IN two days’ time, Melbourne will welcome new talent to its list via the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft.

It’s one of the most exciting nights on the footy calendar with hundreds of footballers waiting to find out if their AFL dream is to come true.

The draft will officially kick off on Wednesday 20 November from 7pm (AEDT) at Marvel Stadium and will run across two days, with the rookie and pre-season draft to take place on Friday 22 November.

It’s set to be an exciting evening for the Melbourne faithful, the Dees currently holding two picks inside the top 10, with No.5 and No.9, in addition to No.79 later in the draft order.

Melbourne’s National Recruiting Manager Jason Taylor joined Draft Countdown Live to preview the draft and said the club’s high picks would be an opportunity to welcome the most impressive talent, regardless of position.

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Jason Taylor | Demons' first-round calls

Melbourne recruiting boss Jason Taylor says the Dees will simply take the best available talent with the club's No.5 and No.9 picks at this week’s Telstra AFL Draft, regardless of the type of player they are.

"This year, we're heavily focused on best available talent," Taylor said.

"Over the journey we've sometimes looked at need, but this year we've decided to just pick the best talent."

“It’s definitely hard to predict [this year], because there’s such a quality range of players.

“We do all evaluate players differently, so it’s not just all on-field performances, there’s all the other things that go with that.

“Ultimately, you’ve just got to pick the player that you feel like will be the best AFL player in the long term.”

2024 TELSTRA AFL DRAFT BREAKDOWN
DATE: Wednesday 20 November and November 21 November
TIME: 7pm (AEDT)
WATCH: Live via AFL.com.au or via Fox Footy and Kayo Sports
MELBOURNE PICKS: 5, 9, 79