Newly crowned No.1 pick Sam Lalor has been likened to Richmond great Dustin Martin in the way he plays. The “don’t argue” is a clear reason why. Watching his highlights package, I saw a bit of Wayne Carey about him in the swagger with which he led to the ball. No pressure on the young lad, though.
8.01pm
The No.7 pick is Josh Smillie
Richmond have made their second selection, choosing Josh Smillie.
7.57pm
The No.6 pick is Harvey Langford
Harvey Langford gets to Melbourne with a top 10 pick.
What Langford said: “I think I was pretty stiff [to miss out on Victoria’s under-16 team] but since then I’ve worked so hard and I just can’t believe it [that he’s been drafted],” he told Fox Footy.
Harvey Langford.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
7.56pm
What Melbourne will doBy Marc McGowan
Expect Melbourne to place a bid on Brisbane Lions father-son gun Levi Ashcroft (eds note: this is what they did) before selecting Dandenong Stingrays midfielder Harvey Langford, who shared the Larke Medal as the best player at this year’s AFL under-18 championships.
Photo The Age
Langford is a 191-centimetre midfielder who rocketed up draft boards this year and can go forward and take a mark - and we know the Demons could do with some help in that area.
7.55pm
How Carlton got Smith
Carlton traded a future first and future second pick to get Hawthorn’s pick 14 before packaging up pick 12 and 14 and Matt Owies, which became pick 3. They stayed out of Dan Houston race to get 3. That has now been used to get midfielder Jagga Smith. Obviously huge wraps on him from the Blues.
7.53pm
The No.5 pick is Levi Ashcroft
Levi Ashcroft is officially drafted to Brisbane Lions as a father-son pick.
“It feels very special to finally make that I’m going to Brisbane official,” Ashcroft told Fox Footy. “Dad was pretty good at sharing the attention around between all of us. He has done so well [in football] and hopefully I can do them all proud.”
On why he didn’t touch the premiership trophy when Brisbane won the flag, he said: “Hopefully, I can touch my own one day so I didn’t want to touch that one.”
7.52pm
The top pick in Richmond colours
Sam Lalor.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
7.47pm
The No.4 pick is Sid Draper
Sid Draper gets to Adelaide and a career with the Crows.
“To hear my name called out is such a special moment for me and the family,” Draper told Fox Footy. “It was a tough start to the year. No one wants to hear they have a stress fracture [in their back] in their draft year but I was able to get back and play football, I was lucky.”
