All you need to know ahead of the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft and what the GIANTS plan to do with their three first-round picks.

With the 2024 season done and dusted the GIANTS now turn their attention to the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft as they look to bolster their exciting young list with even more promising talent.

Key Dates:

• Telstra AFL Draft - First round: Wednesday, November 20
• Telstra AFL Draft - Second round and subsequent rounds: Thursday, November 21
• Telstra Pre-Season and Rookie Draft: Friday, November 22

How It Works:

Each of the league's 18 clubs earn draft picks based on the reverse ladder order from the most recently completed AFL season. However, this doesn't always reflect the final draft order.

Picks can be exchanged for the current year's draft and the following year's draft (future picks) through the trade period while teams are also able to trade picks with each other live as the draft unfolds.

Picks are also given out as compensation by the AFL for clubs who lose players to free agency, while father-son and academy bids can be matched which also impacts the draft order.

GIANTS Picks 

It is an exciting time for the GIANTS who possess three first-round picks, with pick 15, 16 (Harry Perryman compensation pick), and 21 (Isaac Cumming compensation pick) in their possession, along with picks 37, 56, and 73.

Click here for the entire AFL Draft order.

With three first-round picks, the GIANTS are in strong position entering what is considered one of the most talented and deepest drafts in recent history.

Having made seven of the last nine finals campaigns – and the last two under coach Adam Kingsley – the GIANTS will be looking to add even more exciting top-end talent to their list as they strive for sustained success and a maiden AFL premiership. 

GIANTS Changes Since Last Season: 

The GIANTS will enter the Draft following some list changes made over the trade period, with the club welcoming dynamic forward Jake Stringer to the club while Nick Haynes, James Peatling, Harry Perryman, Isaac Cumming, Braydon Press and Cooper Hamilton have departed.

The GIANTS will be hoping the pair of compensation picks received in return for the departing Perryman and Cumming can be used to add even more exceptional young talent via picks 16 and 21 in Wednesday’s Draft.

In some other list changes, the GIANTS recently delisted Lachlan Keeffe, Josh Fahey, and Jacob Wehr, but have committed to rookie-listing the trio at Friday’s Rookie Draft.

What The Club Says:

Speaking ahead of the Draft on afl.com.au’s Gettable program, GIANTS coach Adam Kingsley says he has full faith in the GIANTS’ recruitment and list management staff to bring in the best talent to help the club continue to succeed.

“They’re [GIANTS recruitment team] involved in all of our meetings throughout the year so they have a full understanding of where we are at as a footy club and as a team," Kingsley said.

“So I trust those guys and girls to do their jobs and bring in players that are going to help us improve and allow us to win now but also to win later more importantly for these guys coming in. They do a power of work and I trust them to do that.”

With three first-round picks in one of the deepest drafts in years, Kingsley said the club would enter Wednesday’s draft with an intent to select the best talent available to them rather than fulfilling any specific positional needs of his side.

“[GIANTS Head of Talent] Adrian [Caruso] will provide me with a list of about 25 to 30 names and I’ll typically watch tape on all of them. There is a big number of people [potential draftees] that provide us plenty of options, particularly with those three first-round picks…I think we’ll take best talent available and that will allow us to sort of build around those guys in future years.”

Kingsley also shared what the interviews between the club and any potential draftees often look like, adding that the club is well versed on what kind of personalities the potential draftees they might select would bring to the club.

“It’s basically just general conversation and you’re trying to build a little bit of rapport and trying to get a feel for who they are, what they stand for, are they respectful, are they intelligent. You are trying to sort of build a bit of a bank of knowledge around a player.

“In a 15-to-20-minute interview that you typically have at the combine, you’re not going to be building a lot of information around that it becomes more of a general conversation and you try and have a bit of fun together and make it a bit light-hearted.

“We have support through other coaches and our recruiting team and psychologists and Adrian and [GIANTS recruiter] Emma [Quayle], and their team [recruiting] will certainly make those visits throughout the year, so we know the guys pretty well and their families before we bring them into our club.”

Ahead of the 2024 Draft, Kingsley said he expected the club’s two untried first-round picks from last year in James Leake and Phoenix Gothard to both push for AFL selection early in 2025.

“They both had injury interrupted pre-seasons last year so they had difficult years but toward the end of the year they were coming good and really having an impact in our VFL program so I would say with a full pre-season under their belts that both of those boys will push for [AFL] selection early on in the year.

“I have been impressed with both of them, and we drafted them both for a reason. Toward the back half of the year we were certainly able to see why we drafted them.”

Wednesday’s Telstra AFL Draft will begin on Wednesday night at 7pm AEDT.