HAWTHORN'S winless start to the season and what it means for St Kilda's 2017 draft position has filled the airwaves since Gold Coast thrashed the Hawks on Sunday night.
The Saints hold the Hawks' first pick at this year's NAB AFL Draft – currently the No.1 choice overall – having swapped selections during the exchange period last year.
But while the talk to date has centred on Hawthorn's moves that allowed them to bring in Jaeger O'Meara, St Kilda's canny efforts to become part of the deal have been overlooked.
St Kilda list manager Tony Elshaug last year detailed the mechanics behind the deal, saying the Saints had approached Hawks list manager Graham Wright about the possible swap, given Hawthorn's struggles to get the O'Meara deal over the line.
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"It was something we put out to them and Graham came back to us and we sat down and had two meaningful discussions over two days," Elshaug told AFL.com.au's Road to the Draft podcast last year.
"As we'd all know with Graham and the Hawthorn Football Club, they handled themselves professionally and well and it was all done in a very short time in the first week."
The deal saw the Saints give up their pick No.10 and 68 at last year's draft for picks 23, 36 and the Hawks' first pick in the 2017 draft. It is guaranteed to give the Saints at least a win of 848 points under the draft's points value index.
The deal has come into the spotlight given Hawthorn's 0-3 start, which included an 86-point thumping at the hands of the previously winless Gold Coast on Sunday.
The pick 10 St Kilda exchanged to the Hawks became the central part of a complex package of selections sent to the Suns in return for O'Meara, who has returned from two years out with injury to play in the first three rounds for Hawthorn.
Jaeger O'Meara has played the first three games of 2017. Picture: AFL Photos
"We all got together after that initial discussion that we may look to do something with [pick] 10. We've always felt you have to keep an open mind with what you have and 10 is obviously a good draft pick to have," Elshaug said.
"At times you can get the sixth or seventh-best player in the draft [at that pick], so there's a lot of value in that, and as it was, Hawthorn saw a lot of value in that with the view to get Jaeger O'Meara through the door.
"We were pleased with the deal but they'd be pleased as well because they landed the player that they targeted a long way out."
The Saints' shift down the draft order saw them take Ben Long with their first overall selection (which finished at No.25 after academy bids).
But because they had also traded in ex-Giant Jack Steele, who attracted a bid at pick No.15 under the previous bidding system in 2014, the Saints felt their mix was right.
"[The deal] wasn't uppermost in our mind but once we saw that opportunity to put ourselves in a better position [in 2017], and have two second-round picks [in 2016], but also Jack Steele being that sort of first-round pick from two years ago with two years under his belt…it sort of all married up that it would be a good fit for us going forward," Elshaug said at the time.
The Saints' strong draft hand should see them able to add top talent to their list, with a mix of types likely to be available in the early stages of this year's draft.
Jaidyn Stephenson is a potential No.1 pick and booted three goals in Sunday's NAB AFL Academy 20th anniversary contest at the MCG, while midfielder Lochie O'Brien, classy left-footer Joel Garner and physical half-forward Darcy Fogarty are among the likely early selections.
Versatile tall Jarrod Brander is also among the highly rated prospects, as well as Connor Ballenden, who is tied to the Brisbane Lions as an academy prospect.
Jaidyn Stephenson has rocketed to the top of the draft talent chart. Picture: AFL Photos
At this stage, Hawthorn will enter this year's draft at Greater Western Sydney's second-round pick (possibly in the early 30s if GWS finish in the top four), having traded out its own second-round pick to the Suns.
After taking four players in the top 10 last year, the Suns will again have a strong draft presence this year with four second-round selections. They picked up an extra three second-round selections for this year's intake during their busy trade period last year.
Richmond will have two first-round picks at the draft, having acquired one tied to the Cats' finishing position, and will also have access to father-son pick Patrick Naish.
The Brisbane Lions are the other club to have traded in an extra first-round selection for this year, having picked up Port Adelaide's first choice in a deal last year.
