RICHMOND resisted offers for its pick No.28 on Thursday night and instead added two more players to its list-changing 2024 haul, with key forward Thomas Sims selected by the Tigers with the opening pick on night two of the Telstra AFL Draft.
The Tigers also traded back into this year's draft further down at No.58 to add half-forward Jasper Alger and complete an historic haul that saw eight Victorians join the rebuilding club across two nights.
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In the biggest influx of top-end junior talent to one club since Greater Western Sydney entered the competition, the Tigers added three key forwards from this year's pool in Jonty Faull, Harry Armstrong and Sims, while also bolstering their midfield and snaring a defender in a draft headlined by their No.1 selection Sam Lalor.
Made possible by their two-win season and the exodus of senior talent that followed, the injection of youth will shift the dynamic of the Tigers' list and club in the second year of coach Adem Yze's rebuild.
Fourty-four players found AFL homes on Thursday night making a total of 71 across the 2024 draft, which represented the most since 78 players were selected in 2018.
Twelve Academy and father-son players were also snapped up across the two nights, including twins Ben and Lucas Camporeale, who made their way to Carlton during the third round to represent the club their father Scott played 233 games for.
Key forwards Jobe Shanahan and Jack Whitlock were among the sliders from Wednesday night's opening round, leading to a spate of rival inquiries for Richmond's pick No.28, including reported pushes from Essendon and Geelong.
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But the Tigers chose to use the selection themselves after letting their full five-minute window elapse, adding Northen Knights product Sims.
The Western Bulldogs were quick to add dashing defender Lachie Jaques with pick No.29 before West Coast pounced on Shanahan at No.30, securing the strong-marking Bendigo Pioneers tall for a bargain price.
The Bulldogs selected midfielder/forward Josh Dolan at No.31, with St Kilda adding versatile 194cm defender James Barrat with No.32.
Whiltlock was finally snapped up by Port Adelaide at pick No.33, with the 200cm Murray Bushrangers defender joining twin brother Matt in the AFL after he was drafted by North Melbourne at No.27 on Wednesday night.
Fremantle built on its key forward depth at pick No.34 with the addition of 197cm Central District talent Charlie Nicholls to develop under exciting duo Josh Treacy and Jye Amiss.
Hawthorn entered the draft for the first time at pick No.35, with Dandenong Stingrays tall defender Noah Mraz earning his chance despite missing almost the entire season with a serious foot injury.
Greater Western Sydney used pick No.36 on tall midfielder Jack Ough, with Essendon bringing in mobile WA key forward Kayle Gerreyn with No.37 and rebounding half-back Angus Clarke at No.39.
The Power were sandwiched between the Bombers' two picks and opted for hard-running Eastern Ranges midfielder Christian Moraes at No.38, with Calder Cannons tall defender Harry O'Farrell landing at Carlton with pick No.40 to wrap up the second round.
Werribee defender/wingman Riley Bice was the first mature-age player drafted on Thursday, with the 24-year-old joining Sydney at pick No.41 after a terrific VFL season that culminated with the Tigers' premiership.
Geelong used its first selection in this year's draft to bid on Brisbane Academy tall Ty Gallop, with the Lions matching at No.42 to add a third Academy/father-son player from their first three picks.
The Cats continued to bid and targeted Carlton father-son accumulator Ben Camporeale at No.43, with the Blues quickly matching and leaving the Cats to eventually use their pick No.44 on Norwood key forward Jay Polkinghorne.
St Kilda traded its future second-round pick to get hold of pick No.45 from Essendon, also receiving a future fourth-rounder before drafting WA midfielder Hugh Boxshall and getting in ahead of West Coast at No.46, with the Eagles adding Oakleigh Chargers midfielder Tom Gross.
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Collingwood finally entered the draft with two picks at No.47 and No.50, using them to select athletic and versatile defender Joel Cochran from Sydney's Academy and then South Australian key forward Charlie West.
Meanwhile, Brisbane was active at the trade table and dealt away three looming selections for future third-round picks, sending No.48 to West Coast, which was used on Western Jets midfielder Lucca Greggo, and No.49 to Gold Coast, allowing the Suns to snare GWS Academy tall Cooper Bell.
The Lions also sent No.51 to the Western Bulldogs for a future third-rounder, with the Bulldogs welcoming mature-age Richmond VFL forward Sam Davidson, who kicked 26 goals in 17 games to share the Tigers' best and fairest award.
Geelong and St Kilda each opted for ruck depth at picks No.52 and No.53, selecting Sturt talls Jacob Molier and Alexander Dodson respectively at back-to-back picks.
Sydney used No.54 to bid on Carlton's father-son prospect Lucas Camporeale, with the Blues quickly matching before the Swans bid again on Melbourne Academy player Riak Andrew, who is the brother of Gold Coast star Mac, with the Demons passing as the 19-year-old joined the Swans.
Collingwood completed the third round with skilful Claremont forward Will Hayes at No.56, with North Melbourne also looking west to bring in powerful East Fremantle midfielder Luke Urquhart at No.57.
Richmond traded back into the draft, sending a future fourth-round pick to Gold Coast to snare Oakleigh Chargers forward Alger and making it eight new players across the 2024 draft.
Adelaide father-son prospect Tyler Welsh landed at the Crows with pick No.59 before St Kilda traded a future fourth-round selection to Brisbane to snare pick No.60 and land Calder Cannons midfielder/forward Patrick Said.
Vic Country midfielder Rhys Unwin arrived at Essendon via pick No.61, with the Western Bulldogs securing No.62 from Collingwood for a future fourth-round selection and drafting Sandringham Dragons midfielder Luke Kennedy.
Fremantle landed father-son forward Jaren Carr, who is the son of 134-game Docker Matthew Carr, at No.63 before Carlton became the first club to pass and Hawthorn added big-bodied midfielder Cody Anderson at No.64.
West Coast looked local at No.65 to bring in Claremont forward/midfielder Hamish Davis after an excellent end to his WAFL campaign, with St Kilda Academy defender Lennox Hoffman getting to Geelong after the Saints chose not to match the bid.
North Melbourne father-son player River Stevens got to the Kangaroos with pick No.67, joining the club where his famous father Anthony played 292 games, with Werribee tall Aidan Johnson (Melbourne), Western Jets forward Keighton Matofai-Forbes (Geelong) and Northern Knights midfielder Zak Johnson (Essendon) finding homes as clubs started to pass.
GWS added ruck depth with Academy player Logan Smith at No.71, with the teenager becoming the final player selected on Thursday night, with clubs now turning to Friday's Telstra Rookie Draft for their next chance to add talent.
2024 Telstra AFL Draft – First Round
1. Sam Lalor (Richmond)
2. Finn O'Sullivan (North Melbourne)
3. Jagga Smith (Carlton)
4. Sid Draper (Adelaide)
5. Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane – matching Melbourne's bid)
6. Harvey Langford (Melbourne)
7. Josh Smillie (Richmond)
8. Tobie Travaglia (St Kilda)
9. Leo Lombard (Gold Coast – matching St Kilda's bid)
10. Alix Tauru (St Kilda)
11. Xavier Lindsay (Melbourne)
12. Taj Hotton (Richmond)
13. Isaac Kako (Essendon – matching Richmond's bid)
14. Jonty Faull (Richmond)
15. Joe Berry (Port Adelaide)
16. Bo Allan (West Coast)
17. Murphy Reid (Fremantle)
18. Oliver Hannaford (Greater Western Sydney)
19. Harry Oliver (Greater Western Sydney)
20. Cooper Hynes (Western Bulldogs)
21. Luke Trainor (Richmond)
22. Jesse Dattoli (Sydney)
23. Harry Armstrong (Richmond)
24. Cody Angove (Greater Western Sydney)
25. Sam Marshall (Brisbane – matching Sydney's bid)
26. Ned Bowman (Sydney)
27. Matt Whitlock (North Melbourne)
Second Round
28. Thomas Sims (Richmond)
29. Lachie Jaques (Western Bulldogs)
30. Jobe Shanahan (West Coast)
31. Josh Dolan (Western Bulldogs)
32. James Barrat (St Kilda)
33. Jack Whitlock (Port Adelaide)
34. Charlie Nicholls (Fremantle)
35. Noah Mraz (Hawthorn)
36. Jack Ough (Greater Western Sydney)
37. Kayle Gerreyn (Essendon)
38. Christian Moraes (Port Adelaide)
39. Angus Clarke (Essendon)
40. Harry O'Farrell (Carlton)
Third Round
41. Riley Bice (Sydney)
42. Ty Gallop (Brisbane - matching Geelong's bid)
43. Ben Camporeale (Carlton - matching Geelong's bid)
44. Jay Polkinghorne (Geelong)
45. Hugh Boxshall (St Kilda)
46. Tom Gross (West Coast)
47. Joel Cochran (Collingwood)
48. Lucca Grego (West Coast)
49. Cooper Bell (Gold Coast)
50. Charlie West (Collingwood)
51. Sam Davidson (Western Bulldogs)
52. Jacob Molier (Geelong)
53. Alex Dodson (St Kilda)
54. Lucas Camporeale (Carlton - matching Sydney's bid)
55. Riak Andrew (Sydney)
56. Will Hayes (Collingwood)
Fourth Round
57. Luke Urquhart (North Melbourne)
58. Jasper Alger (Richmond)
59. Tyler Welsh (Adelaide)
60. Patrick Said (St Kilda)
61. Rhys Unwin (Essendon)
62. Luke Kennedy (Western Bulldogs)
63. Jaren Carr (Fremantle)
64. Cody Anderson (Hawthorn)
65. Hamish Davis (West Coast)
66. Lennox Hofmann (Geelong)
Fifth Round
67. River Stevens (North Melbourne)
68. Aidan Johnson (Melbourne)
69. Keighton Matofai-Forbes (Geelong)
Eighth Round
70. Zak Johnson (Essendon)
71. Logan Smith (Greater Western Sydney)