The fate of former St Kilda captain Luke Ball is set to overshadow the big day for Australia's best young footballing talent when the AFL national draft is held in Melbourne on Thursday night.
While the national draft has traditionally been the day when the 16 clubs select the stars of the future with normally only a handful of recycled players getting a second chance every year, this year the build-up has been all about where Ball will end up.
With the build-up to the draft seemingly getting longer and more frenzied by the year, expect few surprises amongst the leading picks with Melbourne certain to name Victorian Tom Scully and South Australian Jack Trengove with its prized first two selections.
The only question is which teenager will be given the extra burden of being the No.1 pick with Scully - a 182cm midfielder who has been likened to Ben Cousins in terms of his non-stop running - expected to get the nod.
If the Demons only had the first pick there would have been no doubt that Scully would have been given the nod but with the luxury of the first two picks there has been speculation the club may decide to take Scully at two and fellow 18-year-old Trengove at one given Trengove has already played senior football with Sturt in the SANFL and therefore is more mature and better-placed to handle the extra pressure that comes with being the No.1 pick.
Richmond, which will have more selections than any other club having lost 13 players through retirements and delistings since its disastrous 2009 season, will have the next pick as it starts the massive task of re-building its list under new coach Damien Hardwick.
And that pick will almost certainly be used on 18-year-old Dustin Martin, a 187cm midfielder who was regarded as one of the best kicks in this year's TAC Cup under 18 competition in Victoria - the competition that usually supplies the bulk of draftees each year.
The pick of a bumper crop of Western Australia youngsters in 190cm Anthony Morabito is tipped to go to Fremantle - which usually favours home grown players - next at pick four before the draft becomes a bit of a raffle.
Other youngsters currently unknown but who will soon be household names that are expected to be taken in the first round of selections on Thursday night include Ben Cunnington, Gary Rohan, John Butcher, Kane