GEELONG won't be able to offer a first-round draft pick from this year or next to potentially secure Shaun Higgins or Jack Steven unless it can trade another one in beforehand.

The Cats are the only club in the competition that must use its 2019 first-round selection, with the AFL's rule on trading first-round picks kicking in this year.

TRADING FIRST-ROUND PICKS Misunderstood rule explained

They also can't trade their top 2020 choice in this year's NAB AFL Trade Period, because they used just one first-round selection in the past four drafts from 2015 to 2018.

The exception to that is where a club has applied for and received special permission, with the AFL weighing up the age of the players brought in and other draft picks used in that time.

However, Geelong is unlikely to have a strong case in that scenario, because it traded for older players such as Zach Tuohy (who was almost 27), Lachie Henderson (almost 26) and then-25-year-old Patrick Dangerfield.

Tim Kelly's decision on his future will have a major say on the Cats' situation.

Any Kelly suitor – he met with West Coast and Fremantle in recent weeks – would almost certainly need to shell out at least one first-round selection.

Tim Kelly made the Virgin Australia AFL All Australian team. Picture: AFL Photos



If Kelly is to go, Geelong would need that deal to be completed before acquiring North Melbourne's Higgins or St Kilda's Steven, assuming their current teams demand a first-round pick be part of any transaction.

Both Higgins and Steven have been linked with a move to the Cattery despite each having one more season to run on their contracts.

Every other club has met the four-year requirement of using at least two selections, including Collingwood, Hawthorn, Melbourne and West Coast, which all managed the bare minimum.

PICK TWO ON THE TABLE Dees looking to 'split' top selection

The Hawks and Demons would go into deficit for 2020 if they also trade their first-round picks this year – without adding another – with their two selections from 2015 dropping off for next year's Trade Period.

Neither club has drafted in the first round since.

ANALYSIS Why it's time for the Hawks to hit the draft

Essendon will be in the same situation next year unless it can trade in an extra one, because it sent its 2018 and 2019 first-round picks to Greater Western Sydney as part of the Dylan Shiel swap.

The Bombers' two first-round selections in 2015 will also drop off the rolling four-year mandate.

They would be the last clubs to ever be in deficit now that the rule starts this year, and would need to keep using their first-round picks until they again reached the minimum requirement.

The rule, outlined in the AFL's Determination for the trading of future draft selections document, is designed to protect teams from trading themselves into long-term trouble.

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Your club's first-round draft picks

CLUB 2015 2016 2017 2018 TOTAL 2016-18 2019* Adelaide 2 1 1 2 6 4 1 Brisbane 2 2 3 1 8 6 1 Carlton 3^ 1 2 2 8 5 1 Collingwood 0 0 1 1 2 2 0 Essendon 2 1 0 0 3 1 0 Fremantle 0 1 2 1 4 4 1 Geelong 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 Gold Coast 2 4 0^ 3^ 9 7 2 GWS Giants 3 4 1 3 11 8 2 Hawthorn 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 Melbourne 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 North Melbourne 1 1 1 1 4 3 1 Port Adelaide 0 2 0 3 5 5 1 Richmond 1 0 1 1 3 2 1 St Kilda 1 0 2 1 4 3 1 Sydney 1 1^ 1 1 4 3 1 West Coast 0 1 1 0 2 2 1 Western Bulldogs 0 1 2 1 4 4 1

* 2019 draft picks can change

^ Carlton used an end-of-first-round compensation pick in 2015, Sydney received Brisbane's end-of-first-round priority pick in 2016, and Gold Coast received Geelong's end-of-first-round free agency compensation pick in 2017 and West Coast's in 2018. None count as a first-round pick for these purposes.

Indicative draft order after round 23

ROUND ONE GCFC 1. Gold Coast MELB 2. Melbourne ADEL 3. Adelaide (tied to Carlton) SYD 4. Sydney STK 5. St Kilda FRE 6. Fremantle NMFC 7. North Melbourne CARL 8. Carlton (tied to Adelaide) PORT 9. Port Adelaide HAW 10. Hawthorn GWS 11. Greater Western Sydney (tied to Essendon) WB 12. Western Bulldogs GWS 13. Greater Western Sydney WCE 14. West Coast BL 15. Brisbane (tied to Collingwood) RICH 16. Richmond GCFC 17. Gold Coast (tied to Brisbane) GEEL 18. Geelong

ROUND TWO BL 19. Brisbane (tied to Gold Coast) MELB 20. Melbourne ADEL 21. Adelaide (tied to Carlton) WCE 22. West Coast (tied to Sydney) SYD 23. Sydney (tied to St Kilda) FRE 24. Fremantle NMFC 25. North Melbourne ADEL 26. Adelaide PORT 27. Port Adelaide HAW 28. Hawthorn ESS 29. Essendon WB 30. Western Bulldogs ESS 31. Essendon (tied to Greater Western Sydney) WCE 32. West Coast COLL 33. Collingwood RICH 34. Richmond BL 35. Brisbane GEEL 36. Geelong

ROUND THREE RICH 37. Richmond (tied to Gold Coast) MELB 38. Melbourne CARL 39. Carlton SYD 40. Sydney WB 41. Western Bulldogs (tied to St Kilda) BL 42. Brisbane (tied to Fremantle) NMFC 43. North Melbourne CARL 44. Carlton (tied to Adelaide) HAW 45. Hawthorn (tied to Port Adelaide) WB 46. Western Bulldogs (tied to Hawthorn) ESS 47. Essendon WB 48. Western Bulldogs GWS 49. Greater Western Sydney SYD 50. Sydney (tied to West Coast) COLL 51. Collingwood GCFC 52. Gold Coast (tied to Richmond) BL 53. Brisbane GEEL 54. Geelong

ROUND FOUR STK 55. St Kilda (tied to Gold Coast) MELB 56. Melbourne SYD 57. Sydney (tied to Carlton) SYD 58. Sydney WCE 59. West Coast (tied to St Kilda) ESS 60. Essendon (tied to Fremantle) PORT 61. Port Adelaide (tied to North Melbourne) PORT 62. Port Adelaide (tied to Adelaide) PORT 63. Port Adelaide COLL 64. Collingwood (tied to Hawthorn) ESS 65. Essendon PORT 66. Port Adelaide (tied to Western Bulldogs) CARL 67. Carlton (tied to Greater Western Sydney) STK 68. St Kilda (tied to West Coast) COLL 69. Collingwood RICH 70. Richmond NMFC 71. North Melbourne RICH 72. Richmond (tied to Geelong)

ROUND FIVE GCFC 73. Gold Coast MELB 74. Melbourne GWS 75. Greater Western Sydney (tied to Carlton) SYD 76. Sydney STK 77. St Kilda FRE 78. Fremantle NMFC 79. North Melbourne CARL 80.Carlton (tied to Adelaide) PORT 81. Port Adelaide HAW 82. Hawthorn ESS 83. Essendon WB 84. Western Bulldogs GWS 85. Greater Western Sydney GCFC 86. Gold Coast (tied to West Coast) HAW 87. Hawthorn (tied to Collingwood) RICH 88. Richmond BL 89. Brisbane GEEL 90. Geelong

Club-by-club draft picks

YOUR CLUB'S PICKS ADEL 3, 21, 26 BL 15, 19, 35, 42, 53, 89 CARL 8, 39, 44, 67, 80 COLL 33, 51, 64, 69 ESS 29, 31, 47, 60, 65, 83 FRE 6, 24, 78 GEEL 18, 36, 54, 90 GCFC 1, 17, 52, 73, 86 GWS 11, 13, 49, 75, 85 HAW 10, 28, 45, 82, 87 MELB 2, 20, 38, 56, 74 NMFC 7, 25, 43, 71, 79 PORT 9, 27, 61, 62, 63, 66, 81 RICH 16, 34, 37, 70, 72, 88 STK 5, 55, 68, 77 SYD 4, 23, 40, 50, 57, 58, 76 WCE 14, 22, 32, 59 WB 12, 30, 41, 46, 48, 84

Draft value index