I think that's a good strategy. In fact, holding off with the pick 11 may be the better option. There are likely to be a few clubs that want to use their priority pick next year, which may dilute our mid draft pick. However, on the other hand if we're building a list, it'd be nice to have the pick available to use on a player who we could develop for a few years before we reach finals.

Using the priority pick on a 17 year old is a little risky, as we're drafting a player a year out from when their draft position could be more accurately determined. Consider Luke Shuey and John Butcher were considered to be much higher picks that when they were picked when they were 17.

Add Darling to this list, i will guarantee you that all three would be drafted higher than they were in retrospect

Butcher top 5 and the other 2 top 10

Same compensation as what Geelong got for Ablett is as good as your gonna get in the expansion rubble... I'm content with that.

A little unsure as to why the immediate pick after your first round pick is only eligible between 2012 and 2015. Why can't we use it this year?

Club's are supposed to declare that they will use the pick before the season starts which they will use the pick at the end of.

I assume the idea is to stop clubs from going 'ooh, we're going to finish third last, so our bonus pick wlll be number 4!'

Of course, on the other hand, you would think that it would be quite appropriate for a club to be able to choose to use their compensation pick when they are down...

The other aspect is to prevent a deal such as -

Melbourne trades [pick immediately after first round pick = 13 in 2011] to Gold Coast, plus Matthew Warnock, in exchange for pick 4. And then Gold Coast can immediately use their compensation pick as pick 5.

Of course, since GWS is clearly going to be among the bottom four next year, they have a great interest in 'after first round pick' bonus picks. Trade right (especially with their 17 year olds) and they could get pick 1, then pick 2 (compensatory) and 3 (compensatory) followed by a priority pick for successfully 'list managing' their first year...

Ugly.

I still think we are going to make the finals next year, by the way. I just can't find the 'doom and gloom' button so will have to sit tht dance out.

I'm fairly sure that clubs have to declare whether they're using the picks after trade week rather than before the season commences.

I think you're identified a good strategy for the teams who received a pick from GC17. I wouldn't be surprised to see a club who has a GC17 compensation pick trade it plus another pick/exchange of picks/player to GC17 or Port in exchange for their first round pick. For example, Brisbane may trade their compensation pick plus their second round pick to GC/Port in exchange for GC/Port's first round pick and their third round pick.

However, I think unless we can get O'Meera or another gun 17 year old at a discount we should bank the picks as they'll be worth more next year when teams know when they can be used (because their ladder positions for 2012 or whenever they're traded will be known). There are risks in picking a 17 year old because their talent is less certain at that age, and it'd be nice to get the player at a discount to reflect that. I think a trade of our compensation pick for O'Meera would be fair and we can use our mid round pick next year when we use our first round pick on Jack Viney.

I'm 100% certain you're wrong.

If we are to use compo picks in 2011, meaning the earliest they come into play is the end of the 1st round, we must notify the AFL at some stage around trade week.

In future years we need to nominate using the compo picks by the last Tuesday before the commencement of the season, in the year we wish to use them.

So if we want to use them in the 2012 draft, we have to nominate before the 2012 season starts.

So you can't wait to see how your season goes, then tank late in the year if it's a bad one, to maximise picks.

No team would tank a season from the outset.

Where it becomes fuzzy is if you trade compo picks.

If you acquire compo picks in a trade, you can then nominate to use them in the upcoming draft a month or so after trade week.

So eg. if the dees end up having a shocker 2012, have kept their compo picks, but haven't nominated to use them in 2012, they still have exceptional value at the trade table, because another team can exercise that right.

Also, from what the way I read the rules, eg. if the dees nominate to use a compo pick in 2012, but then finish 2nd, and their compo pick will only be worth pick ~20 to them in 2012, we can then at trade week package the compo pick to another team. Once it reaches their hands, they then have the option of "de-activating" that pick and using it in another year (provided within the 5 year limit) when it might have a higher value due us possibly finishing lower (and therefore a higher value to trade than to use).

I'm pretty sure the rules weren't intended to be that way, but they've left a loophole.