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West Coast weighing up shock draft play for Harry Dean
Harry Dean is the best key defender in this year’s draft class, but the Blues are prepared for a fight to get their hands on the father-son prospect, as one rival club weighs up a bombshell move.
Carlton is prepared for a bid on father-son prospect Harry Dean to come as early as pick two after an eye-catching season from the emerging key defender.
It is understood West Coast – which holds the first two picks in next month’s national draft – is a big fan of Dean and could make an earlier-than-expected play on the Murray Bushrangers product.
Dean has been rated a top-five prospect by some recruiters since starring for Vic Country during the under-18 national championships mid-year, where he showcased exceptional one-on-one traits and intercept ability.
Measuring 194cm, he is clearly the best key defender in the draft pool, with the backline being an area of the ground that the Eagles would love to strengthen.
While rival clubs expect West Coast to land midfielder-forward Willem Duursma and ruck-forward Cooper Duff-Tytler with their first two selections, an early bid on Dean would have a significant impact on Carlton’s draft hand.
The Blues would require 2,233 draft points to match a bid on Dean at pick two, which would swallow up their current pick 9 and push their pick 11 well into the second round of the draft.
If Dean doesn’t receive a bid from the Eagles, he is not expected to get past Richmond (picks three and four) and Essendon (picks five and six) before having his name read.
However, a bid at pick 5 would only cost Carlton 1,616 draft points – swallowing pick 9 and pushing pick 11 back only a few spots.
Carlton is more bullish on this year’s draft than some other clubs, though, and believes it can find a quality player to complement its list regardless of how far pick 11 slides back.
In addition to Dean, the Blues are planning to make three other selections in the national draft, with Next Generation Academy prospect Jack Ison being another player firmly in their sights.
Some clubs have shied away from placing early bids on high-end draft talents in recent years, with Brisbane father-son Levi Ashcroft not receiving a bid until pick 5 last year and Collingwood father-son Nick Daicos famously slipping to pick 4 before having his name read out in 2021.
But West Coast could kick off the bidding this year, with Richmond also having no qualms about bidding on Northern Academy-linked players including Zeke Uwland and Dylan Patterson (both Gold Coast) and potentially even Daniel Annable (Brisbane Lions) in a highly-compromised top-end of the draft.
Dean – the son of two-time Blues premiership player Peter – met with seven clubs including Carlton at the national draft combine earlier this month and told this masthead he had long dreamed of a move to Princes Park.
“I’d like to play anywhere in football – to play at any club – but to pull on the Navy Blue would be pretty special for not just dad but also my family as well,” he said.
The national draft will be held on November 19 and 20.
Harry Dean is the best key defender in this year’s draft class, but the Blues are prepared for a fight to get their hands on the father-son prospect, as one rival club weighs up a bombshell move.
Carlton is prepared for a bid on father-son prospect Harry Dean to come as early as pick two after an eye-catching season from the emerging key defender.
It is understood West Coast – which holds the first two picks in next month’s national draft – is a big fan of Dean and could make an earlier-than-expected play on the Murray Bushrangers product.
Dean has been rated a top-five prospect by some recruiters since starring for Vic Country during the under-18 national championships mid-year, where he showcased exceptional one-on-one traits and intercept ability.
Measuring 194cm, he is clearly the best key defender in the draft pool, with the backline being an area of the ground that the Eagles would love to strengthen.
While rival clubs expect West Coast to land midfielder-forward Willem Duursma and ruck-forward Cooper Duff-Tytler with their first two selections, an early bid on Dean would have a significant impact on Carlton’s draft hand.
The Blues would require 2,233 draft points to match a bid on Dean at pick two, which would swallow up their current pick 9 and push their pick 11 well into the second round of the draft.
If Dean doesn’t receive a bid from the Eagles, he is not expected to get past Richmond (picks three and four) and Essendon (picks five and six) before having his name read.
However, a bid at pick 5 would only cost Carlton 1,616 draft points – swallowing pick 9 and pushing pick 11 back only a few spots.
Carlton is more bullish on this year’s draft than some other clubs, though, and believes it can find a quality player to complement its list regardless of how far pick 11 slides back.
In addition to Dean, the Blues are planning to make three other selections in the national draft, with Next Generation Academy prospect Jack Ison being another player firmly in their sights.
Some clubs have shied away from placing early bids on high-end draft talents in recent years, with Brisbane father-son Levi Ashcroft not receiving a bid until pick 5 last year and Collingwood father-son Nick Daicos famously slipping to pick 4 before having his name read out in 2021.
But West Coast could kick off the bidding this year, with Richmond also having no qualms about bidding on Northern Academy-linked players including Zeke Uwland and Dylan Patterson (both Gold Coast) and potentially even Daniel Annable (Brisbane Lions) in a highly-compromised top-end of the draft.
Dean – the son of two-time Blues premiership player Peter – met with seven clubs including Carlton at the national draft combine earlier this month and told this masthead he had long dreamed of a move to Princes Park.
“I’d like to play anywhere in football – to play at any club – but to pull on the Navy Blue would be pretty special for not just dad but also my family as well,” he said.
The national draft will be held on November 19 and 20.
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