Collingwood Magpies

Collingwood looking to move up draft order

The Magpies will be busy in hope of adding more picks to their draft hand.

Published by
Mitch Keating

Collingwood are preparing to move on future draft selections in order to advance their position up the draft order ahead of Wednesday night's count, per The Herald Sun.

The Magpies currently hold two first round selections (picks 14 and 16) and will look to add to their early draft hand by placing their 2021 selections on offer.

Collingwood recruiting manager Derek Hine revealed he would be busy in negotiations with rival clubs on draft night.

“We will look at the scope to be trading up... to come in at the front end of the draft,” Hine told the club website.

“We are mindful we have got various levers from the 2021 group of picks we have got that we can use to get into this particular draft, which we clearly rate highly. We go to the draft with the potential to have six picks, but that’s not to say we will take all the picks.”

Hine added that the club would ideally look to hold four selections in the top 40 picks for the draft.

“We have got two picks inside the first round (on Wednesday night) and we haven’t been in that position for quite some time,” he said.

“The last time we had two picks inside 20 was De Goey and (Darcy) Moore. We would like to build on that.

“The plan is to potentially have four to five picks inside the (top) 40, which will set us up really well.

“The decisions we have made in the last four to five weeks haven’t just happened... it is important we use all levers to get up the list. That doesn’t only include the draft, it includes the way we develop our players and the way we attack free agency.”

Collingwood will prepare to match any rival bid made for Next Generation Academy product Reef McInnes, who is tipped to fall in the opening round of the draft.

“He is a unique talent, he stands at 193cm now and he has shown scope in all areas of the ground,” Hine said of McInnes.

“I see him playing initially back and then maybe working through the midfield.

“He has been unable to present like the interstate boys. That has been a bit of a frustration for Reef and for us, as well as the other Victorian boys.

“He has sustained a period of time where he has had injuries. He seems to be over them now.

“We have a small advantage in that we know him really well through the NGA programs... (but) it is only marginal.”

The Magpies will take picks 14, 16, 65, 66, 68, 75, 91, 105, 116, 122 into Wednesday's AFL Draft.

Published by
Mitch Keating