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 

6. Pick 6 - Western Bulldogs: Ryley Sandersย 

Sanders' 1st Mock Draft Selection: Pick 8 (Melbourne)
Western Bulldogs' 1st Mock Draft Selection:ย Nick Watson

Position: Midfielder
Height: 185cm
Weight: 86kg
State: Tasmania
Club: North Launceston

After selecting Nick Watson with their top pick in our first edition, the Bulldogs head down an alternate avenue with the recruitment of Tasmanian Ryley Sanders.

While Watson is viewed as having a strong chance to land at the Kennel, Sanders would be an ideal long-term selection for the Bulldogs given the shape of their midfield group heading into 2024.

The Sandringham and Allies ball-winner capped off a sensational National Championships by being awarded the Larke Medal as the competition's best player.

FULL PROFILE

Allies talent Ryley Sanders at 2023 National Championships (Photo by Mark Brake/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.

Comments are closed.