COLLINGWOOD has been busy in the early part of trade period, securing the opening deal and later shaking hands with Geelong for Nathan Kreuger. Much of the Magpies’ mobilisation comes down to matching a bid for father-son candidate Nick Daicos, who some believe is the leading prospect in this year’s draft.

North Melbourne lays claim to pick one and would be justified in placing a bid on Daicos with it, especially given Collingwood has stated it will match at any given selection. The teen sensation has already committed to a four-year deal with the club his father, Peter and brother, Josh have famously represented.

With 2400 draft points (discounted from 3000) to make up for with a possible pick one bid, Collingwood swiftly sought to bolster its 2021 draft hand. The Magpies struck a cheap deal for Kreuger, sending pick 41 to Geelong while getting 55 in return. It means that after an early pick swap with Gold Coast, whereby Collingwood’s 2022 haul was decimated after round one, the club is left with selections 22, 36, 43, 46, 55, 58.

The total draft value index of the Magpies’ current haul clocks in at 2433 points – just enough to match a bid on Daicos at pick one. With plenty of time left in trade period, they will likely have to part with a second-rounder to land wantaway Western Bulldogs youngster Patrick Lipinski, and have enough points left to match a potential bid for Next Generation Academy talent Youseph Dib, without going into deficit.

Dib, a 174cm utility able to play on all three lines, is a teammate of Daicos at the Oakleigh Chargers. He turned out for Collingwood’s VFL side this season and did enough to feature in Vic Metro’s Under 19 squad. At this stage, he looms as a later pick in the draft and could even, ideally, slip into the rookie intake.

While the likes of Daicos and Bulldogs father-son prospect Sam Darcy (son of Luke) have stolen many a headline, there remains a bunch of club-tied talents set to impact trade decisions – albeit, far less so than last year. Darcy’s top five value already has the Dogs putting pick 17 on the table, its sole selection with points value.

Melbourne has now long been resigned to losing out on NGA-tied tall Mac Andrew, who is expected to be the sole academy product snapped up before pick 20. Of course, Fremantle will also likely miss out on Jesse Motlop, who can only be matched on with a bid after pick 40. A quirk in the bidding rules means Metro-based NGA players in West and South Australia fall under different rules to that of Victorians like Andrew, who can be matched after pick 20.

St Kilda is perhaps the most intriguing case for the new rules, with two of its NGA prospects pushing into top 20 calculations. Marcus Windhager is arguably closest, but Sandringham Dragons teammate Mitch Owens may not be far behind. Both boast desirable traits and will tempt clubs at the end of round one should they truly value either player.

Currently, the Saints hold pick nine but only have enough ammo thereafter to match the points equivalent of a bid at pick 45 (347), with 49 and 67 in their back pocket. They may also consider Jack Peris, another NGA member. It makes for a slightly tricky situation for St Kilda, but one which can be managed before the final draft order is locked in.

Many other clubs will look to use later picks to match academy and father-son players. Arguably the leading Northern Academy product, Josh Fahey (GWS) holds the dearest price of any, as a dashing defender likely to feature around the start of round two. The Giants also have access to Josh Fahey and Harrison Grintell, who earned combine invites alongside top Sydney Academy member, Angus Anderson.

Port Adelaide fans will already be well away of Jase Burgoyne’s talent, and the Power should be able to cover a bid for their father-son candidate with a late collection of picks. Staying in South Australia, Adelaide has more than enough points to obtain NGA talent Blayne O’Loughlin, and even Isaiah Dudley if the Crows see fit.

Over in the West, Eric Benning may be an attainable NGA player for Fremantle after bolting into draft contention. The Claremont ruck-forward recently represented his state and earned a combine nod. Also attending the testing event will be West Coast NGA members Ethan Regan, Richard Farmer, and Arthur Jones. The Eagles should not have to worry about matching too high up the order, but can add some real x-factor to the squad with any of the trio.

Gold Coast’s draft concessions have carried on into 2021, meaning the Suns can pre-list academy players outside of the usual bidding system as they did with Joel Jeffrey and Alex Davies in 2020. Even so, academy player of the year Bodhi Uwland may end up a rookie, and the Suns could also secure the likes of Austin Harris, Will Bella, and Ned Stevens the same way with its extended list size.

Rounding out the significant club-tied considerations, Melbourne has access to Taj Woewodin under the father-son rules and may consider Andy Moniz-Wakefield (NGA), while North Melbourne fans are quite keen on small defender Jackson Archer, the son of Glenn. Woewodin is the most likely of that bunch, with the Dees in a good spot to secure him.