THERE won't be a draftee's name attached to this week's wooden spoon decider between Richmond and North Melbourne.
There won't be anything like the 'Need for Reid', 'Sam Walsh silverware' or the 'Kreuzer cup' that has adorned the battle of the bottom across history.
Clubs are looking at the 2024 draft crop with excited eyes at the depth, but it is shaping as a unique year at the top with as many as eight players raised by recruiters as having potential No.1 credentials.
Josh Smillie, Finn O'Sullivan, Jagga Smith, Harvey Langford, Sid Draper, Murphy Reid, Luke Trainor, Levi Ashcroft and Sam Lalor are all in the group put forward by scouts as being contenders for perhaps the widest ever race for the top pick.
Fresh off two years of Harley mania leading up to the 2023 draft, where the Bendigo prospect was nominated at the No.1 selection well before West Coast made it official, this year's crop has a top group still fighting for ascendancy.
Top Draft Prospects
Smillie is a 194cm midfielder who dominated the start of the season with the Eastern Ranges and had good moments throughout Vic Metro's carnival without the commanding performances.
O'Sullivan was a bottom-aged All-Australian for Vic Country last year and has the size, run and traits to be a very early pick but injuries have limited him in his draft season.
Smith's performances in the VFL in the past two weeks for Richmond – a 31-disposal debut and 27 disposals on Sunday against Collingwood – further illustrated his ball-winning capacity, while Draper's form for South Adelaide at League level has also further underlined his capabilities.
Langford and Murphy Reid are two who have risen into the mix through consistent performances this season.
Harvey Langford's Rise
Langford is a taller midfielder who has barely had a bad day all season and takes the game forward with penetration to be named a joint winner of the Larke Medal while Murphy Reid's creativity, class and poise has made him a standout and the winner of Vic Metro's most valuable player award at the Marsh Under-18 Championships.
Luke Trainor and Sam Lalor
Some clubs rate Trainor a top-five prospect and as the best tall in the group, while Lalor's impact and highlights put him in the early draft conversation but he is the wildcard in the No.1 discussion more than one of the favourites.
Levi Ashcroft's Father-Son Prospect Status
Ashcroft is as credentialed as any other player in the pool across his junior career but a father-son prospect has never been bid on at No.1 and recruiters don't think that will happen this year either.
What's Next For the Top Draft Prospects?
No clear No.1 prospect means the end of the season, respective finals series across the country and then the Draft Combine carry greater weight for the club that ends up with the first pick.
All clubs with early picks will be open to discussions on splitting their top selection. But the same reason for their willingness to do that – getting two early picks for one in this draft will likely be better than one – will be the same reason clubs will likely be reluctant to give up too much to move up the order. Some recruiters think given the spread of opinions on the top group, clubs could get a player they rank in the top three back at No.6, 7 or 8.
Sydney's experienced national recruiting manager Kinnear Beatson last week mirrored the view of the even top end, saying he still had a number of players vying to be the best in the draft.
“Probably about five or six to be honest with you. It would be a hard pick at the moment if you had pick one or two thinking 'Boy, what are we going to do here?' because it keeps moving,” Beatson told Gettable.
If Richmond claims the wooden spoon, it will be the first team since West Coast in 2010 to finish last four years after a premiership. Melbourne, which went from premier to a spoon in three years from 1948 to 1951 in a 12-team competition, hold the record for the quickest drop after a flag.
For North, a loss would likely leave it with its fifth straight bottom-two finish on the ladder.
The Race for the No. 1 Pick is a Tight One
While the No. 1 pick is up for grabs, it’s important to remember that the player to be selected is far from decided. The 2024 draft crop has a lot of talent, and it will be interesting to see who emerges as the top prospect as the season progresses. There’s no clear favorite, and it could come down to who has the selection. The wooden spoon decider between Richmond and North Melbourne is a crucial match that could decide who gets the first pick.
This year's draft is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. With so many talented players vying for the top spot, it will be a nail-biting finish to the season.
