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SO CLOSE is the top-end talent at the upcoming NAB AFL Draft, one recruiter can't split three young men as the best player available.
Brisbane Lions recruiting manager Stephen Conole says St Kilda has a difficult decision with its No.1 pick, but in Christian Petracca, Patrick McCartin and Angus Brayshaw, they have three outstanding candidates.
With the Lions looking likely to have a high pick for most of the year before using their first-round selection (No.5) as part of the Dayne Beams trade, Conole has dealt closely with the top talent ahead of next week's draft on the Gold Coast.
"I don't think it's clear-cut this year," Conole said, when asked about the best player in the draft.
"I think all the boys pushing for that number one, they've obviously got some different traits to their game.
"Patrick's the key position forward. Christian's ability to play forward and on-ball is very alluring, especially at that end of the draft where he can be a top-end player through the midfield and forward.
"And Angus Brayshaw's got such great qualities in his leadership and the way he plays the game."
Conole said whichever way the Saints went, it would be difficult to miss, with all three bringing much more to the table than pure football ability.
"They're all such terrific kids," he said.
"Whichever one you put in your footy club, the character and type of kids they are, whoever St Kilda picks, they'll end up with a great kid on and off the field."
While Conole said he would have loved to have drafted one of the trio to the Lions if they retained the No.5 pick, he said that was unrealistic.
"There was a few players (we looked at) around that pick," Conole said.
"Jayden Laverde and Jordan De Goey and Peter Wright were all around that pick.
"We'll be watching with interest who Collingwood select and I'm sure they'll end up with a great player and they've got (father/son selection) Darcy Moore, so they'll end up with two fantastic players through those two early picks."
The Lions currently have picks No.67 and No.81 in the draft after trading away their first two selections to get Beams and using the following two on Academy players Liam Dawson and Harris Andrews.
"We've done more work on our later picks than our earlier picks, just to make sure we're over the players at that end of the draft," he said.
"Whichever way it works in the draft, we're happy with the result."
