Potential winners and losers from the AFL draft.

WINNERS

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

Another draft, another batch of the nation’s best young talent. Used the first pick on power forward Tom Boyd, whose 200cm frame, agility, and kicking ability had recruiters drooling. With pick two, took Josh Kelly, rated the best midfielder in the draft. And for good measure snared Cameron McCarthy, considered the second-best tall forward in the draft, with pick 14.

COLLINGWOOD

Grabbed highly-rated Matt Scharenberg with pick six, a South Australian defender in the quarter-back mould who has precise skills and a cool head. Added clearance specialist Nathan Freeman with pick 10, took versatile Tom Langdon with pick 65 and, with pick 77, grabbed a tall forward with serious pace, Jonathon Marsh.

BRISBANE

Amazed that South Australian James Aish slipped to them at pick seven. He’s already won two premierships at SANFL level and comes from a royal SA footy family. Replaced their post-season exodus of young talent with the likes of tall backmen Darcy Gardiner (pick 22) and Daniel McStay (pick 25), All Australian junior Lewis Taylor (pick 28) and a project ruckman in West Australian Rory Lobb, a 205cm giant, with pick 29.

ST KILDA

Needed some good news after the recent sacking of Scott Watters as coach, and new boss Alan Richardson secured three likely lads. Used pick three on Jack Billings, a dangerous forward/midfielder whose kicking skills are already elite, and also claimed SA midfielder Luke Dunstan (pick 18) and classy West Australian Blake Acres (pick 19).

POTENTIAL LOSERS

ADELAIDE

Felt the pinch in their second year of draft penalties. Excluded from the first and second last year and this year, they traded club champion Bernie Vince for pick 23, which they used to grab Matt Crouch, the brother of their emerging midfielder Brad Crouch.

ESSENDON

Another to feel the strain under draft penalties – and they have another year of sanctions to go. The Bombers took Zach Merrett at pick 26, the brother of their utility Jackson Merrett, and gambled on a lightly-framed goalsneak, Orazio Fantasia, with pick 55.

CARLTON

The Blues raised eyebrows by completely ignorning their dearth of key fowards, instead plumping for a midfielder (Patrick Crippes, pick 13), a tall defender (Cameron Giles, pick 39) and another on-baller (Nick Holman (pick 51).

SYDNEY

With just one pick inside the top, the Swans were also battling to add genuine talent – but have long preferred to trade shrewdly anyway. They added Zak Jones (pick 15), a versatile defender with pace and solid aerial ability, and took a punt on Aliir Aliir with pick 44, a Kenyan-born defender of Sudanese heritage.