Essendon is gearing up for an eventful opening night of the AFL Draft, with coach Brad Scott eyeing West Australian prospect Dan Curtin as a potential game-changer for the Bombers.
As the club holds pick No.9, likely to shift to No.11 after academy bids, Essendon is open to live trading to secure their preferred player.
Curtin, a versatile key poster from WA, caught the eye of just about every AFL club with a dynamic, big-game display of skill and aerial prowess during the U/18 championships, drawing comparisons to Fremantle great Matthew Pavlich.
In a recent interview with Gettable at AFL.com, Coach Brad Scott expressed the club's enthusiasm for Curtin, stating, "He's in that group of players that we really like. The fact that he's from WA doesn't deter us one little bit."
Scott remains confident his side will find a top-tier player wherever their first pick lands, with prospects like Victorian key forward Nate Caddy, Tasmanian James Leake, and Allies key defender Connor O'Sullivan posing a selection challenge.
But with Curtin projected to fall between pick 2-6, a move up the order seems mandatory for Essendon to select him, especially within a documented top-heavy pool of players.
Indeed, the Bombers' draft strategy includes being open to live trading, Scott stating, "Again, pick nine, would we like to come up a little bit? Potentially. We're open to everything, probably like most clubs at the top end. I think there's going to be some good opportunities for live trading, so we're certainly open to that."
As the AFL Draft kicks off tonight, Bomber fans can watch on with interest as their side looks to bolster their list however possible, with hopes of a big fish like Curtin readying a move to Tullamarine.
