In its purest form, the AFL draft is about as wholesome and shiny as the sport can get.

Nervous teenagers and proud parents, overzealous school friends and the realisation of lifelong dreams. No hamstring injuries or narrow defeats to spoil the mood, and the call from the coach only ever welcomes you to the club, mate, and never ships you back to the reserves.

The draft is about hope. For players and their families and for fans, praying this lad, barely out of school exams, is the one who will deliver upon the promise.

For clubs, though, the draft is business. It is one of only two or three realistic ways a club can improve its list, and as such becomes a battleground where any minor advantage quickly becomes a massive one.

You may have heard that the 2025 draft class is a weaker one.

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