Following Wednesday night's mid-season draft, 17 players were scooped up by clubs, deeming the concept another success.
Mid-Season Draft Order Picks
First round
1. West Coast - Jai Culley
2. North Melbourne - Kallan Dawson
3. Essendon - Massimo D'Ambrosio
4. Adelaide - Brett Turner
5. GWS Giants - Wade Derksen
6. Hawthorn - Max Ramsden
7. Gold Coast - Oskar Faulkhead
8. Port Adelaide - Brynn Teakle
9. Collingwood - Josh Carmichael
10. Richmond - Jacob Bauer
11. Sydney - Hugo Hall-Kahan
12. Geelong - Zane Williams
13. Carlton - Sam Durdin
14. St Kilda - Passed
15. Fremantle - Sebit Kuek
Second round
16. West Coast - Passed
17. North Melbourne - Passed
18. Essendon - Jye Menzie
19. Adelaide - Passed
20. Hawthorn - James Blanck
21. Collingwood - Passed
22. Carlton - Will Hayes
23. Fremantle - Passed
Re-introduced in 2019, the mid-season draft has had such a positive impact on the AFL world, with dreams coming true for more and more players across the country.
In an attempt to ensure clubs weren't left at a disadvantage, the AFL allowed teams to pick up players in the mid-season draft, provided they had one spare spot on their rookie list.
As we have seen in years gone by, players like Marlion Pickett, who was overlooked in many national drafts, was able to experience life as an AFL footballer in 2019, before he quickly became a dual premiership player for the Tigers.
When is the 2022 AFL mid-season rookie draft?
The NAB AFL mid-season rookie draft will be held on the evening on Wednesday June 1.
Where is the AFL mid-season rookie draft being held?
A centralised venue for the event hasn't been announced.
How do AFL clubs get selection in the mid-season draft?
AFL clubs need to have a spare Rookie list position by 5:00pm (AEST) on May 31 to get a selection in the draft.
Rookie list spots can be opened up if an AFL-listed player retires or picks up a long-term injury, with players in those categories being placed on the Inactive List.
Clubs with available Rookie list positions will select in reverse order of their ladder positions, with every club having their single selection, before the teams with two or more will get to select, also in reverse ladder order.
How do players become eligible for the mid-season draft?
A player can become eligible for the mid-season draft if they have been nominated for the most recent AFL National Draft.
Players are also eligible for mid-season selection if they were previously on an AFL list and either were delisted or retired from the game.
However, those who retired in 2021 will not be eligible for the 2022 mid-season draft as they have not been retired for one or more years.
The History of the Mid-Season draft (1990-1993; 2019-present)
The Mid-Season Draft was brought in in 1990, the same year the VFL was rebranded the AFL due to its expansion including non-Victorian teams.
With the same purpose it has now, the draft was introduced to provide players more opportunities to make it on AFL lists as well as ensure clubs weren't left at a disadvantage.
Laurence Schache, father of current-Bulldog Josh Schache, was the first pick in this new-found approach implemented by the AFL, as Schache was selected by the Brisbane Bears from the SANFL.
Despite former AFL chief executive Ross Oakley deeming the draft a failure, there was some feel-good stories in the very brief four years in the 1990s.
Sydney Swan legend Daryn Cresswell is still one of the biggest names coming from the mid-season draft over the years. Cresswell was playing in Tasmania in 1992 for North Hobart before being selected with pick 39 by the Swans.
Since then, Cresswell played 244 games for the club, including a Best and Fairest in 94' and All-Australian selection in 97'.
The mid-season draft was quickly scrapped after the 1993 season and was excluded from the game, given the lack of desire to keep it from the clubs and League.
However, outgoing AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan re-introduced the mid-season draft in a bid to expand the game to all corners of the country, providing more opportunities for players to get on an AFL list.
Teams were given an option to top up their list if players were deemed inactive given their long-term injury or retired.
2019 saw the revival of the mid-season draft, which has plenty of stories that has since inspired many more to make their dreams come true.
Coming out of that year was premiership hero Pickett, as well as Collingwood defender John Noble and Bulldog fullback Ryan Gardner, who all occupy current list spots.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the mid-season draft was put on hold during the 2020 season, as the league and clubs found it difficult to add players to list with the financial strain the pandemic put on the game.
In 2021, there were 22 players selected in a bid to aid their respective clubs and live out their lifelong dreams. Of those players, there is 10 who have played an AFL game, with Hawk Jai Newcombe being the biggest name.
Who was selected in the 2021 mid-season draft?
Round 1
Pick 1 - North Melbourne - Jacob Edwards (Sandringham Dragons, tall forward/ruck
Pick 2 - Hawthorn - Jai Newcombe* (Box Hill Hawks, midfielder)
Pick 3 - Collingwood - Ash Johnson (Sturt, forward)
Pick 4 - Adelaide Crows - Patrick Parnell (Murray Bushrangers, small defender)
Pick 5 - Gold Coast - Ned Moyle (Oakleigh Chargers, ruck)
Pick 6 - Carlton - Alex Mirkov (Carlton VFL, ruck)
Pick 7 - St Kilda - Max Heath (Sandringham Dragons, ruck)
Pick 8 - GWS Giants - James Peatling* (GWS Academy, defender)
Pick 9 - Essendon - Sam Durham* (Richmond VFL, midfielder)
Pick 10 - Richmond - Matthew Parker* (Ex-St Kilda/South Fremantle, forward)
Pick 11 - West Coast Eagles - Will Collins (Swan Districts, defender)
Pick 12 - Sydney Swans - Lachlan McAndrew (Sydney VFL, ruckman)
Pick 13 - Port Adelaide - Jed McEntee* (Sturt, small forward)
Pick 14 - Brisbane Lions - Kalin Lane (Claremont, ruckman)
Pick 15 - Melbourne - Kye Declase (Werribee, defender)
Round 2
Pick 16 - North Melbourne - Charlie Ham (Geelong Falcons, midfielder)
Pick 17 - Hawthorn - Jackson Callow* (Norwood/Tasmania, key forward)
Pick 18 - Collingwood - Aiden Begg* (Eastern Rangers, forward/ruck)
Pick 19 - Gold Coast - Pass
Pick 20 - Carlton - Jordan Boyd* (Footscray VFL, small forward)
Pick 21 - St Kilda - Cooper Sharman* (Oakleigh Chargers/ Woodville-West Torrens/GWS Academy, forward)
Pick 22 - Essendon - Pass
Pick 23 - West Coast Eagles - Connor West* (West Perth, midfielder)
Pick 24 - Melbourne - Daniel Turner (Murray Bushrangers, halfback)
Round 3
Pick 25 - Carlton - Pass
Pick 26 - St Kilda - Pass
Round 4
Pick 27 - St Kilda - Pass
* = played AFL game
