The AFL has finally locked in a date for next month’s national draft, which will be conducted virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The draft will be held on December 9 from 4pm, rather than a two-day affair like the last few years, while the rookie draft will be short and sharp the following morning from 9am.

It means WA’s best talent, including pick-one prospect Logan McDonald and fellow top-10 fancies Denver Grainger-Barras and Heath Chapman will watch the draft from Perth.

AFL DRAFT HUB: ALL WA HOPEFULS PROFILED HERE

Last year’s draft was held at Marvel Stadium with Melbourne’s top pick Luke Jackson and championship-winning WA under-18s teammates Liam Henry (Fremantle) and Deven Robertson (Brisbane) getting an invite to attend for the stand-alone first round.

Clubs will instead use an online draft system within the ARC, which was also used in the recently-concluded trade period, to submit their selections.

The West Australian understands that about 50-60 picks will be used in the national draft due to cuts to club list sizes, with both WA clubs set to use multiple selections.

Fremantle gets underway with a first-round pick, currently 12, which is expected to slide down several spots because of Next Generation Academy bidding.

The Dockers also hold picks 32 and 55.

West Coast’s first selection isn’t until the start of the fourth round (currently pick 62), followed by 86 and 91.

Around 10-12 West Aussies are likely to get picked up across the national and rookie drafts.

“From what I’ve seen and talking to (WAFC State talent manager) Adam Jones, we’re hoping for around 12,” former WA under-18s coach Peter Sumich said last month.

“Ten to 12 would be nice, any more than that is a real bonus.

“If we played the carnival this year, I thought we would’ve been a strong chance of winning it again and then bringing on one or two players that might not get drafted now because they haven’t been involved in that carnival scenario.”

Nineteen WA talents earned an invite to the draft combine at Wesley College last month, completing various tests in front of AFL recruiters.