RICHMOND will have two chances to make North Melbourne pay for its bold call in last year's Telstra AFL Draft, while West Coast will be praying for a Carlton resurgence and a Hawthorn slump in 2025.
A young Tigers outfit is tipped to finish near the bottom of the ladder again this season, but will have extra incentive to grab a rare win when they face the Kangaroos in rounds 10 and 23.
Not only would Adem Yze's side fancy its chances against a club that has struggled for success in recent years, the Tigers already have North's first-round draft pick in their back pocket.
The two clubs orchestrated a pick swap late on the opening night of last year's draft, with the Roos giving up their 2025 first-round pick and moving up the board to grab young key-position prospect Matt Whitlock.
That pick, now with Richmond, will be in the top 10 - and possibly the top five - unless Alastair Clarkson's team can make a huge jump and play finals in 2025.
It gives Richmond an extra reason to see the Roos finish as low as possible on the ladder this season, which they can contribute to if they can secure a win in round 10 at the MCG and round 23 in Hobart.
The Roos also received Richmond's future second-round pick as part of the trade, which will likely be at the start of the second round.
Five weeks before North's big draft call, the Eagles made a bold prediction of their own on the final day of the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period when they landed three 2025 draft picks tied to Hawthorn in the deal that saw Tom Barrass depart the club.
The picks are tied to the Hawks' finishing position this year meaning the lower Hawthorn finishes on the ladder, the better the picks will be for the Eagles.
In negotiations, the Hawks had given the Eagles the choice of future first and future second-round picks tied to the Blues or tied to the Hawks. West Coast opted for the latter, essentially betting that Hawthorn will finish below Carlton in 2025.
The Hawks finished sixth in 2024 after a stunning late-season surge, while the Blues finished in eighth spot after slumping in the second half of the year.
As a result of the Eagles' call, the Hawks will now in turn be hoping the Blues fall away in 2025 having picked up Carlton's future first and future second-round picks during the Trade Period.
Essendon, meanwhile, holds Melbourne's first-round pick in 2025 after giving up its own first-rounder last year to the Dees, who used it to snap up young midfielder Xavier Lindsay at No.11.
Brad Scott's side will be hoping for a repeat of the Dees' horror 2024 campaign to maximise its draft hand, while it also holds St Kilda's second-round pick, which could be at the start of the second round if the injury-hit Saints struggle this year.
The only other club to secure extra 2025 first-round picks last year was Gold Coast, which got round one picks tied to Collingwood and Port Adelaide in the five-player mega deal during the Trade Period.
However, the Suns will likely look to trade out those picks before they get swallowed up by a bid on Academy prospect Zeke Uwland, who is a contender to be the No.1 pick this year.
Pick swapping is expected to ramp up during the Trade Period and draft this year, with the AFL now allowing clubs to trade draft picks two years in advance for the first time.
