The 2023 AFL Draft has arrived.
Tonight sees the first round of the draft, with dynamic midfielder Harley Reid set to hear his name called out with the opening selection just after 7pm AEDT. West Coast will hold onto the prized selection and bring Reid west after months of trade speculation and attempts from North Melbourne, Melbourne, and Hawthorn to earn the right of calling Harley's name out.
Up to 29 picks are expected tonight, with a further 30-odd to come on Tuesday. The rookie draft will round out proceedings at 3pm on Wednesday.
After Reid will come North Melbourne's likely selections of Colby McKercher and Zane Duursma, but that's where the draft really starts.
There are two picks that will dictate the top-10, starting with Hawthorn at pick 4. Excitement machine Nick Watson is the favourite to land at Waverley Park, but WA key defender Dan Curtin remains in calculations and his selection would see a flow-on effect.
Similarly, the Giants at pick 7 have canvassed numerous offers in the case that Curtin slides, with the Eagles and Crows scrambling to find a trade.
The Giants' decision hinges on one crucial question that's difficult for Adrian Caruso's team to answer: can a player at pick 7 help them win a flag next year?
If not, it makes sense to trade into the possible pick 1 position next year with West Coast, where prolific midfielders are abundant. But giving up their position in the top-10 would be difficult for a side that came within a point of a Grand Final appearance in its first season under Adam Kingsley.
More offers will come for GWS' pick 7 -- the Crows have offered a package including 10, 14 and a future second-rounder for 7 and 16. Hawthorn has enquired about trading their future first, while North Melbourne remains the wildcard at this point. It has been well-reported that Alastair Clarkson had an extended stay at Daniel Curtin's house in Perth on Sunday, but it may not be at picks 2 and 3 where North is eyeing the interceptor.
Could the Roos offer up their future first alongside one of their later first-rounders to bring in the defender that they have rated inside the top handful this year? It's an enticing package which would allow the Giants a shot at pick 1 next year and another first-round talent to aid their premiership bid in 2024.
All of that makes live pick trading inevitable tonight. There are four deals set to go through before West Coast is on the clock, with Brisbane trading up for Gold Coast's pick 24, Fremantle moving up to the Suns' pick 36, and the Saints doing two separate deals with the Demons and Suns to acquire pick 27.
These deals will help Gold Coast avoid a points deficit, with the club set to match bids on four first-round academy prospects on Monday night.
Past the first dozen names that are a consensus among recruiters, an even spread of 30 or so prospects will lead to bolters and sliders across both nights.
There's a fascination in where superboot Tasmanian Arie Schoenmaker fits into the draft puzzle. Additionally, the leadership and professionalism of George Stevens is juxtaposed with a movement away from slow inside midfielders; it has clubs split on the AFL Academy captain's standing.
With the intrigue of live trading and lineball calls at the top of the board, the AFL Draft promises to be must-watch for supporters of all 18 clubs.
You can tune into live coverage of the 2023 AFL Draft from 7pm AEDT on Monday and Tuesday night via Fox Footy or the AFL Live app.
Every club's draft picks
Adelaide: 10, 14, 20
Brisbane: 30, 39, 51, 54, 65
Carlton: 22, 28, 68
Collingwood: 19, 33, 72, 80, 84
Essendon: 9, 31, 35
Fremantle: 34, 46, 60, 63, 74
Geelong: 8, 25, 70, 75, 79, 81, 85
Gold Coast: 24, 26, 27, 32, 36, 38
GWS: 7, 16, 43, 59, 71
Hawthorn: 4, 44, 47, 49, 61, 62
Melbourne: 6, 11, 42, 78
North Melbourne: 2, 3, 15, 17, 18, 57
Port Adelaide: 69, 83, 87
Richmond: 29, 41, 64, 66
St Kilda: 13, 21, 40, 77, 82, 86
Sydney: 12, 45, 55, 76
West Coast: 1, 23, 37, 58, 73
Western Bulldogs: 5, 48, 50, 52, 53, 56, 67