A draft dilemma for the Gold Coast Suns is likely to have the club's opening selections on the trade table ahead of the November 20-21 intake.
The Suns' draft plans are set to focus on a quartet of Academy kids that could fetch early bids, with Jed Walter, Ethan Read and Jake Rogers headlining this year's Carrara class.
Zero Hanger's first edition Mock Draft sees bids for Walter, Read and Rogers coming at Picks 2, 6 and 11 respectively, while the fourth, and sometimes forgotten, Suns Academy prospect of Will Graham could still fetch a first-round bid.
Walter has rivalled likely Pick 1 selection Harley Reid atop this year's draft board and is likely to earn a bid from North Melbourne, who hold the two selections after West Coast open proceedings.
Read and Rogers have both emerged as potential top 10 selections following strong campaigns for the Suns' Academy and premiership-winning Allies, leading Gold Coast to exchange Pick 4 for a handful of later selections over multiple moves.
Their current hand of Picks - 24, 26, 27, 32, 36, 38, 66, 71, 74, 84 - nets them 3877 points for the draft, which currently wouldn't be enough for three matched bids in the opening 11 selections.
Bids at Picks 2 (2517 points), 6 (1751) and 11 (1329), as well as an estimated bid for Graham at 25th overall (756), would tally 6353 points and a required 5082 points tally following the 20 per cent discounts matched Academy bids receive.
That deficit sits at 1205 draft points.
Bids for both Read and Rogers could come a few spots further back in the order and makeup close to 250 points, while Graham's value in the eyes of rivals could swing anywhere between Pick 20-45.
Nonetheless, the situation is likely to leave the Suns strongly considering trading their current opening selection of Pick 24, and potentially Pick 26 as well, to make up for the potential deficit.
The club could also trade itself back into the draft order after their earliest matched bids and would do so comfortably given their trio of future first-round picks and access to Brisbane's second-round selection for 2024.
Gold Coast's potential willingness to trade on draft night or prior to the opening of the count is likely to have several keen suitors, with Fremantle, Richmond, Brisbane and Port Adelaide the four clubs set to enter the draft after the Suns' first pick and could be keen to advance their place in the queue.
The Power won't have the trade capital to facilitate a move to get into the mid-20s, however, the Dockers have Picks 34 and 46 to go with three 2024 first-round picks of their own.
Brisbane is set to enter the draft at Pick 30 and will follow that selection nine spots later to place them in a position to potentially please the Suns.
Picks 30 and 39 tally 1075 in draft points, which equates to 290 more points than Gold Coast's first selection of Pick 24.
Fremantle is set to enter the draft at Pick 34 and could couple that with Pick 46 to tally up 873 draft points, which is more than any of the Suns' singular selections.
According toย News Corp,ย the West Coast Eagles are keen to add to their draft hand with a top 25 selection, potentially bolstering their hand of Picks 1, 23, 37, 58 and 81.
Picks 37 and 58 combine for 653 draft points, which wouldn't be enough to secure Pick 24 given its value of 785 points.
The Eagles might potentially need to involve future selections, which could then be traded on by the Suns to see the Queensland club add more 2023 selections from elsewhere.
The acquisition of Pick 24 would give the Eagles access to the best two remaining prospects leftover from night one of the draft and set them up in a strong position heading into night two, where they can entertain offers beforehand.
Clubs will be able to trade draft selections until 5:00pm Friday, while trading on the night of the draft is also permitted.
