NO CLUB has ever used a No.1 pick to bid on an Academy or father-son prospect.
However, with the highly rated top-selection-in-waiting Jamarra Ugle-Hagan tied to the Western Bulldogs' Next Generation Academy this season, could that change in 2020?
In a heavily compromised draft pool featuring a number of talented father-son and Academy prospects, it's time to consider which clubs could be ready to place early bids.
History would suggest it's Richmond – the club who has placed the most bids on Academy and father-son players since the new draft process was introduced in 2015.
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The Tigers have bid on eight players in five years, launching a raid on rival clubs last November when they won the rights to three Academy prospects within 11 picks.
Of course, that fact is by no means a slight on the reigning premiers.
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Any club can bid on rival Academy and father-son players – and most have, with Collingwood the only team in the competition yet to do so.
Furthermore, the Tigers now have an impressive 50 percent success rate from their eight bids placed during that period – which is very good in comparison to the rest of the League.
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As well as locking away Noah Cumberland, William Martyn and Bigoa Nyuon last November, it also prized defender Ryan Garthwaite from Greater Western Sydney's Academy in 2016.
However, Matthew Kennedy (GWS Academy) and Eric Hipwood (Brisbane Academy) both slipped through the club's grasp in 2015 – with Richmond unsuccessfully bidding on both, before ultimately snaring Daniel Rioli at pick No.15.
Later in the same draft, it was also unsuccessful in trying to poach St Kilda's father-son talent Bailey Rice. Three years later, it couldn't nab Connor McFadyen from Brisbane's Academy.
THE BIG BIDDERS – YOUR CLUB'S BIDDING HISTORY
Richmond: 8 bids (4 successful)
Matthew Kennedy (Pick 13, 2015)
Eric Hipwood (Pick 14, 2015)
Bailey Rice (Pick 49, 2015)
Ryan Garthwaite (Pick 72, 2016)
Connor McFadyen (Pick 42, 2018)
Noah Cumberland (Pick 43, 2019)
William Martyn (Pick 44, 2019)
Bigoa Nyuon (Pick 54, 2019)
North Melbourne: 5 bids (3 successful)
Corey Wagner (Pick 43, 2015)
Declan Watson (Pick 34, 2016)
Callum Brown (Pick 35, 2016)
Josh Williams (Pick 36, 2016)
Finn Maginness (Pick 29, 2019)
Adelaide: 4 bids (0 successful)
Harrison Himmelberg (Pick 16, 2015)
Harry Perryman (Pick 14, 2016)
Tarryn Thomas (Pick 8, 2018)
Will Kelly (Pick 29, 2018)
Carlton: 4 bids (1 successful)
Will Setterfield (Pick 5, 2016)
Harrison Macreadie (Pick 47, 2016)
Liam Henry (Pick 9, 2019)
Tom Green (Pick 10, 2019)
Essendon: 4 bids (2 successful)
Jack Silvagni (Pick 53, 2015)
Kobe Mutch (Pick 42, 2016)
Irving Mosquito (Pick 38, 2018)
Keidean Coleman (Pick 37, 2019)
Melbourne: 3 bids (0 successful)
Callum Mills (Pick 3, 2015)
Matthew Flynn (Pick 41, 2015)
Rhylee West (Pick 26, 2018)
Sydney: 3 bids (0 successful)
Jack Bowes (Pick 10, 2016)
Isaac Cumming (Pick 20, 2016)
Jackson Mead (Pick 25, 2019)
Greater Western Sydney: 2 bids (0 successful)
Nick Blakey (Pick 10, 2018)
Isaac Quaynor (Pick 13, 2018)
Western Bulldogs: 2 bids (1 successful)
Ben Keays (Pick 24, 2015)
Josh Dunkley (Pick 25, 2015)
Brisbane: 1 bid (0 successful)
Jarrod Cameron (Pick 39, 2018)
Fremantle: 1 bid (0 successful)
Connor Ballenden (Pick 43, 2017)
Geelong: 1 bid (0 successful)
Bailey Scott (Pick 49, 2018)
Gold Coast: 1 bid (0 successful)
Jacob Hopper (Pick 7, 2015)
Hawthorn: 1 bid (1 successful)
Mathew Walker (Pick 63, 2018)
Port Adelaide: 1 bid (0 successful)
Tyler Brown (Pick 50, 2017)
St Kilda: 1 bid (0 successful)
Patrick Naish (Pick 34, 2017)
West Coast: 1 bid (0 successful)
Kieren Briggs (Pick 34, 2018)
Collingwood: 0 bids
*Successful bids in italics
