Giants won't risk Pickett
Greater Western Sydney are likely to use the fourth selection in Thursday's national draft to secure Jarrod Pickett, and Collingwood are circling at No.5 should the Giants overlook the South Fremantle young gun.
Pickett has long been in the sights of the Giants, who have three selections in this year's top 10 and had hoped to nab the speedster at six or seven.
However, Collingwood's interest has intensified in the past week.
Pickett spent much of the past week in Melbourne with the Flying Boomerangs program and had a meeting with Collingwood, the club where his uncle, Leon Davis, played more than 200 games.
The 18-year-old was linked to West Coast early in the year but has since come to terms with a move interstate.
He said he was anxious for the draft to start.
"It would have been OK to go to West Coast but if they're not there at my pick, then where do I go? I've just been preparing for the move, I guess," Pickett said.
"If you go to GWS you'll be running alongside Tom Scully, Ryan Griffen and all these blokes. If you go to Collingwood, there's Scott Pendlebury.
"That's exciting just to know you'll be alongside some of the legends and some who are going to be legends."
Pickett is one of several young South Fremantle stars in contention for the draft, with Jarrod Garlett likely to be taken in the first round and Billy Frampton, Cameron Loersch, Jermaine Miller-Lewis and Matthew Ah Sui all considered speculative picks.
While being a likely top-10 pick provides Pickett with some peace of mind, he says the ribbing from his teammates offsets that.
"Yeah, especially from big 'Loerschy' and Matty Ah Sui, you just get the p… taken out of you," he said.
With Pickett certain to be off the table by pick 11, West Coast are understood to be targeting another midfielder.
The Eagles have put considerable work into Nakia Cockatoo this month but will have to weigh up whether to risk their first pick on a player who missed most of the season with a foot injury.
Should they not take the Northern Territory midfielder, who stands 185cm and weighs 86kg, they will be hoping that Paul Ahern, Kyle Langford or Jayden Laverde are still available.
Fremantle have long been linked to South Australian defender Sam Durdin but are likely to choose forward Peter Wright or key defender Jake Lever before him should the pair continue to slide in draft calculations.
Meanwhile, Swan Districts' Blaine Boekhorst, 21, has firmed as a second-round selection.
Carlton and Collingwood are keen to recruit the mature-aged midfielder.
"If you go to GWS you'll be running alongside Tom Scully, Ryan Griffen and all these blokes."" South Fremantle draft prospect *Jarrod Pickett *
