FOR THE first time in years, the NAB AFL Draft is (almost) uncompromised.

 

Greater Western Sydney and Gold Coast's stranglehold of the last three drafts – having already collected some of the best 17-year-olds before then – is over, although both clubs have an extra activated compensation pick inside the first 20 selections.

 

The Giants won't be able to load up at the start of the draft by selling off mini-draft selections, and it's unlikely free agency compensation picks will push back the first few selections.  

 

So are clubs excited about what they might be able to secure come November? That depends who you ask.

 

Views from recruiters on this draft pool range from 'better than last year's' to 'limited' and 'lacking depth'.

 

Circumstances, of course, have robbed the recruiters of what would have been perhaps the most talent-rich top 10 in years.

 

Jack Martin and Jesse Hogan are eligible for this year's draft but were mini-drafted in 2012, while Luke McDonald is out of reach after committing to North Melbourne as a father-son pick. Throw all three in and all of a sudden there's more dynamic available, more spark, more options.

 

Clubs within the early part of the draft will be able to find a player or two who helps grow their list.

 

But this draft won't solve every problem, particularly in the key-position department. That's a consistent view from recruiters: it is a midfielders' draft.

Tom Boyd is the standout player – the nominal No.1 pick by a fair way.

 

He is a 199cm and 102kg forward at 17 (already bigger than Geelong's Tom Hawkins), and he takes marks, kicks well and is serious about doing well. He was bound for a huge bag of goals against Western Australia in round three before an ankle injury ended his national carnival.

 

Beyond him, however, the tall stocks aren't there like previous years.

 

Western Australia's Cameron McCarthy pushed himself up the order with a strong NAB AFL Under-18 Championships but there will now be questions on him after a suspected broken leg in the final game.

 

His teammate Jonathon Marsh has undeniable talent but clubs are still working out if raw skills are enough to make him an early choice.

 

Darcy Gardiner is the best-performed tall defender and has a competitive streak matched by few, but even he is 192cm, not an enormous backman for the modern game.

 

The Giants have placed pick one (widely seen as Boyd) on the trade table, but some have remarked they'll have to give up almost half a side to achieve that deal.

 

But it could happen, and if a club is willing to part with a very good player and a very high pick, it would be worth it, because there is a big gap right now between Boyd at pick one and whoever is picked at number four, five, six or seven. 

 

Whether it stays that way is the educated guesswork of recruiting: forecasting if the order now will remain that way in years to come.  

 

Jack Billings might well end up being the best player in the draft. He's young and has dealt with a few injury niggles this year but he takes marks, kicks goals and is a big-time player across half-forward.

 

Three goals in the first half to set up Vic Metro's win over Vic Country at Etihad Stadium showed that side of him.

 

It could be James Aish, who has already got runs on the board after starring in a SANFL premiership last year for Norwood, and it could be Josh Kelly, who just knows where to go to find the footy and use it well, and saved his best games of the carnival for the best opponents.

 

Some have asked if there's enough lively players out there, enough who play bold footy.

 

That comes in the speed of Lewis Taylor and Billy Hartung, and the versatility of Ben Lennon and Matt Scharenberg. Lennon takes marks like a key forward and might be the best kick of the draft, and Scharenberg creates off defence and is ready to play.

 

Taylor had an outstanding championships for Country, capped by 32 touches against Vic Metro, while Hartung came back into form after a long layoff with a finger injury.

 

The quest for talls might need to wait until next year.

 

Some clubs noted they were more excited by the next AIS-AFL Academy intake than this year's, with keys Hugh Goddard, Darcy Moore, Peter Spurling and Jake Lever already showing glimpses.

 

Patrick McCartin also starred for Vic Country as a bottom-ager and was one of the better players of the carnival as a leading, marking and one-grabbing tall forward.

 

Smaller types Clem Smith and Jarrod Pickett have done things to have their names highlighted, underlined and circled by recruiters to focus more closely on next season.

 

There is still plenty of time to impress.

 

Kade Kolodjashnij's rise has been swift, and ball-winners Matt Crouch, Trent Dumont, Blake Acres and Nathan Freeman will be keen to get past some injury concerns in the back-end of their season.

 

But the early form guide has been written. And mostly by players standing between 180-190cm.