THERE were questions on the depth of last year's NAB AFL Draft but no concerns were ever raised about the top-end talent available to clubs. That much was seen last weekend, when the first five selections from last year's intake debuted and performed impressively.

Pick No.1 Jacob Weitering did as he did all of last year – he read the ball in the air, marked confidently and kicked with purpose. No.2 choice Josh Schache was smart and efficient around goal, and No.3 selection Callum Mills showed he has been ready for a long time to graduate to the top level.

Then there was No.4 pick Clayton Oliver, who busted through packs like a seasoned midfielder, and No.5 choice Darcy Parish who darted around the ground as if nothing had changed since his under-18 season except his jumper colours.

On Saturday, Oliver and Parish are likely to spend some time lined up against each other as Melbourne and Essendon face-off at the MCG. It will be interesting for a host of reasons, not least because of the Dees' draft-shaping decision to pick Oliver last year ahead of Parish.

Parish, with back-to-back under-18 All Australian guernseys, a grounding in the NAB AFL Academy and two full, consistent seasons, was seen by many to be the safer and most likely choice. Indeed, when Melbourne upgraded its first selection from No.6 to No.3 in last year's trade period, many felt it was to get ahead of Essendon and pip them by taking Parish.

But by then the Demons were already all but set on Oliver, who didn't play in the championships, had to cross TAC Cup clubs to get a game, and needed a late surge to charge up the draft charts.

There will be few bigger draft bolters than Oliver. The Demons first spotted Oliver when he was playing in a trial match early in 2015 to get into Vic Country's squad. Recruiter Tim Lamb noticed a couple of eye-catching moments, and Oliver's name was placed onto Melbourne's board as a player to follow.

His first half of the season was interrupted by some osteitis pubis problems, but he started to gather momentum in the middle of the year. By the time he played for Richmond's VFL side (organised through the Murray Bushrangers' alignment with the club), he had started to push ahead of Parish as Melbourne's midfielder of choice.

Oliver is six centimetres taller than Parish and his strength was impressive on debut last week against Greater Western Sydney, when he gathered 22 disposals, seven clearances (five out of the centre) and won the NAB AFL Rising Star nomination. But to say the size difference between the pair was the major factor in the Demons' choice is too simplistic.

The Dees saw Oliver as having an advantage in speed, power and marking, and also believed he impacted the scoreboard more than Parish (he kicked 20 goals last year to Parish's six in the TAC Cup, but did play six more games). Oliver's testing and improved conditioning at the NAB AFL Draft Combine further solidified his place at the front of Melbourne's minds.

But he was also in the minds of others. Carlton was keen, Gold Coast was interested and back at pick 12 Richmond had all but given up hope of Oliver getting through. Essendon liked him too but was also fond of Parish, who was an obvious and smart choice for the club to bolster its midfield.

Whether the Bombers would have taken Oliver and Parish with their two top-10 picks is irrelevant. With Oliver already gone, it was not a choice they could make. And they are more than pleased with their selection.

Since Parish's first training drill at the club last year – when he ran headfirst into a contest and smashed his nose in a bid to make a good early impression – he has settled in seamlessly and won the respect of those at the club. He has a strong level of self-belief but is determined to get better and take his game forward.

The idea that the suspensions to Essendon's senior core would give more opportunities to younger players is true, but perhaps not in the case of Parish. He likely would have been in Essendon's first-choice team had the players been cleared and were free to play.

Some of his midfield craft alongside Jobe Watson and Dyson Heppell during the pre-season excited onlookers.

The 18-year-old's debut against the Suns last week was a bright spot in a dirty day for the Dons, with his second half lifting the Bombers. He finished with 25 disposals (12 contested), six clearances and six tackles, and showed his poise, tenacity and toughness.

This weekend's Dons-Dees clash shouldn't be about making a snap judgment on whether Parish or Oliver will be the better player – the signs are there already that both will be very good and both clubs liked both players.

It should be about enjoying the first of what will be many battles between the pair as two of the bright young talents in the competition.