KEY DEFENDERS: Daniel Talia, Kyle Hartigan, Alex Keath, Tom Doedee. SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Rory Laird, Luke Brown, Brodie Smith, Jake Kelly, Kyle Cheney. MIDFIELDERS: Rory Sloane, Bryce Gibbs, Matt Crouch, Brad Crouch, Richard Douglas, Rory Atkins, Hugh Greenwood, David Mackay, Sam Gibson, Paul Seedsman, Curtly Hampton, Myles Poholke, Jordan Gallucci, Matthew Signorello. KEY FORWARDS: Taylor Walker, Tom Lynch, Josh Jenkins, Andy Otten, Elliot Himmelberg, Harry Dear. SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Eddie Betts, Riley Knight, Wayne Milera, Ben Jarman, Ben Davis.

RUCKS: Sam Jacobs, Reilly O'Brien, Paul Hunter. The Crows were the best-performed team across the home-and-away season so the list is clearly in a pretty good spot. One of the knocks had been a perceived lack of midfield depth but Matt Crouch stepped up to have a brilliant year, while the query about class looks to have been answered with the addition of Bryce Gibbs, and Sam Gibson adds depth for a team that should again contend for a premiership. Of course the loss of gun intercept defender Jake Lever hurts. Adelaide will hope for improvement from Alex Keath and Tom Doedee. West Australian tall backman Aaron Naughton would probably pique the Crows' interest at pick 12 if he makes it that far. South Australian forward Darcy Fogarty would also make sense for the Crows, the local factor limiting the go-home risk the Crows know all too well. If those two are gone, perhaps Victorian Hunter Clark, whose stocks have risen this year as he has morphed from a half-back to a midfielder. Versatile tall Jarrod Brander could suit their needs although there's talk Adelaide aren't particularly keen on the former Greater Western Sydney academy player. The Crows have also committed to re-signing Cameron Ellis-Yolmen as a rookie if available, while they opted to roll the dice on father-son option Jackson Edwards by not nominating him for the national draft, instead committing a rookie spot to the son of Tyson Edwards if he's not snapped up in the national draft. BRISBANE LIONS Draft picks: 1, 15, 18, 40, 44, 52. KEY DEFENDERS: Harris Andrews, Daniel McStay, Jack Frost, Sam Skinner, Matt Eagles, Marco Paparone.

SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Luke Hodge, Darcy Gardiner, Tom Cutler, Sam Mayes, Cedric Cox, Nick Robertson, Liam Dawson, Mitchell Hinge. MIDFIELDERS: Dayne Beams, Dayne Zorko, Daniel Rich, Mitch Robinson, Ryan Bastinac, Hugh McCluggage, Alex Witherden, Rohan Bewick, Rhys Mathieson, Jake Barrett, Jarrod Berry, Jacob Allison, Corey Lyons. KEY FORWARDS: Eric Hipwood, Josh Walker. SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Charlie Cameron, Lewis Taylor, Tom Bell, Allen Christensen, Ben Keays, Ryan Lester. RUCKS: Stefan Martin, Archie Smith, Oscar McInerney.

Coming from the bottom the Lions aren't in a position to be too cute with their picks. There are some signs on this list though, as while Josh Schache didn't work out, Hipwood and Andrews look like they can hold down key positions for a decade. Pick one had looked a race in three for a while, with Cameron Rayner, Luke Davies-Uniacke and Paddy Dow the apparent contenders, although a fourth name, the fast-finishing Andy Brayshaw has also entered the fray. There is a school of thought that Dow, from Swan Hill, would be less of a flight risk than the others; given the Lions' issues with homesickness in recent years you could understand why that would be a consideration. The big query over Rayner has been his endurance. He is more a forward than a midfielder, but does things no one else in the draft pool can with his brute strength. Down the list the Lions have also been linked to Rayner's Western Jets teammate Lachlan Fogarty, who looks a candidate for one of their picks in the teens, with talk the addition of Fogarty could reduce the chance Rayner looks elsewhere down the track. Brisbane are again poised to pick the eyes out of their academy, with a bid for skilful big man Connor Ballenden likely to come around pick 20, while tall defender Jack Payne also looks likely to be picked up, with a bid tipped for the third round. The club has committed to re-drafting the delisted Claye Beams and Cian Hanley. There is talk Brisbane would take Brayshaw's older brother Hamish as a rookie if they decided to pick Andy at No. 1. CARLTON Draft picks: 3, 10, 30, 72, 95, 96. KEY DEFENDERS: Jacob Weitering, Caleb Marchbank, Lachie Plowman, Liam Jones, Sam Rowe, Alex Silvagni, Harrison Macreadie, Jesse Glass-McCasker. SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Sam Docherty, Kade Simpson, Ciaran Byrne, Aaron Mullett, Tom Williamson.

MIDFIELDERS: Patrick Cripps, Marc Murphy, Ed Curnow, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Matt Kennedy, David Cuningham, Dale Thomas, Sam Kerridge, Cameron Polson, Nick Graham. KEY FORWARDS: Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay, Levi Casboult, Pat Kerr. SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Matthew Wright, Jack Silvagni, Darcy Lang, Jed Lamb, Jarrod Pickett, Zac Fisher, Kym LeBois. RUCKS: Matthew Kreuzer, Andrew Phillips, Matthew Lobbe. In keeping with their rebuild plan, the Blues again head to the draft with a strong hand after eventually giving up Bryce Gibbs. It looms as another tough year for Carlton, especially after the season-ending knee injury to Sam Docherty, although the addition of Lang and Kennedy in the trade period looks like shrewd recruiting. The Blues are still in desperate need of midfield quality though, and are well-placed to strike with pick three. If the match-winning Cameron Rayner heads to the Lions then midfielder Paddy Dow looks an excellent candidate at pick three, especially given his knack of kicking goals, something Carlton have been crying out for. However Adam Cerra's name has also been strongly linked to the Blues' first pick. He is a well-rounded midfielder and it's arguable he'd be in the conversation for pick No.1 if not for injuries. By pick 10 things look a bit murkier. South Australian Darcy Fogarty looks like being seriously considered if not gone, while Aiden Bonar – despite multiple bouts of knee surgery – is another whose name has been bandied about, but St Kilda could beat them to the punch at pick eight. Hunter Clark looks a good option if available. Down the track, former Port Adelaide defender Cameron O'Shea has been training with the Blues and looks likely to be rookie listed at Carlton after a good year with the Northern Blues. Irishman Cillian McDaid has also been on their radar and looks set to land at Ikon Park.

COLLINGWOOD Draft picks: 6, 38, 56, 61. KEY DEFENDERS: Lynden Dunn, Sam McLarty. SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Jeremy Howe, Tyson Goldsack, Jack Crisp, Brayden Maynard, Josh Smith, Sam Murray, Matt Scharenberg, Tom Langdon. MIDFIELDERS: Scott Pendlebury, Adam Treloar, Taylor Adams, Steele Sidebottom, Daniel Wells, Jordan De Goey, Tom Phillips, Josh Thomas, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Levi Greenwood, Callum Brown, Rupert Wills, James Aish, Tim Broomhead, Brayden Sier.

KEY FORWARDS: Darcy Moore, Ben Reid, Mason Cox. SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Jamie Elliott, Alex Fasolo, Travis Varcoe, Jarryd Blair, Josh Daicos, Kayle Kirby, Chris Mayne. RUCKS: Brodie Grundy, Max Lynch. Nathan Buckley survived as Collingwood coach despite missing the finals for a fourth-straight year, earning a new two-year contract extension. Surely there are no more excuses for the Pies, who were only bit players during trade time, bringing in little-known Murray. On paper the midfield remains very strong, and while the Chris Mayne acquisition has been a bit of a debacle, the Pies do have a healthy group of small and medium forwards. In Howe the Pies also possess one of the elite intercept markers in the game. The issue remains talls, although Richmond showed this year that a small forward line can be very effective. Down back, Collingwood will back McLarty to take strides in his second season but West Australian defender Aaron Naughton looms large at pick six. The recent talk has been Darcy Fogarty – the 192-centimetre forward from South Australia – will tempt them too, while a midfield gun like Adam Cerra, if available, might also be in the mix, although it's looking doubtful he'll get that far. Down the order Collingwood have also nominated Tyler Brown, the younger brother of Callum and son of Gavin, as a possible father-son selection. A bid for Brown is tipped to come somewhere around the third-round. ESSENDON

Draft picks: 48, 67, 81. KEY DEFENDERS: Michael Hurley, Michael Hartley, Paddy Ambrose, Aaron Francis, Mitch Brown. SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Andrew McGrath, Adam Saad, Marty Gleeson, Mark Baguley, Matt Dea, Ben McNiece, Jordan Ridley, Conor McKenna. MIDFIELDERS: Zach Merrett, Dyson Heppell, David Zaharakis, Brendon Goddard, Darcy Parish, Devon Smith, Travis Colyer, David Myers, Jackson Merrett, Kobe Mutch, Jake Long, Dylan Clarke. KEY FORWARDS: Joe Daniher, Cale Hooker, James Stewart.

SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Orazio Fantasia, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Jake Stringer, Josh Green, Jayden Laverde, Kyle Langford, Josh Begley, Mason Redman. RUCKS: Tom Bellchambers, Matthew Leuenberger, Shaun McKernan, Sam Draper, Luke Lavender. The Bombers have been big players at the pointy end of the draft for a few years in a row, but Adrian Dodoro and his team changed tack this year, launching one of the great raids of recent trade periods. In came Saad, Stringer and Smith, and when you land a haul of that quality it's inevitable the draft picks will take a bit of a hit. The Bombers look well stocked in most positions although given they've been talking about including Stringer and Smith as part of their midfield mix some more depth in that area of the ground wouldn't go astray given the departures of Jobe Watson, Craig Bird, Brent Stanton, Heath Hocking and Ben Howlett. Picking which midfielders might be available that late in the draft is a bit of a challenge. Someone like Dylan Moore could suit but it's doubtful he'd make it that late. Maybe the Dons would contemplate rolling the dice on ex-basketballer Matthew Day? There'd be some romanticism about Cassidy Parish teaming up with older brother Darcy, while James Worpel would probably be a steal if available, although that appears doubtful. Given the glut of experienced midfielders to have left the club in recent months it'd be no surprise if the Dons looked at a mature-age player such as Billy Hartung. They'd also been keen on Irishman Cillian McDaid, but he appears bound for Carlton. FREMANTLE Draft picks: 2, 5, 42, 60, 66, 70, 77, 80, 90.

KEY DEFENDERS: Joel Hamling, Alex Pearce, Griffin Logue, Michael Johnson. SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Nathan Wilson, Lee Spurr, Cameron Sutcliffe, Tommy Sheridan, Luke Ryan, Ryan Nyhuis, Ethan Hughes, Tayin Duman. MIDFIELDERS: Nat Fyfe, Lachie Neale, Michael Walters, David Mundy, Brad Hill, Stephen Hill, Connor Blakely, Danyle Pearce, Ed Langdon, Brady Grey, Darcy Tucker. KEY FORWARDS: Cam McCarthy, Shane Kersten, Matt Taberner, Brennan Cox, Michael Apeness. SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Harley Bennell, Brandon Matera, Hayden Ballantyne.

RUCKS: Aaron Sandilands, Sean Darcy, Luke Strnadica. Fremantle stared down Gold Coast and managed to procure pick two for the departing Lachie Weller in the dying minutes of the trade period, an outstanding result given they'd lost a highly talented young midfielder. It's a bit of a cliche, but the Dockers hold the keys to the draft given they have two picks inside the top five, a position of rare power for a club other than Greater Western Sydney in recent years. IThe Dockers lack ruck depth but no rucks in this draft look good enough to take so early. The expectation of late is that the Dockers will take Luke Davies-Uniacke at pick two, with the well balanced and powerful midfielder looking like the kind of player who could slot straight into Ross Lyon's first-round team and make a difference. Pick five is a bit less clear. The recent talk that Andy Brayshaw could go to Brisbane at pick one has been a bit of a curveball, but if the Lions opt for Cameron Rayner or Paddy Dow then Brayshaw could head to the Dockers, with the prospect of Haileybury pair Davies-Uniacke and Brayshaw venturing to Perth together appealing. Fremantle also have a handful of late picks and there has been some chatter that they could draft Hamish Brayshaw as well. Local boy Aaron Naughton has been linked to Fremantle's pick five but that would probably be a reach for the tall defender, especially given they took Logue early last year and still have young Alex Pearce on their books. With Zac Clarke and Jon Griffin gone it's not hard to envisage Fremantle picking a mature ruckman as a late pick or rookie. It's understood they showed interest in long-time Melbourne back-up Jake Spencer during the year. GEELONG Draft picks: 22, 24, 35, 58, 71, 86. KEY DEFENDERS: Lachie Henderson, Harry Taylor, Ryan Gardner.

SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Zach Tuohy, Tom Stewart, Jed Bews, Jackson Thurlow, Jake Kolodjashnij, Zach Guthrie, Mark O'Connor. MIDFIELDERS: Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood, Gary Ablett, Mitch Duncan, Scott Selwood, Sam Menegola, Cameron Guthrie, Mark Blicavs, Brandan Parfitt, Jordan Murdoch, Jordan Cunico, Quinton Narkle. KEY FORWARDS: Tom Hawkins, Wylie Buzza, Esava Ratugolea, Timm House. SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Nakia Cockatoo, Daniel Menzel, Lincoln McCarthy, Aaron Black, James Parsons, Sam Simpson, Aaron Black, Cory Gregson, Jack Henry, Jamaine Jones. RUCKS: Zac Smith, Rhys Stanley, Ryan Abbott.

The Cats have been aggressive at the trade table in recent years and were again a key player in 2017. They ended up using the contentious end-of-first-round compensation pick for free agent Steven Motlop to advantage as it helped them land Gary Ablett. Clearly Geelong are in for the here and now, but what of their future? They've found some handy players such as Zach Guthrie, Parsons and Stewart for relatively cheap prices in the past couple of years, and are backing Cockatoo can be a star with his injury woes hopefully a thing of the past. They are a little bit in no man's land with their picks. Clearly the forward line remains an issue given their interest in Jake Stringer and Jack Watts. High-flying South Australian Jordan Houlahan could appeal as he's the type of player the Cats don't have a lot of. They've also been linked to local James Worpel, a tough inside midfielder who led the Geelong Falcons to the premiership and would provide further help for the Selwood brothers, Dangerfield and Ablett. The agile Matt Ling is another player tipped to fall around where the Cats are picking. Tall forward Toby Wooller has a family connection to Geelong with his grandfather Fred and would be a romantic choice, while the Cats are also understood to have shown some interest in medium-sized Glenelg forward Curtis McCarthy, the younger brother of Cats forward Lincoln. Then there's Stewart Crameri, who looks a chance to get to the Cats as a mature-age rookie. Stewart Crameri is waiting to attract interest from clubs. Credit:AAP GOLD COAST Draft picks: 19, 41, 50, 54, 74, 88. KEY DEFENDERS: Steven May, Rory Thompson, Jack Leslie, Sam Day, Max Spencer.

SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Sean Lemmens, Kade Kolodjashnij, Jesse Joyce, Jack Scrimshaw, Jarrod Harbrow. MIDFIELDERS: Jarryd Lyons, Pearce Hanley, Lachie Weller, David Swallow, Aaron Hall, Touk Miller, Harrison Wigg, Matt Rosa, Michael Barlow, Will Brodie, Jack Bowes, Jesse Lonergan, Brayden Fiorini, Ben Ainsworth, Alex Sexton, Michael Rischitelli, Brad Scheer, Josh Schoenfeld. KEY FORWARDS: Tom Lynch, Peter Wright. SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Jack Martin, Aarong Young, Callum Ah Chee, Darcy Macpherson. RUCKS: Jarrod Witts, Tom Nicholls.

Finally the Suns had a talented young player who wanted to join them rather than leave, and so chief executive Mark Evans made sure that Lachie Weller found his way to Queensland, even though it meant relinquishing pick two. Then again the Suns know all too well that early draft selections are no guarantee for success. Still there are enough promising signs about the club's four top-10 picks from the 2016 draft to suggest there is plenty for new coach Stuart Dew to work with. It'll be an interesting situation for Gold Coast on draft night 2017 given Scott Clayton is on his way out of the club. In any case Gold Coast don't have a selection until No.19. The departure of Adam Saad to Essendon has left them without a runner off half-back. Line-breaking redhead Ed Richards looks a suitable replacement with his stocks having risen after an excellent year. If he's gone already Jack Petrucclle may be worth a go? He was the quickest player at the draft combine over 20 metres and is good overhead, although his kicking has been a weakness. Then there is Suns academy player Brayden Crossley. Gold Coast look unlikely to need to match a bid for the big man until at least the third round. GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY Draft picks: 11, 27, 28, 57, 65, 85, 93. KEY DEFENDERS: Phil Davis, Adam Tomlinson, Nick Haynes, Aidan Corr, Lachie Keeffe, Jeremy Finlayson, Tim Mohr, Jake Stein. SMALL/MEDIUM DEFENDERS: Zac Williams, Heath Shaw, Adam Kennedy, Matt Buntine, Isaac Cumming.

MIDFIELDERS: Josh Kelly, Dylan Shiel, Lachie Whitfield, Callan Ward, Tom Scully, Stephen Coniglio, Jacob Hopper, Tim Taranto, Ryan Griffen, Will Setterfield, Harry Perryman. KEY FORWARDS: Jonathon Patton, Jeremy Cameron, Harry Himmelberg, Matthew Flynn, Zach Sproule. SMALL/MEDIUM FORWARDS: Toby Greene, Matt De Boer, Brett Deledio, Lachlan Tiziani, Daniel Lloyd. RUCKS: Rory Lobb, Dawson Simpson, Matthew Flynn. What would a draft be without the Giants? Well for the first time since entering the competition they don't have a top 10 pick, although they managed to work themselves up to No.11 by trading Devon Smith to Essendon. They'd have pick 15 as well, but lost it as part of the sanctions following the Lachie Whitfield affair. It's widely known the Giants have been in the hunt for a small forward, and they'd had an eye on Mitch Honeychurch before he recommitted to the Western Bulldogs. The obvious candidate is Jack Higgins, although there's talk they could keep their powder dry and strike a bit later by getting Geelong Falcons TAC Cup grand final hero Gryan Miers. The stocks of former Giants academy player Jarrod Brander have fallen a bit so he could easily be available here. There's also a school of thought that the revelation of Jaidyn Stephenson's heart condition could lead to him being available at pick 11. Meanwhile the premature retirement of Shane Mumford has left the Giants relatively thin when it comes to ruck stocks. There is talk they have their eyes on South Australian ruck/forward Callum Coleman-Jones. The Giants also inside midfielder Nick Shipley available as an academy selection. He's been rated as a third-round prospect and is expected to have his bid matched. Then there's Sam Reid, who the Giants have committed to redrafting as a rookie, adding another chapter to his extraordinary AFL career.