• The draft pool: Cal Twomey analyses this year's best prospects
• In the gun: Every club's top draft target
• Tomorrow's heroes: Marshall seeks to bowl them over
THE STRONG depth of this year's talent pool is set to be reflected with close to 80 prospects expected to be picked at the NAB AFL Draft next month.
Clubs are tipping between 72-77 live picks when names at called at the November 25 NAB AFL Draft in Sydney, with what many recruiters believe is an even crop of talent.
The looming delisted free agency window, which opens on November 1, may see some clubs' spots change, however many are already set on how many selections they will take to Hordern Pavilion.
Geelong and Greater Western Sydney could use as many as six picks at the draft, which would likely be the most of all clubs. Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Essendon and Gold Coast will also invest heavily in this year's draft by likely making five picks.
Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle are set to use four selections, while North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, West Coast and the Sydney Swans are also most likely to use four picks, with Collingwood to weigh up using four or five choices.
St Kilda and Richmond are set to activate three selections, while Melbourne and Hawthorn look likely to have the smallest hand at the draft by taking just two live selections.
Clubs are forced to use three picks, but can use fewer if their upgraded rookies take one or more of those available list spots.
Hawthorn's first pick is listed at No.88, the selection they gained as part of the trade that sent champion midfielder Sam Mitchell to West Coast.
However, that pick may become around No.66 after early bids on academy prospects and some father-son bids are matched by rivals. This will wipe out later selections used to 'pay' for the nominated players with draft points and see the fluid order change throughout the night.
Last year's draft looked set to be the lowest tally of draft picks in history before clubs opened more places with further delistings prior to the draft, and in the end 70 prospects found AFL homes.
In 2014, 76 players were taken by clubs in the national draft, with an all-time low coming in 2013, when just 63 prospects were given opportunities.
Midfielders Hugh McCluggage and Andrew McGrath are seen by scouts as the leading contenders for the Bombers' No.1 choice, with the Giants pushing themselves up the board during the trade period to hold pick No.2.
Small forward Ben Ainsworth is expected to be a top-five selection, while Will Brodie, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Jack Scrimshaw, Tim Taranto and Tim English are also in the mix as top-10 picks.
Bids for academy prospects Will Setterfield (GWS) and Jack Bowes (Gold Coast) could also shape the top-10, while a club is likely to also place a bid on Giants academy prospect Harry Perryman somewhere in the first 15 picks.
