Fremantle go into tonight's NAB AFL Draft in Sydney with picks 7, 35, 40 and 71, but it may not play out that way.

The points bidding process, introduced into last year’s AFL draft, means clubs with academy picks or father-son selections have the opportunity to leap ahead of Fremantle in the order.

Before the draft, clubs are to nominate players they intend to select from their academy, or as a father-son.

Brisbane (5 players), Gold Coast (9 players), GWS (9 players) and Sydney (6 players) have all nominated members of their academy for selection at this year’s draft.

Collingwood (Josh Daicos and Callum Brown) and West Coast (Jake Waterman) have also nominated players as father-son selections.

If a bid is made for a nominated player from a rival club, the club that nominated that player prior to the draft is allowed to match that bid using points built up from their current draft picks.

To complicate matters, teams receive a discount of 20% for players selected in the first round, and a discount of 197 points for picks from the second round onwards.

If Fremantle bid on a nominated player with their pick seven, rated at 1,664 points, the club that nominated that player would need to come up with a discounted 1,315 points to match the bid.

If that club matches Fremantle’s bid, then Freo move from No.7 to No.8 in the draft.

While Fremantle could see their No.7 pick slide backwards, they could also see their later round picks move upwards in the draft order. 

GWS Academy member Will Setterfield is widely predicted to be selected in the top 10 of the draft.

Below is the process if, for example, Carlton made a bid on Setterfield with their pick five.

  • Carlton bids on GWS Academy member Will Setterfield with pick No.5, worth 1,878 points
  • GWS decide to match the offer. With a 20% discount they are required to come up with 1,502 points
  • Using their picks 15 (1,112 points) and 37 (483 points), GWS matches the bid with 1,595 points
  • To make up for the 93 leftover points, GWS are allocated pick 65
  • GWS take Setterfield at No.5 and are allocated pick 65, while giving up picks 15 and 37
  • Carlton slide back to No.6, seeing Fremantle’s first round pick move from No.7 to No. 8
  • As GWS took pick 5 but gave up pick 15 to bid for Setterfield, Fremantle’s second round pick remains at 35
  • As GWS gave up pick 37 in addition to pick 15, Fremantle’s second round pick 40 moves up to 39
  • Since GWS gain pick 65, but gave up picks 15 and 37, Fremantle’s fourth round pick remains at 71

It’s a lot to take in! With just one bid, Fremantle saw two of their four picks move in the draft order.

With 32 players nominated by clubs for selection at the 2016 draft, this could happen a further 31 times.

As a result, Fremantle's picks of 7, 35, 40 and 71, are by no means set in stone.