The 2023 AFL Draft is near, and with the draft orderย locked in until night one of the count, recruiters and scouts are beginning to settle on their plans for this year's intake.

The opening night will see the entire set of first-round selections taken, with the current 22 picks potentially ballooning out to 28 selections following Academy and father-son bids.

North Melbourne have five selections for the first round, while West Coast are in line to open the draft with Pick 1 and are assumed to have Bendigo's Harley Reid in their sights.

So how will the entire first round play out at the 2023 AFL Draft?

Here isย Zero Hanger'sย second edition Mock Draft, which covers the first round of the draft - totalling 28 selections.

For the purpose of this exercise, we have decided not to predict live trades for the draft, with the order remaining as it currently reads with the addition of matched Academy and father-son bids.ย 

This exercise follows our first edition Mock Draft from October, with our second edition set to look at possible alternative selections for a range of clubs and showcase the ripple effect of those changes.ย 

5. Pick 5 - Hawthorn: Colby McKercher

McKercher's 1st Mock Draft Selection: Pick 4 (North Melbourne)
Hawthorn's 1st Mock Draft Selection:ย Dan Curtin

Position: Midfielder
Height: 180cm
Weight: 76kg
State: Tasmania
Club: Launceston

The Hawks and Roos swap prospects when compared to our first Mock Draft, with McKercher, Curtin or Eastern Ranges forward Nick Watson likely to be the trio of names list manager Mark McKenzie is considering with Hawthorn's opening selection.

With McKercher up for grabs, the Tasmanian will be hard to pass up despite the midfield ensemble that already calls Waverley home, with the onballer an explosive outlet option that would complement the likes of Jai Newcombe, Josh Ward and Will Day nicely.

McKercher took out Morrish Medal this year, needing just eight games to tie Geelong's Patrick Hughes (13 games) for the crown.

FULL PROFILE

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 13: Colby McKercher of the AFL Academy in action during the match between the AFL Academy Boys and Carlton VFL at Marvel Stadium on May 13, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos)

1 COMMENT

  1. Well, I certainly hope this is NOT the case….

    Goad rather than Green. – he has much more room for improvement and is better athletically – and he is not shy of attempting goals.

    I’d not think it wise to pick a Tasmanian who will very possibly end up in the new club there, and it’s always better for the crows to pick locals rather than Victorians.

    This draft is by a Victorian who thinks that the Crows are based in Melbourne.

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