Extract from HS Article:
Richmond secured Brisbane’s No. 20 draft pick for picks 32, 42, 43 and 45 in a deal that handed the Tigers an eighth pick within 24 selections.
But Brisbane’s list boss Dom Ambrosio said on the last day of the draft the two clubs had not discussed whether the Tigers would bid on Ashcroft with pick one.
Richmond’s Blair Hartley said the Tigers philosophy was to simply bid on father-son and academy players where they sat in the club’s draft order.
Essendon traded its No. 9 draft selection to Melbourne for an extra future first-rounder and would be thrilled if clubs like the Demons did not bid on academy small forward Isaak Kako in the top 10.
While the Dons would still secure Kako they would have to pay a higher price in points, pushing back later selections.
Richmond holds picks one, North Melbourne pick two and Carlton pick three in the national draft.
The Tigers are open to doing more deals but are not interested in trading picks six and 11 for the Roos’ pick two because it is such an even draft.
If they keep their picks they could secure powerful Victorian midfielder Sam Lalor with pick one in the draft then a midfield slider like 195cm point-of-difference onballer Josh Smillie at pick six.
So unless the Roos give up their future first-rounder as part of a trade deal with this year’s pick two the Tigers are unlikely to trade up to pick two.
Clubs are in the dark about Richmond’s intentions with pick one but many believe Greater Western Victoria mid Lalor is the best player as a mid-forward who has at times shown explosive Dustin Martin-like traits.
The Tigers have long loved Smillie’s gifts but a quieter Under-18 carnival has seen him slide from No. 1 overall pick considerations.
The Lions used that No. 20 draft pick worth 912 draft points to secure Richmond’s back-end picks worth 1704 draft points to strengthen their draft hand to secure Ashcroft.
But even after securing a 20 per cent discount in their bid for Ashcroft, it would make a huge difference to the Lions if Ashcroft went at pick one (3000 points) compared to four or five in the national draft.
