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North Melbourne will not bid at pick No.1 on either Collingwood’s feted father-son Nick Daicos or Western Bulldogs’ father-son recruit Sam Darcy, in what will be a small relief for the Magpies and Bulldogs.
Sources have confirmed that North will call out the name of Jason Horne-Francis at pick one – the club’s choice an open secret in recruiting circles – and the Kangaroos want their first pick, a gifted inside and outside midfielder from South Australia, to know that they rate him as the best player in the draft.
Father-son prospects Sam Darcy, left, and Nick Daicos.
The Magpies have already been told that North will not bid on Daicos, but sources at AFL clubs said they had not received any such guarantee from Greater Western Sydney, who have also indicated interest in drafting a tall at that choice – a positional need that clubs believe make it more likely that the Giants will place a bid for 203-centimetre Darcy, the son of ex-star ruckman Luke Darcy, at pick two.
If the Giants do not bid for Daicos at pick two or three (they can bid for more than one player under the system), then it appears likely that Gold Coast will bid on the son of Collingwood great Peter Daicos with the Suns’ first pick (No.3 or No.4, depending on whether there is a bid for Darcy).
Horne-Francis has been a standout for South Adelaide this year, with the ability to win the ball in the midfield trenches, play outside the contest and kick goals when stationed forward.
Many recruiters rate him as best player in the pool, though there are others who have Daicos as the best, in a draft that has been rendered difficult to assess due to the lack of under-19 games in Victoria compared to SA and Western Australia.
As pick one in the national draft, Horne-Francis would also be entitled to $10,000 from the AFL sponsor NAB as the first player drafted.
Collingwood have assembled 2406 draft points in their first seven draft picks, enough to match a bid at pick No.1 (2400, counting the 20 per cent discount). If the bid for Daicos comes in at pick No.4 from the Suns, the Magpies would need 1627 points, a scenario that would allow them to do further pick swaps.
Collingwood hold picks 36, 38, 40, 46, 48, 55 and 58, along with 78 and 79, but they may not utilise those later choices. The Magpies are certain to be involved in further pick swaps during the draft, as their draft picks are consumed by the Daicos bid, given that they hold three future third-rounders.