabbed all four actually. That gives 39 on the senior list, I assume Sam Draper is still on the rookies list. Essendon have been clever picking Lachlan Johnson, he would likely have been selected in the rookie draft as a son of Chris under the father son rule. I always suspected that one of the WA clubs had planned to rookie draft Matt Guelfi in 2017 but were thwarted by Essendon selecting him with pick 76 in the draft.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
I think Carlton nailed it! They wanted Kemp at 11 and were able to push back to 17 and still get him plus an extra selection at 20. Yes we will have to wait and see whether they would've been better off going for Robertson or Sharp but maybe Philp will be a surprise. Turns out Richmond wanted to pick him at 21 so obviously he is highly rated.. SOS didn't trade up to 20 for no reason. As a neutral can't help but admire what SOS has managed since that much talked about trade last year.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
I watched a bit of Dev, you don't win the Larke medal by a fluke. I really don't see much difference between him and Serong if I'm brutally honest yet obviously the recruiters saw differently. However, the more I hear and see Hayden Young the more I'm keen on Him, seems a character. Am however disappointed to not get any of Robertson, Sharp, Rivers or Taylor. Just feel like this has been the best WA crop to come through in years and it's a shame we only got 1 of them.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Cheers
JamesH
Roar Guru
Happy that they nabbed Jones!
JamesH
Roar Guru
Or they were just really keen on Robertson?
IAP
Guest
You hav to go to a private school to get drafted now. Makes you wonder how much talent is being missed because they’re not in the right place at the right time. Does anyone know if recruiters watch local games anymore? Or is it TAC cup (or its equivalent) and state leagues only?
Macca
Roar Rookie
Just sold it (an a future 4th) to Brisbane for 23 and a future second - I assume the lions have some academy player next year that makes their future second worthless?!
Johnno
Roar Rookie
Fair call.......I hope your right & he proves all the 13 clubs that passed him up wrong.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
The Bombers might be interested in one or two other players apart from Robertson in which case the 2nd or 3rd pick tonight would still do very well. This is a deep draft and there will still be very good players available for their second round picks if they can't move up the draft.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
I get what you're saying I just disagreed with your assessment, stack only issue was he came from a impoverished background.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
He will and will be a elite player, Sam Mitchell, Tom Mitchell and Matt priddas all had detractors on their ability and ppl thought Fyfe was a skinny average half forward at best and Braun, Neale and embley where picks in the 50s, I reckon Robertson will end up like those boys and will excel.
Johnno
Roar Rookie
If I remember Stack had some outside issues also.......no doubting Robertson’s ability, he has slipped quite a lot, all I am saying is he he doesn’t fit our list requirements at 7 & 8 and that it is up to Freo to make the right environment so players will stay. Another 12 clubs passed on him also. He may turn out to be a jet, I hope so, but that is for the future to decide.
IAP
Guest
Just had a look - there's some handy players on there, even the one and only Danny Southern!
Jonboy
Roar Rookie
Hope Robertson gets his child hood dream and lands at the Eagles he will be a bit like Matsen play a lot of games without being spectacular. Good luck to him, he will go early today one would think.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
If you check out the list of Larke medallist you'll see he's elite, saw him at Perth a few times last season and the detracting ones only seem to take what journos are saying as some sort of gospel. They did that with Sydney stack aswell last year.
Johnno
Roar Rookie
Yes......Freo lacks speed, good disposal & midfielders. Robertson is a midfielder but lacks the other attributes. It is up to Freo now to do enough so these guys and a lot of others want to stay. If you are successful & have. Good environment hen players will want to stay. You don’t recruit local players as they will stay if you are unsuccessful. Positive.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
Melbourne took him last night