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JOSH Dunkley will have another three weeks to decide whether he nominates as a father-son to the Sydney Swans or enters the open draft after the AFL extended the deadline for nominations.
The League's first deadline for nominations under the rule is on Friday, October 30, when players can be named as possible father-son recruits.
Dunkley is expected to be nominated by the Swans as part of this process this week.
However, that does not lock him in to joining the Swans at next month's NAB AFL Draft, with his final decision required by the second deadline on November 20, just four days before names are called at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
If Dunkley does choose to nominate as a father-son to the club where his dad Andrew played 217 games from 1992-2002, the Swans will then need to wait until a bid comes during the night before deciding whether to match it.
The Swans and Dunkley will continue to discuss the possibility of him nominating as a father-son pick in the lead-up to the draft, with both parties needing to agree.
The Swans have stocked up on second and third-round picks (they have five selections from No.33-54) so they can match an early bid for star academy midfielder Callum Mills.
If Dunkley does nominate as a father-son pick, the club would then have to assess how many points they would have to give up to take on the hard-working midfielder without going into a points deficit for next year's draft.
The 18-year-old has spent time training at the Swans over the past year, but has been weighing up whether to enter the open draft to enhance his hopes of being taken by a Victorian club to be closer to his family, who live in the Gippsland region.
Dunkley is seen by clubs as one of the hardest prospects to assess, with views ranging dramatically about where he fits in the pecking order.
He entered the season seen as a possible first-round pick but several months out with a back fracture and intermittent form at VFL and TAC Cup level in the second half of the season has made his draft range harder to place for recruiters.
The Western Bulldogs earlier this week informed prospect Darcy MacPherson the club would not be nominating him as a father-son selection.
Carlton is expected to nominate Jack Silvagni under the rule, while Bailey Rice has already been nominated by St Kilda having had the choice to also list the Blues as his first preference under the revised father-son conditions.
