The Western Bulldogs are viewed as the club leading the chase for Gold Coast's first-round selection of Pick 4, with the Dogs reportedly open to pairing their early selections for this year's draft to get closer to the front of the queue.
Both the Suns and Dogs are expected to be active in the opening round of November's count given both sides have priority access ties to top-rated prospects.
Gold Coast Academy trio Jed Walter, Ethan Read and Jakr Rogers could all land in the top 10 on the draft board, with the Suns needing to part ways with their earliest select to be sure they have enough draft points to acquire all three teenagers.
The Bulldogs have a predicament of their own, holding two first-round picks (their own and Brisbane's) which currently sit at 10 and 17 overall, and also need points to land father-son talent Jordan Croft, who could also fall in the top dozen selections.
Ideally, the Dogs would like to acquire other prospects with the first-round selections they hold before a bid comes for Croft, but a shuffling of selections through trades could allow them greater security.
Picks 10 and 17 could be enough to garner the Suns' interest in a deal for Pick 4, with the Queensland club then likely to move on the earlier of the two selections for further later picks that equate to more draft points.
READ: HOW DOES THE DRAFT POINTS SYSTEM WORK?
According toย News Corp,ย that pair of picks has the Dogs seen as the front-runner to secure the in-demand Pick 4 selection, which is said to also be in the sights of Richmond and Melbourne.
The Tigers' intrigue comes after the Punt Road side parted with their 2023 first-round pick last year, while the Demons may look to piece Pick 4 with Pick 5 (formerly Fremantle's) in a bid to move atop the draft order via a trade for West Coast's opening selection.
Melbourne is currently loaded with Picks 5, 15, 24 and 34 after gaining Fremantle's first and second-round selections after having to bid farewell to Luke Jackson last off-season.
Richmond currently won't enter the draft until Pick 25, giving them little capital to move into the top 10 of this year's count after a 13th-placed finish and a move for former Giant Jacob Hopper that forced them to part with their top selection for this year.
GWS join the Bulldogs and Demons among the four clubs who currently possess multiple first-round selections, with North Melbourne also holding a strong hand after losing Jason Horne-Francis to Port Adelaide in 2022.
The 2023 Trade Period will open on Monday, October 9 until Wednesday, October 18, with pick swapping still permitted from Monday, October 23 to Friday, November 10, as well as draft night, also.
