ADELAIDE comes into the 2024 AFL Draft with a pair of National selections in hand, including one which may yield South Australia’s top local talent. A midfield dominant crop means the Crows can pick up a point of difference in its largely one-paced midfield, along with a father-son gun late in the piece.

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2024 RECORD: 15th | 8-14-1 | 99.1%
2024 PICKS: 4, 64
FUTURE PICKS: ADE R1, ADE R3, GWS R3, MEL R3, ADE R4, GWS R4
ACADEMY/FATHER-SON NOMINEES: Tyler Welsh (Father-Son)

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FIRST PICK:
Pick 4

The Crows have been incessantly linked with leading South Australian prospect Sid Draper for some time now, and the South Adelaide product is set to land right in their hitting zone. The ultra-professional, fleet-footed midfielder overcame an injury interrupted start to the season to find his best form at League level.

What he offers is a major point of difference in Adelaide’s engine room. His searing pace and line-breaking ability make him a threat going forward, but he can also help turn the tide of the Crows’ poor clearance numbers with polished work at the coalface.

An Adelaide supporter growing up, Draper moulds his game on Port Adelaide stars Zak Butters and Connor Rozee, and has put to bed rumours that he would not like to end up at West Lakes over concerns regarding the club’s ability to nurture young players.

Draper’s talent and senior experience will hold him in good stead to impact straight away at AFL level, should his body hold up throughout another senior preseason. Carlton looms as the main threat for the South Australian at pick three, so there may yet be some competition.

In that case, Vic Country on-baller Harvey Langford seems a suitable fit. The 191cm bull tied for this year’s Larke Medal and was simply dominant amongst his peers. He won’t tick the box for speed, but is a hard runner who can impact on the outside or up forward.

Others who may be on the board should the likes of Sam Lalor and Draper be unavailable likely include Oakleigh Chargers pair Finn O’Sullivan and Jagga Smith. Lalor and O’Sullivan are being courted by Richmond with pick one, while the agile Smith also has interest within the first half-dozen picks.

REMAINING CROP:

Adelaide lays claim to only one more pick in the National Draft, and is expected to make only two live selections. Pick 64 will more than likely be used to land father-son nominee Tyler Welsh, the son of 129-game former Crow, Scott. Welsh junior is a chip off the old block, too.

He spent the majority of this year aligned to Adelaide’s reserves side via the SANFL Rookie Program, which saw him play 10 League games. His best performance yielded a bag of five goals against Port Adelaide, while he booted eight in his lone Under 18s outing with Woodville-West Torrens.

Welsh’s explosiveness is his greatest asset, lending to bustling speed and imposing marking influence. That combination makes him a difficult matchup in the front half, though he has a ways to go in terms of building his endurance base and impacting beyond forward 50.

Adelaide’s only other points of business during draft time will be to complete its commitments to rookie listing delisted pair Harry Schoenberg and Chris Burgess. The pair, who were contracted until the end of 2025, have essentially made space on the senior list for the incoming pick four and Welsh.

KEY QUESTIONS:

– Will Sid Draper be available to snap up at pick four?
– Will father-son gun Tyler Welsh yield a bid in the National Draft?
– Can Adelaide land the right point of difference for its midfield?