While all the focus is set on the players who might be on the move come next week's trade period, plenty of high-priced draft picks could also be swapping hands within all of the wheelings and dealings.
Last year's AFL Draft saw a dozen first-round picks be used by another club, with this year's count a chance to match that number, given six 2025 first-round picks were traded in last year's exchange window.
As it stands, Richmond hold Pick 3 (tied to North Melbourne), Essendon hold Pick 5 (tied to Melbourne), Gold Coast hold the sixth and 16th overall selections (tied to Port Adelaide and Collingwood, respectively), Hawthorn hold Pick 8 (tied to Carlton) and West Coast hold the Hawks' opening selection at Pick 15.
The fallout from the 2024 trade and draft windows will see the Suns carry three first-round picks into this year's off-season, while Richmond and Essendon possess four of the first five picks.
The Tigers and Bombers, as well as the Eagles at Pick 1, are likely settled and unlikely to be parting with any of their opening selections.
The Suns, however, may need to place all three of their opening night picks on the trade table in order to accumulate the needed draft points for their much-discussed Academy crop.
Bids for Zeke Uwland and Dylan Patterson may both come in the opening five rungs, while Beau Addinsall is seen as another potential first-round pick. The Suns also have ties to Koby Coulson and Jai Murray, all of whom have received combine invites.
As has been the case with Gold Coast's trade and draft plans, they'll likely look to move back into the second and third rounds of the draft, holding a multitude of mid-range selections to tally the needed points.
With the AFL changing the points index from 2025 onwards, Picks 13 and 16 may be required to match bids in the top five, with a bid at Pick 3 requiring 1958 points. Picks 13 and 16 combine for 2004 points, leaving them with little spare change for another potential bid to soon follow.
The Suns' 2026 and 2027 first-round picks may then come into play, with Pick 6 potentially being used within the club's aggressive trade strategy that has them tied with Christian Petracca and Charlie Curnow.
Other clubs with selections potentially on the move due to Academy and father-son bidding include Carlton, Sydney and Brisbane.
Like their Queensland counterparts, the Lions may need to hold onto Pick 18 however, with a potential top five bid coming for Academy talent Dan Annable. Brisbane's first pick is expected to balloon out to the mid-20s, and they may need to dip into their 2026 picks to help match a bid.
Carlton may find themselves in a tricky position, but the expected additions of Picks 9 and 20 via the Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni compensation selections are set to help. What becomes a predicament is the timing of a bid for Blues father-son Harry Dean, who could, and most likely will, come before Pick 9.
The Blues will need to trade back from that pick, or potentially get ahead of the Dean bid with a move up the draft board. Either way, they will be active.
Sydney's opening selection will move back a handful of spots due to the aforementioned bids, as well as further free agency compensation additions, potentially turning Pick 9 into Pick 15.
There remains a chance that a rival club ahead of them in the queue could rate one of Max King or Lachy Carmichael - their two standout Academy prospects - as early as that mark of the draft. It'll prove to be a fascinating waiting game for the Swans, and whether any rival looks to force their hand.
While Essendon's two early picks won't need to be split for the Dons to attain their two promising NGA members in Adam Sweid and Hussien El Achkar, Picks 22 and 25 may need to be split and moved back to find more points.
St Kilda (Kye Fincher) and Collingwood (Zac McCarthy) will also need to have insurance when it comes to draft bidding by the end of the draft's opening night.
Richmond will be looking to move back into the draft order later into the count given they don't hold any picks outside of the first-round and have ties to father-son Louis Kellaway.
Carlton (Cody Walker), Essendon (Blake Justice) Hawthorn/Brisbane (Cooper Hodge) and Port Adelaide* (Dougie Cochrane) will all need to have their 2026 draft plans in mind given their ties to some of next year's leading names.
The Blues, in particular, could be shopping their future first-round picks, but will want to still stock up on 2026 selections.
Carlton could load up on selections via the trade period, and that's not including the free agency departures of De Koning and Silvagni.
The future of Charlie Curnow could have a significant say on this year's draft order, with Sydney (Pick 9), Geelong (Pick 17) and Gold Coast (Picks 6, 13 and 16) all keen on the dual Coleman Medal winner.
Essendon captain Zach Merrett will cost the Hawks more than just Pick 8 should he secure a move to Waverley, while the aforementioned Petracca, St Kilda's Callum Wilkie and Rowan Marshall, as well as Gold Coast's Sam Flanders, could all be on the move at the cost of first-round picks.
