A bunch of aspiring Queenslanders hoping to win a last-minute ticket to the 2010 AFL season will anxiously await tomorrow’s NAB Pre-Season and Rookie Drafts.
According to southern reports, 80-game Brisbane Lions discard Joel Macdonald is set to join Melbourne with the No.1 selection in the Pre-Season draft, with former team mate Daniel Bradshaw to join Sydney at No.4.
Already Fremantle had locked in former Essendon utility Adam McPhee for selection No.3, leaving four live picks for Richmond (No.2), West Coast (No.5), Port Adelaide (No.6) and Essendon (No.7).
Another Lions discard, Scott Harding, is a late contender for a spot at Port after he was added to their ‘permission to train’ list this morning.
If not snapped up by Mark Williams, Harding will look to the NAB Rookie Draft, which will follow immediately after the Pre-Season Draft, which will be held at 10am Queensland time tomorrow.
The Gold Coast will have the first five picks in the Rookie Draft and are set to take experienced AFL players.
Ex-Adelaide tagger Robert Shirley, North Melbourne midfielder Daniel Harris and Sydney midfielder Luke Ablett have been linked to the expansion club, which will give their five selections a two-year contract to play in the VFL next year before being part of the playing group that will join the AFL in 2011.
The Gold Coast could also target 48-gamer Harding, whose sister goes out with prized rugby league convert and Gold Coast signing Karmichael Hunt.
The selection order for picks in the Rookie Draft after the Gold Coast’s five priority picks will be the same as it was in the National Draft, with Melbourne to lead off, followed by Richmond, Fremantle, North Melbourne, Sydney, West Coast, Port, Hawthorn, Essendon, Carlton, Brisbane, Adelaide, Collingwood, Western Bulldogs, St.Kilda and Geelong.
Labrador teenager Claye Beams is in the mix at the Lions after he was added to their ‘permission to train’ list last week. Likewise Sunshine Coaster Todd Grayson, who played with the Gold Coast in the TAC Cup this year. He was invited to train with North.
Other Queenslanders in contention include Western Magpies’ Matt Fowler, who, like Grayson, was a TAC Cup standout this year with the Gold Coast and Southport’s Queensland ruckman Broc McCauley.
The AFL website’s draft expert Matt Burgan, in a phantom draft on afl.com.au, tipped Hawthorn to take Fowler with their first pick in the Rookie Draft, and Collingwood to take Harding at No.18.
He tipped Brisbane to choose Grayson, Beams and McCauley as Queensland priority rookies.
Note: You can follow the NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft and Rookie Draft from 10am Queensland time tomorrow (Tuesday) on the AFL website – www.afl.com.au
Last Modified on 16/12/2009 15:50