The 2019 NAB AFL Draft is nearly upon us: the day when we will welcome the newest GIANTS to our family.
It’s an exciting time of year, but an increasingly complicated one, with father-son and academy bids, the recent introduction of live pick trading and a shake-up to the traditional format.
There’ll be plenty happening at Marvel Stadium on Wednesday and Thursday nights, so we’ve got all the key information you need in one handy location.
The format
Following last year’s success, the 2019 NAB AFL Draft will again be split over two days, with round one highlighted in a standalone prime-time fixture on Wednesday night.
The first 19 picks will be called out on night one, with round two onwards taking place on Thursday night while the Rookie Draft will be conducted on Friday.
The GIANTS’ picks
The GIANTS entered the 2019 Telstra Trade Period with picks 12 (originally received from Essendon in the 2018 trade period) and 18 in the first round, but some clever trading has seen the club climb up first to pick six (following a deal with St Kilda) and then to pick four (after a trade with Adelaide last week), with just Gold Coast and Melbourne holding selections ahead of the GIANTS.
The GIANTS now hold six picks: 4, 40, 59, 60, 80 and 94.
Live trading
Clubs now have the ability to trade picks during the Draft itself, including future (2020) picks. For example, a club looking to move up the order might try to package up a couple of picks to strike a deal with another club, while others might make deals with their lower order picks to accumulate points to match Academy or father-son bids.
The GIANTS used live pick trading to excellent effect in its first season, trading up the draft order to secure Bobby Hill (pick 24) and Connor Idun (pick 61).
Follow the Draft
The 2019 NAB AFL Draft will be held at Marvel Stadium on Wednesday, November 27 and Thursday, November 28.
The first round of the Draft begins at 7pm AEDT, with Fox Footy’s (channel 504) coverage beginning at 6.30pm.
The second round onwards will be live on Fox Footy from 7pm on Thursday.
Every pick in the Draft can be followed on AFL.com.au’s Draft Tracker, while the GIANTS’ picks will be shared across the club’s website, App and social media accounts (@gwsgiants).
The Fox Footy coverage will be available on the AFL Official App for live pass subscribers, while AFL Media will also have Draft Night LIVE available for everyone on afl.com.au and its official app.
The Final Draft Order
For the final order of the 2019 NAB AFL Draft (notwithstanding bidding and live trading), head to AFL.com.au’s Indicative Draft Order.
