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Essendon will bid on Port Adelaide academy star Dougie Cochrane with the No.1 pick, triggering a compensation pick and making it easier for Carlton to match a bid on father-son prospect Cody Walker.
Essendon are set to bid on Port Adelaide next-generation academy star Dougie Cochrane with the No.1 pick in this year's national draft, a move that clears the path for Carlton to secure father-son gun Cody Walker.
Port Adelaide will match the bid on Cochrane, triggering a compensation pick for Essendon and four other bottom sides. That means the Bombers do not need to bid on Walker, and the Blues can more easily compile enough draft value index points if Walker slips down the order. Power list boss Jason Cripps confirmed the situation on AFL Trade Radio, saying Essendon have told Port Adelaide they plan to bid on Cochrane at number one.
We're certainly planning for Dougie to be bid on at one, Cripps said. Clubs do lie, believe it or not, but apparently they're not lying on this one. Dougie's a clear one, and, yes, I'm happy to share that Essendon have told us that, as well.
New Draft Rules Impact Priority Bids
The AFL announced new draft rules in April that make it harder for clubs to land priority talent such as Walker and Cochrane, who are widely considered among the best few prospects in this draft class alongside Ethan Matthews and Harry Van Hattum. The rules were designed to make clubs pay a fairer price and mean clubs can use only two selections in the draft to match an opposition bid on a father-son or academy prospect, up to and including pick No.36.
In recent drafts, clubs were able to use a collection of lower picks to match bids, even if those bids came in the first 10 selections. The club that finishes on the bottom now has an incentive to bid on a priority-access player. Doing so pushes them down the draft order and triggers their compensation pick at the start of the second round.
The bottom five clubs will all receive a second-round compensation pick if a bid causes their first natural selection to slide backwards. The Bombers, who finished last, are set to make the bid to trigger that compensation, ensuring they have pick No.2, and either 20 and 21, or 21 and 22, in the draft.
Carlton Secure Cody Walker Selection
Walker, son of 202-gamer Andrew, revealed his intention to play for Carlton in July last year, long before he had to, and is set to join fellow father-son draftee Harry Dean at the Blues. Carlton have the No.11 and 16 selections in this draft, which add up to 2396 draft value index points, enough to match any bid from the third selection onwards.
The Blues can also go into a draft deficit of up to 412 points for next year, which would cover a bid at No.2. That means the Cochrane development effectively ensures Walker will be heading to Ikon Park. The Blues won a wildcard final after Josh Fraser lifted them to 10th on the ladder.
Walker said hearing from the club in the media about three weeks ago, with football boss Chris Davies saying they were in the best position to get Cody and just had to wait until draft night to see where his bid lands, was reassuring. I'm going to fully trust them and not get too harped up on comments or media saying Carlton might not get me, Walker said.
Walker Trusts Carlton Draft Strategy
I've got plenty of trust in the club, and they've put out what they want to do with my situation, so I think it'll be good. Walker said if you think about it, there are that many players in the draft, so it's rare that the No.1 pick is the best player in the draft. I've still got to work hard and do what I need to do and play good footy, he said.
I look at Robbie Gray, who's the best Port Adelaide player of all-time, and he was pick 55. Just because you're the No.1 pick, it doesn't mean you're guaranteed to be a good player. Walker's sole disappointment about the Cochrane-Essendon bid development was that it as good as ended his ambition of being the dux of this draft class. I've worked extremely hard up to this point, and I back myself all the time.
Everyone wants to be as high as they can get, he said. But I think if you'd have asked me three months ago, I definitely would have liked to have been one, two, or three. I think that ship's sailed. I know how hard it can be in the AFL system.
I just want to get to work now, and the hard work starts once you do get drafted, so I'm not too fazed which pick I am selected with. Walker has been training with Carlton, with the Blues father-son prospect shown at the club back in April. Carlton's path to secure Walker has become clearer as a result of Essendon's planned bid on Cochrane, with the two clubs being bitter rivals.
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brisbanetimes:How Essendon’s plan for pick No.1 is going to help bitter rivals Carlton 
smh:How Essendon’s plan for pick No.1 is going to help bitter rivals CarltonThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
AFL Draft Cody Walker Dougie Cochrane Essendon Carlton Father-Son Rule Academy Player Compensation Pick AFL National Draft Essendon Bombers Carlton Blues
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