There will be few surprises when Lachie Whitfield is taken by Greater Western Sydney at No.1 in Thursday's AFL draft, with the Mount Martha youngster considered the best prospect in a crop laden with Victorian midfield talent.
Whitfield has been anointed as the No.1 selection for much of the year, with the Dandenong Stingrays midfielder already looking ahead to life under new coach Kevin Sheedy.
The 18-year-old sat his final school exam last week, and will cap off a big few days when his name is read out at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday night.
Most observers think he will be joined in Sydney's west by Calder Cannons wingman Jonathan O'Rourke, while Cannons' back man Lachie Plowman is another widely tipped to be heading north with his TAC Cup team-mate.
As well as Whitfield and O'Rourke, Jackson Macrae (Oakleigh Chargers), Jake Stringer (Bendigo Pioneers), Ollie Wines (Bendigo Pioneers) and Nick Vlastuin (Northern Knights) are other young Victorian mids predicted to be taken in the top 10.
There is plenty of South Australian talent up for grabs, with Woodville-West Torrens wingman Jimmy Toumpas a chance to be picked in the top three, while North Adelaide pair Sam Mayes and Troy Menzel – younger brother of unlucky Geelong forward Daniel – are also highly rated.
Daniel is still recovering from his second knee reconstruction and Troy will be hoping his own bad luck with injuries is over, having undergone LARS surgery on his right knee at age 16.
Sportal.com.au's live coverage of the AFL draft begins at 7pm.