The Essendon Bombers made three first-round draft selections on Wednesday night, trading for Carlton's Pick 9, which became Pick 13, to add to their back-to-back selections inside the top 10.
The pick swap benefitted both clubs, with Carlton accruing enough points to match a bid for father-son prospect Harry Dean, and Essendon clean-sweeping the draft as they took home bolter Sullivan Robey, top WA prospect Jacob Farrow and childhood Bombers fan Dyson Sharp.
However, one rival attempted to lure the Bombers away from making its third and final pick of South Australian star prospect Dyson Sharp, with the Adelaide Crows reportedly offering the Dons a sizable deal to select the hometown rookie at Pick 13.
According to AFL Media's Cal Twomey, Adelaide offered its 2025 first-round pick (Pick 22) and a 2026 first-round selection to Essendon for Pick 13 when the Bombers took Dyson Sharp, "with a bit going back the other way".
The Crows ultimately offered three separate packages for the Sharp pick but Essendon "were set" on making their third first-round pick of the night as the club leaves the draft as early winners on paper.
Adelaide offered its first-round pick this year & next year to Essendon for pick 13 when the Bombers took Dyson Sharp, with a bit going back the other way. Three deals were offered by the Crows for the Sharp pick but Dons were set on making their third first-round pick. @AFLcomau
— Callum Twomey (@CalTwomey) November 19, 2025
It comes after Adelaide recruiting boss Hamish Ogilvie admitted ahead of the draft that the ability for the club to jump up to select their desired player was "harder to do this year than it has in the past".
Ogilvie provided insight into the trade discussions with Essendon at the end of the National Draft's first night, but was pleased with the Crows' overall result, which saw them take key forward prospect Mitch Marsh, a lifelong Crows fan who looms as the long-term replacement for Taylor Walker.
“We gave it our absolute best shot for Dyson and threw everything,” Ogilvie told The Advertiser.
“We always thought he was seriously going to be in the mix for Essendon.
“With Marshy, we think there's big scope for him to still improve and we're only scratching the surface.”
Despite the commotion surrounding his selection, Sharp was thrilled to join his childhood club and to have his jumper presented by idol Dyson Heppell.
"It's a surreal feeling, I'm a bit speechless to be honest," Sharp said to Essendon Media on Wednesday night.
"The whole night has had a bit of uncertainty on what was going to happen. Once the two picks rolled through early, I kind of thought 'what's going to happen here', but it came to the 13th pick and saw the Bombers had me, and once my name got called I was over the moon.
"Dyson Heppell's been my idol since I can remember. Six-year-old Dyson, if he could've seen that moment, he'd say 'no way'. I'm super stoked with how the night's turned out, it couldn't be any better."
The 2025 National Draft continues on Thursday, November 20, from 7:00pm AEDT.
The Rookie Draft and the Pre-Season Draft will be completed on Friday from 3:20pm AEDT.
