The Sydney Swans draft order has changed following the first round of the 2018 AFL Draft at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.

Sydney now holds picks 25, 40, 45, 80, 95 and 98, after completing live trades for picks and matching a bid for Academy product Nick Blakey on the first night of the two-day event.

Sydney became the first club since the introduction of live trading to trade a pick on draft night when they gave up pick 26 (later moved to 29) in a deal with West Coast to receive a future third-round selection.

It meant the Swans only required selections 34, 39, 40 to bundle enough points match Greater Western Sydney's offer for Blakey at pick 10.

The Swans also received picks 47 and 97 back along with Blakey.

Moments later the Swans entered into another transaction with the Eagles, this time landing the Eagles' second-round selection (25) for a 2019 second-round pick.

Ultimately, the Swans moved up four spots in this year's NAB AFL Draft, only swapping a future a second-round selection for a future third-round pick while landing Blakey for later picks.

"We saw the AFL to see whether it was legal to separate the two deals and do the trade for 26 first and then their 22 afterwards," General Manager - Recruiting and List Strategy Kinnear Beatson said.

"The AFL approved that and of course it needed goodwill with clubs that they're going to stand by their word.

"Every trade has to be ticked off by the AFL and they were prepared to do that.

"We saw Ken Wood (AFL TPP manager) and his team and they were 100 per cent it was legal.

"Creative thinking perhaps, but I don't we've rorted any system, no."

The second round of the National Draft will commence from midday on Friday with the pre-season and rookie draft to follow there after with full coverage on sydneyswans.com.au.

An inside look at the recruiting department hard at work during the 2018 National Draft.