Draft night stunned as Dees select cousin of superstar forward
The first round of the 2025 AFL draft is in the books, with 25 selections made and a record nine bids on academy and father-son talents.
Victorian swingman Willem Duursma was crowned the No.1 pick, joining West Coast, while Gold Coast, Essendon and Richmond dominated the top 10, each with two selections as well as the Eagles.
Carlton landed their father-son young gun in key defender Harry Dean, whose jumper was presented to him by his dad Peter Dean, a Carlton premiership hero.
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Dean was mobbed by teammates as his name was called out at pick three, such is the joy of the night.
Harry Dean drafted by Carlton. Fox Footy
The top 10 was defined by academy and father-son selections, with a record four bids occurring.
The Suns matched bids on Zeke Uwland and Dylan Patterson from their academy, while Brisbane secured Daniel Annable from theirs, as well as Dean joining Carlton.
The surprise of the night was Melbourne selecting 19-year-old small forward Latrelle Pickett at pick 12.
The cousin of Demons superstar Kysaiah Pickett, the pair will now link up at the Demons.
Kysaiah was there on the night to present the jumper to his cousin in a feel-good moment.
Latrelle and Kysaiah Pickett of Melbourne. Getty
Sydney also left with their top academy prospect in Harry Kyle, but missed out on their second, choosing not to match the Western Bulldogs' bid for Lachlan Carmichael.
The frustration was clear to see on the faces of coach Dean Cox and new chief executive Matthew Pavlich.
The bids for Kyle and Carmichael came sooner than expected and the Swans opted not to pay up for both.
Sydney's draft room looks on. Fox Footy
Essendon made a similar call with the final pick of the night, opting not to match Fremantle's bid for academy prospect Adam Sweid. He now joins the Dockers with pick 25.
The Suns got all four of their guys, however, somehow able to match bids on Uwland and Patterson in the top five, and also bids on Jai Murray and Beau Addinsall at 17 and 18 respectively.
It was an enormous draft haul for Gold Coast, who has now had eight first round draftees in three years, all through their academy system.
The remainder of the draft will take place on Thursday night from 7pm AEDT, with North Melbourne on the clock first at pick 26.
Experts are expecting about 55 to 60 picks to be made, with the likes of Collingwood, Port Adelaide and St Kilda yet to select a single player.
Every pick made so far below:
Pick 1: Willem Duursma - West Coast
Pick 2: Zeke Uwland - Gold Coast
Pick 3: Harry Dean - Carlton
Pick 4: Cooper Duff-Tytler - West Coast
Pick 5: Dylan Patterson - Gold Coast
Pick 6: Daniel Annable - Brisbane
Pick 7: Sam Cumming - Richmond
Pick 8: Sam Grlj - Richmond
Pick 9: Sullivan Robey - Essendon
Pick 10: Jacob Farrow - Essendon
Pick 11: Xavier Taylor - Melbourne
Pick 12: Latrelle Pickett - Melbourne
Pick 13: Dyson Sharp - Essendon
Pick 14: Harry Kyle - Sydney
Pick 15: Oskar Taylor - GWS
Pick 16: Lachy Dovaston - North Melbourne
Pick 17: Jai Murray - Gold Coast
Pick 18: Beau Addinsall - Gold Coast
Pick 19: Josh Lindsay - West Coast
Pick 20: Cameron Nairn - Hawthorn
Pick 21: Lachlan Carmichael - Western Bulldogs
Pick 22: Mitchell Marsh - Adelaide
Pick 23: Aidan Schubert - Hawthorn
Pick 24: Harley Barker - Geelong
Pick 25: Adam Sweid - Fremantle
