THIRTEEN. 

Or, as commentator Anthony Hudson so famously said after Lance Franklin capped his 2012 monstering of North Melbourne in Launceston: "Thir-TEEEEEEEEEEN!"

AFL.com.au's senior reporter Cal Twomey has smashed another Phantom Draft out of the park, correctly picking the first 13 selections of this year's annual talent selection meeting. 

PHANTOM DRAFT LATE MAIL Check out Cal Twomey's predicted top 30 

He identified the first 11 picks in a row, before the Western Bulldogs placed a bid on Brisbane father-son Jaspa Fletcher, and then correctly predicted the Dogs' selection of WA defender Jedd Busslinger with No.13. 

West Coast's selection of local midfielder Elijah Hewett ended Twomey's run at pick No.14. 

It's two picks better than last year's effort, when Twomey picked the first 11 selections, but still falls just short of his best effort in 2015, when he nailed the first 15 picks. 

Of the 21 selections made in the first round of the 2022 NAB AFL Draft on Monday night, Twomey correctly predicted 16 picks, including Greater Western Sydney's swoop for athletic small Darcy Jones with the final call of the night. 

It continues Twomey's incredible record of success with his Phantom Drafts over the past 10 seasons. Even when considering the COVID-affected year of 2020, when North's surprise pick of Will Phillips at pick No.3 threw everyone out of whack, Cal has averaged 8.6 out of 10 correct predictions for the top 10 of the draft. Take 2020 out of the mix and Twomey's strike rate soars to an incredible 9.1 out of 10.

CAL TWOMEY'S PHANTOM DRAFT LATE MAIL STRIKE RATE

*The above scores are based on Cal Twomey correctly predicting player destinations and does not take into account where father-son/Academy/NGA bids and live trades occur

But Twomey's insights don't stop there. His incredible draft knowledge is built on countless hours of watching junior footy, talking to club recruiters, players and their agents, and developing knowledge of the AFL's talent pipeline that is unrivalled in the media industry.

The tales of each year's draft crop are told throughout the season on AFL.com.au via feature articles and Twomey's Road to the Draft podcasts and videos, where the best young players and club recruiters come to share their insights and their stories.

Be sure to tune in for night two of the draft from 6.30pm AEDT on Tuesday, and come back later this week for an early look at the players most likely to shine next season, when Cal releases his  top 10 players to watch for 2023. As a guide, seven of the 10 players Cal named this time last year were taken inside the top 15 of the 2022 draft. 

It all adds up to the most compelling NAB AFL Draft content available anywhere, and you can get it right here on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App, all year round.