Australian Football Association of North America

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Prior to the preseason and rookie drafts held on December 7, the AFL reviewed the clubs' Total Player Payment (TPP) estimates for 2011 to determine who could participate in the preseason draft. Only six clubs were eligible for the draft: Gold Coast Suns, West Coast, Richmond, Essendon, Hawthorn and Fremantle. It was determined that the other 11 clubs had full senior lists. The rookie draft was held the same day.

Delisted players who did not nominate for (or were not selected in the national draft) who nominated for the preseason draft were: John Anthony (Collingwood), Warren Benjamin (North Melbourne), Cameron Bruce (Melbourne), Mitch Hahn (Western Bulldogs), Ashley Hansen (West Coast), Scott Harding (Port Adelaide), Tom Hislop (Richmond), Tim Houlihan (West Coast), Bachar Houli (Essendon), Bart McCulloch (Brisbane Lions), Brad Miller (Melbourne), Tony Notte (West Coast), Nathan O'Keefe (North Melbourne), Adam Pattison (St Kilda), Albert Proud (Brisbane Lions), Simon Taylor (Hawthorn), Matthew Westhoff (Port Adelaide).

The preseason and rookie drafts were done electronically with the 18 clubs linked to the AFL Operations Department. The clubs were then able to lodge their selections from their home bases.

Ahead of the December drafts, hopefuls were training with the clubs in an effort to impress enough to be selected:

ADELAIDE: Ian Callinan (Central Districts), Jacob Templeton

BRISBANE: Jack Hansen, Michael Hutchinson (Aspley), Broc McCauley (Brisbane Lions), Bart McCulloch (Brisbane Lions), Nathan Reid (Mt Gravatt), Albert Proud (Brisbane Lions)

CARLTON: Rhys O'Keeffe (Carlton)

COLLINGWOOD: Paul Cribbin (County Kildare, Ireland)

ESSENDON: Ryan Brabazon* (Claremont), Ben Duscher (Bendigo Bombers), Jonathan Giles (Sturt), Josh Jenkins (Lake Boga), Pierce Liddle (Bendigo Bombers), Chris Molitor (West Adelaide), Jay Neagle (Essendon), Tim Northe (Gippsland Power), Nathan Rayner (Woodville-West Torrens), Trent Shinners (Bendigo Bombers), Tyson Slattery (Essendon), Rhys Sporn (West Adelaide)

*originally drafted by Sydney in 2005, but played just three senior games before being delisted at the end of 2009

FREMANTLE: John Anthony (Collingwood), Jarrad Blight (Collingwood), Ben Bucovaz (Fremantle), Michael Evans (Claremont), Sam Menagola (East Fremantle), Justin Monaco (East Fremantle), Brock O'Brien (Fremantle), Matthew Rankine (West Adelaide), Gavin Roberts (Norwood), Tim Ruffles (Fremantle)

GEELONG: Luke Dahlhaus (Geelong Falcons), John Simkin (Geelong VFL), Josh Walker (Geelong Falcons)

GOLD COAST: Nathan Ablett (Geelong Cats, Broadbeach), Jake Crawford (Pamona), Cameron Pederson (Box Hill), Joel Tippett (Brisbane Lions (Southport)

HAWTHORN: Cameron Bruce (Melbourne), Travis Tuck (Hawthorn)

MELBOURNE: Corey Buchan (Dandenong Stingrays), Corey Cassidy (Oakleigh Chargers), Brad Harvey (Eastern Ranges), Paul Johnson (Melbourne), Cameron Johnston (Geelong Falcons), Tom McNamara (Melbourne), Daniel Nicholson (Uni Blues)

NORTH MELBOURNE: Steve Clifton (North Ballarat), Kyle Hartigan (Werribee), James Lawton (Coburg), Derick Micallef (North Ballarat), Matthew O’Dwyer (Sydney Swans), Scott Sherlock (Werribee), Myles Sewell (North Ballarat), Jake Von Bertouch (Woodville West Torrens)

PORT ADELAIDE: Jonathon Beech (West Adelaide), Harrison Cumming (Broken Hill Central FC), Sam Gray (Port Adelaide Magpies), Callum Hay (North Adelaide), Tom Jonas (Port Adelaide), Terry Milera (Port Adelaide Magpies), Tim Milera (Port Adelaide Magpies), Thomas Schneider (Oakleigh Chargers)

RICHMOND: Jayke Barrack (Coburg), Ben Clifton (Coburg), Andy Duhau (Coburg), Brendan Fewster (Coburg), Ben Haren (Port Adelaide Magpies), Tom Hislop (Richmond), Bachar Houli (Essendon), Ben Jakobi (Coburg), Justin Kahlefedt (Coburg), Tom Lucin (Coburg), Brad Miller (Melbourne)

ST KILDA: George Burbury (Hobart), Robert Eddy (St Kilda), Fraser Russell (Geelong Falcons)

SYDNEY: Eugene Krueger (East Coast Eagles), Garry Moss (Hawthorn)

WEST COAST: Tim Houlihan (West Coast), Blayne Wilson (Peel Thunder)

WESTERN BULLDOGS: Ed Barlow (Sydney Swans), Jack Frost (Sandringham Dragons), Mitchell Hahn (Western Bulldogs), Riley Heddles (Dandenong Stingrays), Daniel Hughes (Melbourne)

Source: Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release