The preseason and rookie drafts were held about a week after the National Draft. The rookie list was primarily used to officially relist senior players as rookies. They included Grant Birchall (Brisbane), Sam Reid (GWS Giants), Marty Gleeson (Essendon), Dylan Clarke (Essendon), Roarke Smith (Western Bulldogs), Daniel Venables (West Coast) and Bailey Banfield (Fremantle).
The only player taken in the preseason draft was midfielder Jackson Hately. Hately told GWS at the end of the season that he wanted to return home to South Australia. However, a suitable trade could not get done. Adelaide list manager Justin Reid said Hately, a first round selection in 2018, could be an important part of the midfield rotation, ... "with great footy IQ and ... a prolific ball winner and a ferocious tackler. “Not only do we see him as a quality player, but a quality person ... Jackson served as school captain at Trinity College in Adelaide and will bring off-field leadership qualities as well as his key strengths on the field.”
Just three players have been taken in the preseason draft in the last five years - Cam O’Shea to Carlton in 2017, and both Jack Martin to Carlton and Michael Hartley to Hawthorn last year.
Below are the players taken in the rookie draft. Just as in the national draft, it is by club, with the selection number followed by the player's name. A notation will follow if it is player being moved from the senior list. For a newly drafted rookie, the format will be the same as the national draft.
ADELAIDE
1. BRYCE GIBBS
Gibbs, who announced his retirement, was selected for administrative reasons according to recruiting manager Hamish Oglivie, "He will come on now and then in the new year he will go back off the list and retire, as he already had retired. And that will free up a spot for the SSP period."
BRISBANE
15. GRANT BIRCHALL - senior player moved to rookie list
CARLTON
8. LUKE PARKS (Glenelg), 19, 189 (6'1"), 83 (182), medium defender
A former member of Sydney's academy who moved to South Australia in 2020 to improve his chances to get drafted. Strong in the air, has very good hands, reads the play very well is quick and has endurance. Played all of 2020 in the seniors and starred. List Manager Nick Austin said the fact he relocated showed commitment and drive to succeed
23. PASS
COLLINGWOOD
13. JACK GINNIVAN (Bendigo Pioneers), 18, 183 (5'11"), 77 (169), medium forward
Strong at the contest and against opponents, Runs hard and has good evasive skills. Good footy smarts and good in front of goal
28. ISAAC CHUGG (Launceston, Tasmania), 18, 180 5'10"), 81 (178), midfielder/defender. Has excellent speed to run down opponents, is very agile, has a great vertical leap and uses the ball well
Collingwood also has selections 35 and 39 but passed on both
ESSENDON
6. MARTY GLEESON - senior player moved to rookie list
34. PASS
21. DYLAN CLARKE - senior player moved to rookie list
FREMANTLE
7. JOSH TREACY (Bendigo Pioneers), 18, 193 (6'2"), 95 (209), tall forward
Strong and aggressive with footy smarts to read the play well. Represented Team Brown in the 2019 AFL Futures match
22. BAILEY BANFIELD - senior player moved to rookie list
GEELONG - did not participate
GOLD COAST
5. JACOB TOWNSEND
Townsend can now consider himself an AFL "journeyman’" after landing at his fourth club. A 2017 premiership player with the Tigers, he started with GWS before crossing to Richmond and finally to Essendon. The Bombers delisted him at the end of 2020
20. JACK HOMBSCH - senior player moved to rookie list
33. JORDAN MURDOCH - senior player moved to rookie list
40. RHYS NICHOLLS (Labrador, QAFL), 18, 190 (6'1'), 78 (171), midfielder/defender
Member of the Gold Coast academy, played some senior football with Labrador in 2020, mostly in defense, but can play on a wing. Has clean hands, is agile with good evasive skills and reads the play well. Not afraid to attack the contest or opponents, likes to go for his marks (catch of the ball), good intercept skills and gets into good positions and is strong in the air.
GWS
9. SAM REID - senior player moved to rookie list
24. ZACH SPROULE - senior player moved to rookie list
HAWTHORN
4. JACK SAUNDERS (Norwood, SANFL), 18, 177 (5'9"), 70 (154), midfielder
Rated as one of the best athletes in the SANFL, he has exceptional endurance, is very strong and is exceptionally fast. Uses the ball well and can kick goals when going forward. Played nine senior games for Norwood in 2020, also has a strong work ethic
MELBOURNE - had selections 10 and 25 but passed on both
NORTH MELBOURNE
2. PATTRICK WALKER (Tasmanian Devils, North Hobart), 18, 187 (6'), 76 (167), medium defender. Can also play on a wing and was impressive at the age of 17 in 2019. Uses the ball well by foot and can provide run for the team with his speed and endurance. Played some senior football withy Hobart this year. Tested well in Tasmania in 2019 in the agility test
18. CONOR MEMADUE
Delisted by the Tigers at the end of 2019, he signed with Werribee in the VFL but was unable to play due to the pandemic. However, North threw him a lifeline
32. PASS
PORT ADELAIDE
16. TYSON GOLDSACK
Goldsack, 33, decided to come out of retirement - which he announced at the end of 2019. He had planned on playing with the Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL this year but the team withdrew from the competition due to the pandemic. He has not played a senior game since the 2018 Grand Final loss. He spent the entire 2019 season in the VFL. It is believed that Port rookie listed Goldsack so he could mentor young Port defenders in the SANFL. Recruiting manager Geoff Parker said, "We think we'll be pretty young in the SANFL this year and a mature player like Tyson will help those guys with on-field leadership and development."
37. TAJ SCHOFIELD (Woodville-West Torrens, SANFL), 18, 178 (5'9"), 72 (158), small forward/midfielder
Represented West Australia at the U-16 tournament in 2018, has footy smarts, clean hands and good disposal skills. Won U-16 All-Australian honors. The son of former Subiaco coach and current Port Adelaide assistant coach Jarrad Schofield (206 games for West Coast, Port Adelaide and Fremantle), he moved to SA with his family in 2019. He is eligible for just Port under the father-son rule as his father played only a handful of games for the Eagles and Dockers but played 131 with Port
Port Adelaide passed on their selection 30
RICHMOND
31. PASS
ST KILDA
26. MATT ALLISON (Calder Cannons), 19, 192cm (6'2"), 80 (176), tall forward
Lanky tall who reads the ball well in the air, has good hands, speed and endurance and can present as a target. Had a growth spurt in the past 18 months which gives him the advantage of outreaching opponents in the air. Has been compared to Hawthorn's Jack Gunstun. Father Brian played 174 game for VFL side Coburg and was a two time premiership player and was named in their Team of the Century. Did well in the 20 meter sprint and 2km (1.24 miles) time trial at the draft combine.
Allison has quite a football pedigree: father Brian is in Coburg's Hall of Fame and Team of the Century, having joined the club after a short stint in the Bombers' reserves. He played 174 games for Coburg including their premierships in 1988 and 1989. With VFL legend Phil Cleary as coach, Allison's father Brian is in Coburg's Hall of Fame and Team of the Century, having moved to the club, after a short stint in the Bombers' reserves, to play 174 games and feature in back-to-back premierships with the Lions in 1988-89. With Phil Cleary as coach, Allison excelled in the halcyon days of the old VFA when "rough justice" was the norm. Young Matt joked that dad didn't "... mind telling me about it ... He always had a bit of a joke with me: 'Are they drafting you or are they drafting me?' He was a bit of a legend. I never got to see him play but he went all right, Dad." His father's cousin Brett "Fruity" Allison is also a dual premiership player with North Melbourne (276 goals in 219 games) and was a teammate of Wayne Carey and won Mark of the Year (catch of the ball) in 1991. Another cousin is Carlton champion Peter "the Buzz" Bosustow, who played in four premierships with the Blues and won both mark and goal of the year in 1981. He left Carlton to join Perth in 1984. When he heard about Matt being drafted, he remarked that the "...bloodline continues" and elaborated on the Allison-Bosustow connection, "This is quite a unique [family line]. He will be the fifth one in the Bosustow-Allison clan ... ". That clan extends to Peter's late father Bob, who played 20 games for Carlton and married Victoria Allison. Her brother Tom was Brett's father and uncle to Peter and Brian's uncle. Tom played for West Coburg before playing 106 games for North Melbourne 1963-1970. He represented Victoria before moving to Canberra for work, which is how Brett came to grow up there before joining North and ending his career with nine games for Sydney.
The Saints also had 14, 29 and 36 but passed
SYDNEY
3. MALACHY CARRUTHERS (Sturt, SANFL), 18, 185 (6'), 72 (158), medium defender
Excellent ballwinng ability so he can also play midfield. Was one of Sturt's best in their SANFL Grand Final loss to Norwood. Impressed at the South Australian draft combine: ran the 2km time trial in six and one-half minutes and finished in top four in the agility run
19. PASS
Paddy McCartin, overlooked in the rookie draft due to Sydney selecting forward Logan McDonald in the national draft, is considering his options. A number one draft selection, he played 35 games for St Kilda 2015-2018, before joining the Swans, but did not play in 2020 due to concussion issues. He has been cleared to train again. However, it is unlikely he will be allowed to train with the Swans ahead of the SSP next year. McCartin, 24, could play for Sydney's VFL side or another second-tier team. The Swans still have an open spot on their rookie list but are leaving the decision to McCartin. Under AFL rules clubs are allowed to invite a maximum of six players to train with the squad from January 6 to trial for a spot on the rookie list during the preseason supplemental selection period which ends March 9. They need to submit their list to the AFL by December 18.
WEST COAST
12. ZANE TREW (Swan Districts WAFL), 18, 187 (6'), 78 (171), midfielder
Strong bodied ballwinner with clean hands, excellent at stoppages and tackles well. Starred at the 2018 U-16 tournament, winning All-Australian honors. A shoulder injury derailed his 2019 but he ca, me back strongly in 2020. Recorded 3.03 for the 20 meter sprint (appx 22 yards), 6:53 for the 2km time trial and did well in the agility test
27. DAN VENABLES - delisted and redrafted as rookie
WESTERN BULLDOGS
11. LACHLAN MCMEIL (Woodville-West Torrens, SANFL), 18, 182 (5'11"), 78 (171), midfielder
Overlooked in the 2019 draft despite representing SA at the U-18 tournament, he was impressive with the Woodville seniors in 2020. Tough player with clean hands, an excellent ballwinner, has some speed and good instincts
26. ROARKE SMITH - senior player moved to rookie list
A few coaching notes, retired Bomber Tom Bellchambers has been appointed ruck coach at Essendon. Ditto Matt Kreuzer at Carlton.
Sources: afl.com.au, norwoodfc.com.au, carltonc.com.au, westernbulldogs.com.au, collingwoodfc.com.au
Article last changed on Monday, September 12, 2022 - 5:10 PM EDT
