Matthew Cottrell

The AFL Draft was held during our Thanksgiving holiday period. The Western Bulldogs kicked things off with a trade of draft selections to better their chances of snaring Sam Darcy, son of former champ Luke. They gave Geelong their first selection (number 23) to Geelong in exchange for the Cats' selections 32 and 34. GWS was interested in Darcy so the Dogs needed a strong draft hand to match the bid. During the trade period, several clubs tried to coax a deal with North Melbourne for the number one selection, but the Kangaroos turned down all offers. The Bulldogs and North also flipped picks for next year's draft. The Bulldogs were not the only club busy trading, with Port Adelaide moving up two spots by giving West Coast their selection 14 and a future round two pick. The Roos were also involved in a trade with Collingwood and received the Pies' second round pick of number 36, giving up a third round pick (No.38) and a future third round selection.

As in years past, it is club by club. The number in front is the draft selection followed by player name, (junior or club of origin), age, height, weight and position. The Rookie and Preseason drafts were held just after the national draft, so those selections are included here.

ADELAIDE

It is something the AFL has tried, without much success, in the past and is set to try again - a mid-season draft. The league notified the clubs that the draft would take place at the beginning of June after Round 11 and just ahead of the bye rounds. The decision to hold a mid-season draft was finalized by the AFL Commission in October following discussions by the Competition Committee, but the finer details were not determined at that time. To be eligible, players must have previously nominated for an AFL draft or been on an AFL club list.

First SSP Signings

The Blues have become the first club to sign replacement players under the recently introduced SSP (pre-season supplemental selection period) rule. With another season ending knee injury to defender Sam Docherty and the unexpected retirement of Tom Bugg, the Blues had two places open on their list. VFL star Michael Gibbons and Dandenong winger Matthew Cottrell, who have been training with the club, have been signed as rookies.