The 2022 National Draft is approaching fast and it looms as a key moment for many clubs looking to build the future of their lists.
The beauty of the draft is that it isn’t an exact science and every team has different priorities.
We have gone through all 18 teams to determine what they should do and who they could target with their early selections.
Whether that’s a team like GWS with multiple first-round picks, or a team like Richmond entering the draft quite late due to trade activity.
See our thoughts below:
The Crows gave up the bulk of their 2022 trade activity when bringing in Izak Rankine from the Suns for pick 5 amongst a host of other selections changing hands.
They nabbed Josh Rachele at 6 last year and were busy in 2020 by selecting Riley Thilthorpe at 2, Luke Pedlar at 11 and a couple of picks in the 20s, so their recent draft business has been done and they won’t be very active in 2022.
With their first pick coming deep into the third round, it’s near impossible to work out who Adelaide will take at 46, but they could potentially look at ruck depth.
Harry Barnett from West Adelaide would be a great selection as would South Adelaide's Will Verrall.
2022 picks: 46, 56, 59
Andrew Slevison
Brisbane were happy to trade out of the early stages of this draft to bank points for father-son prospects Will Ashcroft and Jaspa Fletcher.
With Ashcroft potentially costing them in effect the first pick and Fletcher rated a first-rounder, the Lions will have to use every pick they have to cover their selections while likely going into deficit.
There’s no doubt the pair will end up at The Gabba, so it’ll be interesting to see what deficit they go into if they can’t trade in more selections on draft night.
2022 Picks: 34, 35, 36, 38, 55, 73
Lachlan Geleit
A lot of external analysis suggests Carlton should target a key position player with their first pick and particularly a key defender, though with Jacob Weitering and Lewis Young both still quite young and seemingly secured in the best 22, the Blues’ needs in defence are more about depth.
The same goes for key forwards. There are better uses for pick 10.
Carlton’s priority should be looking for class and impact across the half-forward line. A player who can push to play games in 2023, use the ball well going inside 50 and do some damage across the flanks and wings. A complimentary piece who can be the cherry on top early in their career. Think how Port Adelaide used Connor Rozee in his first season.
Murray Bushrangers’ Ollie Hollands looks to fit the bill. The brother of Gold Coast’s Elijah Hollands is an elite runner and uses the ball well. South Australia’s Mattaes Phillipou is also intriguing as a high-upside midfielder who can start his career at half-forward. Bailey Humphrey would be perfect as a powerful mid-forward hybrid, but will likely be gone by pick 10.
2022 Picks: 10, 29, 49, 66
Nic Negrepontis
Collingwood picked up two second-round picks after Ollie Henry and Brodie Grundy departed the club in the off-season, helping strengthen their draft hand.
While the likes of Dan McStay and Billy Frampton joined the club last month, Collingwood may want to take at least one key tall with one of their early picks.
WA’s Jedd Busslinger or Vic Metro’s Lewis Hayes could be viable tall options at pick 16, but in typical Collingwood fashion, recruiting manager Derek Hine is likely to target who he has as best available irrelevant of position.
2022 Picks: 16, 25, 27, 51
Lachlan Geleit
Most of Essendon’s attention this draft period will be centred around their prized pick four (which will turn into pick five after Brisbane’s father-son bid for Will Ashcroft), where they’ll be looking to largely bolster their midfield with a big-bodied on-baller.
While forward/mid Harry Sheezel is now tipped to be taken by North Melbourne before Essendon’s first pick, they’ll surely be turning their attention to taking one of Elijah Tsatas or Bailey Humphrey.
The 187cm Tsatas fits the bill as a taller midfielder which the Bombers simply don’t have, while the 186cm Humphrey would be a similarly good fit.
A bid for father-son nominee Alwyn Davey Jnr is expected to come within the first 30 picks, while twin brother Jayden will also land at the Bombers during the draft.
2022 Picks: 4, 22, 54, 62, 68, 72
Laurence Rosen
Speed, line breaking and x-factor.
That is what Fremantle should be looking for when they enter the draft at pick 30. The Dockers are oozing with young talent all over the ground and don’t want for much. Given they don’t have an early pick, the Dockers can potentially swing for the fences a bit here.
Kaleb Smith is a speedy West Australian local who won the 20m sprint at the WA combine and performed well in the agility test.
Similarly, Jaxon Binns from the Dandenong Stingrays has class, is an elite runner and can hit the scoreboard. The Dockers should strongly consider a bid on North Melbourne father-son prospect Cooper Harvey at pick 30 as well.
2022 picks: 30, 44, 67, 76
Nic Negrepontis
The reigning premiers hold pick 7 in the upcoming National Draft, and by all reports, the Cats know what they want.
Jhye Clark is a local boy who has spent time being mentored by departing Geelong champion Joel Selwood. The youngster has been lauded for his leadership capabilities and is seen by draft experts to be a strong chance of developing into a tough midfield star.
That’s exactly what Chris Scott’s side needs. Despite boasting one of the better midfields in the competition, Selwood’s retirement leaves a gaping hole for an inside bull to assume.
Patrick Dangerfield is also a year older and will turn 33 next season. Clark, or a similar type, has a spot in the premiership midfield for the next decade and longer if they’re good enough.
2022 picks: 7, 58, 64
Seb Mottram
Assuming the draft goes as expected, with GWS taking Aaron Cadman, North Melbourne taking Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw and Brisbane already nabbing Will Ashcroft, Gold Coast is simply picking the best available player after the Bombers make their selection.
Whether it’s classy midfielder Elijah Tstas or powerful mid-forward hybrid Bailey Humphrey, the Suns are likely selecting whoever Essendon doesn’t want here.
Mattaes Phillipou presents a tantalising option, though the Suns may be scarred off prodigious South Australian talents for a bit.
The question for Gold Coast is not necessarily who they should take at pick five – they’ll have an abundance of options – it’s whether they can prove their competence within two to four years and convince them to stay.
2022 picks: 5, 45, 71, 74
Nic Negrepontis
GWS heads into this draft with a hefty draft haul in their back pocket, holding the first overall pick, two more first-rounders, and five other picks sprinkled throughout the draft.
The Giants secured the first pick through their involvement in the Jason Horne-Francis mega trade, certainly having someone in mind they don’t want to miss.
With the draft’s top prospect Will Ashcroft already headed to Brisbane as a father-son selection, the Giants are seemingly looking at Aaron Cadman as their prize prospect.
The top key forward talent in this draft crop, Vic Country’s Cadman looks to be GWS’ solution to their forward line woes, with the Giants hoping he can fill the Jeremy Cameron void that has existed since his 2021 departure.
Having lost gun midfielders Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper to Richmond, GWS will be looking to rebuild their core.
Dandenong Stingrays utility Henry Hustwaite and Sandringham Dragons midfield-forward Olli Hotton could be options for the Giants later in the first round, each providing plenty of versatility for a GWS list that is essentially a blank slate.
2022 Picks: 1, 15, 18, 19, 31, 57, 61
Jack Makeham
It is clear to see that Hawthorn is keen to get involved in this year’s draft having traded out a number of established stars including Jack Gunston, Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara, while losing Ben McEvoy and Liam Shiels to retirement.
Sam Mitchell and the club’s list management are looking to the future and will aim to bring in some high-end youth at the draft later this month.
First on the agenda is an early pick in the form of no.6 (pushed back after the Will Ashcroft bid) which the Hawks may want to use on a gun midfielder after losing Mitchell and O’Meara.
Geelong Falcons talent Jhye Clark fits the bill and the Hawks have the pick prior to the Cats so could slip in and grab him from under their noses.
Gippsland Power forward Bailey Humphrey is another the Hawks could look at given his quality around goal and his ability to go through the middle.
St Kilda Next Generation Academy player Cameron Mackenzie, a midfielder from the Sandringham Dragons, is another in the range of Hawthorn’s first pick.
The Hawks would love it if Sandringham’s Elijah Tsatas fell to their first pick, but that seems unlikely with many pundits tipping him to be taken inside the top five.
2022 Picks: 6, 24, 41, 48, 50, 52, 65
Andrew Slevison
Melbourne is clearly in the premiership window, but with several stars tied to long-term contracts, the club would expect to be in contention for some time.
With pick 13 as the Demons' first pick, one thing that is likely is list manager Tim Lamb won’t look to take a key position prospect.
That leaves Melbourne set to take the best player available, preferably a midfielder who can lead the next crop coming through.
Cam Mackenzie and Ollie Hollands look to be the two Melbourne could target. Both are likely to be around the mark of pick 13 and both are Victorian boys.
If the club goes with an on-baller, they’ll have the best in the business to learn from in Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca and Jack Viney.
It could be seen as an opportunity to put significant time into a youngster because the likely outcome is they won’t break into Simon Goodwin’s best 22 next year.
2022 picks: 13, 37
Seb Mottram
North Melbourne has bet the farm on picks two and three in this draft. They moved out of pick one and cashed in Jason Horne-Francis a year before they absolutely needed to and have ended up with this impressive draft hand.
It’s a shame for the Roos that once again their top draft pick is pushed down by the compromised nature of the draft because what they need is elite talent at any position. Will Ashcroft (Brisbane) and Aaron Cadman (GWS) will likely be off the board, allowing North access to talented forward Harry Sheezel as a starting point. The Roos are crying out for talented forwards and Sheezel is a huge step in the right direction.
At pick three, they have been heavily linked to George Wardlaw as an inside midfielder, though they have a strong midfield group already and that’s not including former pick three Will Phillips who is yet to come on. North Melbourne should consider a play for South Australian Mattaes Phillipou, who projects as a potential high ceiling tall midfielder who can also go forward and hit the scoreboard. Elijah Tstas and Bailey Humphrey could also have higher ceilings than Wardlaw long-term.
2022 Picks: 2, 3, 23, 40, 43, 70
Nic Negrepontis
Port Adelaide heads into this draft shorthanded after trading for both Jason Horne-Francis and Junior Rioli.
With there expected to be less than 60 picks taken, the Power could add just one player with their second-round pick.
Looking from a positional need, Port Melbourne key defender Ethan Phillips had a starring VFL campaign to claim the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal as the competition’s most promising young talent and could be an option as a ready-made tall back.
Local products Isaac Keeler, Jaiden Magor and Jakob Ryan could also find themselves in the Power’s sights at that range.
2022 Picks: 33, 60
Lachlan Geleit
Richmond traded out of this year’s draft by luring Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper from GWS.
The Tigers gave up picks 12 and 19 in this year’s draft to land Taranto while parting with pick 31 this year and a first-round selection next year in exchange for Hopper.
The club focused on the 2021 draft by bringing in five picks inside the top 30, but won’t be too heavily involved in 2022 with only two later selections.
2022 Picks: 53, 63
Andrew Slevison
St Kilda’s Next Generation Academy product Cameron Mackenzie will largely be in the club’s sights.
Unfortunately for the Saints, the rules around NGA picks has changed and they will only be eligible to land him outside the top 40 if a bid comes prior. It is almost a moral that he will be long gone by then if he doesn’t fall in their laps.
Away from Mackenzie, the Saints will be casting their net over the best available or highest ceiling player.
They missed out on Collingwood’s Jordan De Goey in the trade period so it’s evident they want a player who can operate through both the midfield and attack, and possesses speed and skill.
The likes of Gippsland’s Bailey Humphrey (if still available), South Australian talent Mattaes Phillipou or Murray Bushrangers midfielder Oliver Hollands could all fit the bill for the Saints.
2022 picks: 9, 28, 32, 47
Andrew Slevison
Sydney will be pleased to head into this draft with two first-round picks despite making a Grand Final in 2022.
While they’ll both come at the back end of that opening round, the Swans have proven on countless occasions that they can find top-line quality wherever they pick and you’d expect that to happen again here.
The Swans don’t want for much anywhere in their line-up, so you’d expect them to go for the best available and names like Matt Jefferson, Elijah Hewett and Olli Hotton could still be available come picks 14 and 17.
2022 Picks: 14, 17, 42, 75
Lachlan Geleit
After a deplorable year, West Coast fans would love a player to get genuinely excited about who also works hard. The side was plagued by allegations of a lack of effort throughout 2022 and after just two wins, fans will want to see someone crack in.
The club has also publicly declared it is looking to the longer-term future. With that in mind and picks 8 and 12 in hand, the Eagles could look to home-grown talent.
Reuben Ginbey is a Western Australian who starred in the draft combine and has got as much upside as anyone in the talent pool. He’s got all the attributes to be a dynamic midfielder and feature in a variety of positions and screams someone Eagles fans can get excited about.
While Ginbey could be taken with the club’s first pick, Elijah Hewett could be the second of the Eagles’ first round picks. Another midfielder and WA local, Hewett would be another who could push for a spot in the Eagles’ starting on-ball unit next year.
2022 picks: 8, 12, 20, 26
Seb Mottram
The Bulldogs will be disappointed to head into the draft armed with only the single first-round selection, having sought a high pick from Brisbane in exchange for Josh Dunkley, however had to settle for the Lions’ pick 21 after a drawn out saga.
They will be looking to get some good value out of their 11th overall selection and, considering Dunkley’s departure, a midfielder looks to be the target for the Bulldogs.
Murray Bushrangers talent Oliver Hollands seems to fit the bill perfectly, an elite runner that could command a wing spot for the club, freeing up star Bailey Smith.
Cam Mackenzie from the Sandringham Dragons and West Australian Elijah Hewett are bigger bodied mids that could also catch the Bulldogs' eye should Hollands be off the board.
The Bulldogs are stocked at key positions, so taking anything other than a midfielder with their only first round pick would be a surprise.
2022 Picks: 11, 21, 39, 69
Jack Makeham