Brisbane Lions Chief Recruiter Stephen Conole has revealed the club has firmed in on four players as possibilities to be selected with pick one at Friday’s national draft.
In a season where a clear number one selection hasn’t emerged, it’s believed the Lions have narrowed in on Cam Rayner, Andrew Brashaw, Paddy Dow and Luke Davies-Uniacke as pick one candidates.
“We haven’t come to a final decision as yet but we are certainty getting pretty close,” Conole told SEN’s Crunch Time.
“I think it has been reported there is probably four or so lads, and I think that’s a pretty accurate coverage of it. The boys that have been advertised or spoken about in the media, I think those boys are still in the discussion. There is a probably a couple of those boys who are a little bit ahead.
“We had a couple of little activities during the week, they had a medical and a second fitness session for some of the boys that missed out.
“We will get together early next week in Brisbane and spent a little bit of time on it. I’d imagine by then we will have a final decision and head up to Sydney from there.”
What else did Brisbane chief recruiter Stephen Conole have to say about this week’s draft? Take a listen in the player below!
Conole added Brisbane’s “main goal” at the draft will be to add more “depth and variety” through their midfield group. Following the loss of former captain Tom Rockliff, the Lions have a senior engine room consisting of Dayne Zorko, Dayne Beams, Daniel Rich and Mitch Robinson.
Chris Fagan’s emerging midfield nucleus includes Hugh McCluggage, Rhys Mathieson, Jake Barrett, Jarrod Berry, Alex Witherden and Jacob Allison.
Rayner has had his fitness questioned and struggled in a two-kilometre time trial earlier this week. The Western Jets product recorded a time of just 7:57, but Conole says Rayner’s circumstances underlined his poor run and it won’t influence their decision to potentially choose him with the opening selection.
"He had an exam the day before and he has got another one on Monday," he said.
“She was a pretty mild sort of affair the old two-kilometer yesterday. We will have a chat to Cam in the forthcoming days and work out where he sits in terms of his medical stuff. I know they did a screening following that, which all the medical guys will get that information.
"He's come off a reasonable knee injury that's kept him out of training for a little while. You would imagine that's going to make or break him at the top level, his ability to cover the ground and work on his endurance.
"He's had a fairly busy year, so whether he's really had a chance to work on that to the level he would have liked, it will be interesting to see once he's in a full-time environment.
"I'm sure it's going to improve, but to what sort of level, they're the sort of questions everyone is asking."
Brawshaw is being considered the bolter of the 2017 draft, as the younger brother to Melbourne midfielder Angus has suddenly entered pick one debates. However, Conole denied those claims, saying Brisbane always held the Sandringham Dragon in high regard.
“Everyone keeps saying Andrew has come in, but his start to the year was fantastic,” he said.
“He went back to school footy and then he had a quad injury that kept him out for about six weeks. His ability to come back in on virtually no preparation was outstanding.
“Because of that injury, people say he charged home fast, but if you go back to the start of the year, statistically and in all those key indicators, he started the year very well. He was well and truly in those discussions from round one onwards.”
The Lions have been rocked by the go-home factor over the past few years, a trend that has stripped them of numerous young talents. Josh Schache, the number two pick in 2015’s draft, was the most recent player to depart the fledgling club, but Brisbane is optimistic they’ve laid the foundations to avoid large list overturn in the future.
“We have spent a lot of time and resources in welfare and development coaches,” Conole said.
“We think it’s a really good environment for a young boy to come into. We are confident whomever we put up there, they’re going to thrive.”
In Champion Data’s draft rankings, Rayner was the second-best prospect behind Jack Higgins. Brayshaw was fourth, Davies-Uniacke fifth and Dow sixth.
The 2017 Draft Preview issue of SEN Inside Football is out now. It includes 240 prospect profiles, as well as one-on-one interviews with some of this year's top hopefuls. Subscribe today!