The top 10 selections in the 2018 AFL national draft included three South Australians, a pair of Taswegians, a set of twins and a father-son pick.

It was that time of year when the dreams of the elite junior talent of Australian football were realised, as teenagers from all over the country converged on Marvel Stadium on Thursday night and Friday afternoon, AFL club recruiters finalising their lists for the next generation of top-level footballers.

While the new two-day format received a divided reaction, many panning the choice as an unnecessary “Americanised” version of an Australian November tradition, there were many highlights in the at-times frantic action, as the newly implemented system of live draft pick trading made its presence felt on numerous occasions.

In this Footyology review, we break down the seven biggest talking points, in no particular order, from the two days of action.

LIVE CHAOS

In half-a-dozen instances we witnessed the draft pick that was minutes – sometimes, even seconds – from being utilised, fall into completely different hands.

The “live-bidding” system confused casual viewers, who additionally had to follow along through explanations about pick values, and the draft points system.

While it added a frenetic element to sections of a draft which plodded along at times, and numerous list managers were favourable towards the system in their press conferences, it no doubt fuelled the arguments of those who felt the game didn’t particularly need the recent introductions.

THE NFL/NBA-STYLE ISOLATION OF THE FIRST ROUND

The AFL’s decision to broadcast the first round of the national draft in its own timeslot, with the rest of the national selections as well as the entirety of the pre-season and rookie drafts coming the following day, incurred the most ire from fans.

As the opening night of drafting featured 22 individual presentations, totalling a little over two hours of broadcast content, patience wore very thin among viewers on social media.

Getting through to the final pick at 78 in only slightly more time than the first 22 took has created a cause for concern among fans who believe that American sports are being too closely mirrored in the AFL.

BROTHERLY LOVE

One of the most high-profile storylines leading into the draft centred around Max and Ben King, the Sandringham Dragons twins who were both touted as top-10 selections.

Though key forward Max stayed at his local club after being taken by St Kilda at pick four, Ben followed closely after as Gold Coast took the versatile tall interstate with pick six.

Brisbane was able to select Thomas Berry with No. 36, reuniting with brother Jarrod in the process. However, Adelaide was unsuccessful in bidding for Will Kelly, brother of Jake, and likewise Brisbane was matched in its efforts to bring Jarrod Cameron to the Gabba to join Charlie.

The later signing of Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy’s brother Riley by Port Adelaide helped spark speculation on whether brothers could be drafted similarly to father-son rules in the future.

BOLTERS AND SLIDERS

Midway through the third round, Marvel Stadium was abuzz with talk of several high-profile nominees yet to find a home.

The HPN phantom draft consensus, featuring the likes of Cal Twomey and Matt Balmer’s predictions as well as yours truly, averaged Swans draftee James Rowbottom at 42, but Sydney saw fit to snap him up at Pick 25.

Further down the order, 44th ranked Boyd Woodcock had to wait patiently for his chance at the big time, with Port Adelaide opting to wait until the third-last live pick (76) to make its move. Even stranger, Sydney Stack and Tom McKenzie, rated at or near the top 40 available players, found no home on a senior list at all.

SA’S FANTASTIC FEW FIND FAVOUR

There was an elevated sense of excitement in SA, with locals proclaiming that the prospective 2018 crop among the best produced in the state since the 2001 “Superdraft”, and the selections certainly didn’t disappoint.

Jack Lukosius, Izak Rankine and Connor Rozee all found places within the top five, while Jackson Hately went at 14. There were eyebrows raised when SA under-18 captain Luke Valente dropped as far as pick 32 for Fremantle, but the hype remains as to just what the SA group pack in terms of collective potential.

THE ‘GO-HOME’ FACTOR

Before any picks were even tabled, and then over the course of the first night as youngsters were receiving their first jumpers, pundits and fans alike speculated wildly about the supposed ‘go-home’ factor, and the likelihood of players making an attempt to head home at the first opportunity.

Scepticism about the length of Ben King’s stay on the Gold Coast was high when he was taken with the sixth pick, and the Suns’ drafting of a trio of Croweaters might be in part a bid to negate any desire of any individually to return to the Crows or Power.

SYDNEY TAKES DRAFT RECRUITERS TO SCHOOL

When the time inevitably came for Sydney Academy’s Nick Blakey to be bid upon, albeit somewhat later than expected at pick 10 by GWS, the Swans executed a double trade with West Coast involving a pick which would have been wiped out by matching the Giants’ bid.

Instead of paying with their pick 26, the Swans traded that selection to the Eagles for a future third-rounder and paid for the Blakey bid with 34, 39 and 40, then sent their future second-rounder to West Coast for pick 24 in a savvy manoeuvre, allowing them to keep hold of an early second-round selection without forfeiting much value for a Pick 10 player.