Last years Pre Season draft we saw Ben Cousins get a lifeline at Richmond and this year we see another 4 delisted players go to a new club with three young players also getting a spot on the main list. They are:

Joel MacDonald will add depth and experience to the young Demons team

1. Joel MacDonald (Melbourne) – Will add depth and maturity to the young Demons line up.
2. Dylan Grimes (Richmond) – Tall backmen, interesting as Richmond already have a good young backline.
3. Adam McPhee (Fremantle) – Another Essendon player retiring at Fremantle.
4. Daniel Bradshaw (Sydney) – With Bradshaw being added along with their draft additions will have an improved forward line for 2010.
5. Ryan Neates (West Coast Eagles) – Small pacey midfield who will add some much needed pace to their midfield.
6. Scott Harding (Port Adelaide) – Surprise of the Pre Season draft but will add depth to their midfield.
7. Kyle Hardigham (Essendon) – A leader who can play all around the ground.

This years Rookie draft was the first for a few reasons, first of all the Gold Coast had the first five picks (Daniel Harris, Michael Code, Sam Iles, Roland Ah Che & Danny Stanley). These players will play with the Gold Coast in the VFL and are guaranteed a spot on their first AFL list in 2011.

Second with the new mature age rookie rules, you are able to have two mature age recruits including players previously on a senior list. This allowed players like Wayde Skipper (to Hawthorn) and Graham Polak (to Richmond) another chance at the top level. We also saw several other mature age picks.

Adelaide Crows

• #17 Luke Thompson - Another tall defender in the making.
• #33 Matt Wright - Was third in his SANFL B&F and will play midfield.
• #46 Matthew Jaensch – Yet another utility who can play around the ground
• #58 Aiden Riley – A NSW Scholarship player

Brisbane Lions

• #16 Mitchell Golby – Attacking defender who looks like a MacDonald replacement, still curious on why they got rid of him.
• #32 Josh Dyson – Goal kicking midfielder with a good kick and mark.
• #45 & #57 PASS
• #67 Nial McKeever - International Irish Rookie.
• #74 Sean Yoshuira – First Japanese born AFL listed player who impressed when playing for their reserves side in the QAFL.
• #76 Claye Beams – Younger brother of Collingwood’s Dayne and was fancied to be picked up in the NAB draft.
• #78 Brock McCauley – Tall ruckman who can play forward.

Carlton Blues

• #15 Jaryd Cachia – Another inside midfielder.
• #31 Joseph Dare - An utility who can play forward & back.
• #44 Levi Casboult – Finally a tall forward with a good kick (kicked 41.14).
• #56 Simon White - Was fancied to go to WCE in the Pre Season draft, similar player as an Adam Hunter.
• #66 Joshua Donaldson – long term prospect Ruckman.
• #73 Zach Tuohy – An International Irish Rookie.

Collingwood Magpies

• #18 Thomas Hunter – Looks similar as a player in a Campbell Brown or captain Maxwell mold.
• #34 Jack Carter – Long term key defender.
• #47 Seamus McNamara – International Rookie who used to play US College Basketball.

Essendon Bombers

• #14 Taite Silverlock – Could be the replacement for Lovett who went to St Kilda in the trade period.
• #30 Ben Howlett – Mature age pick who won the F&B for Peel in the WAFL.
• #43 Stewart Crameri - cannot find any information at moment, please leave some in the comments if you have any.
• #55 Marcus Marigliani - Inside midfielder who can go forward and kick goals.
• #65 John Williams – Given another chance by Essendon.

Fremantle Dockers

• #8 Michael Barlow – Mature age pick who plays midfield and won the young promising player in the VFL this year.
• #24 Alex Silvagni – Another mature age pick who like his uncle plays back.

Geelong Cats

• #21 Jack Weston – Looks to be another who could replace Harley and or Milburn who can play tall and small down back and attack when has the ball.
• #37 Ben Johnson – A big boy who can mark and play forward or back.
• #50 James Podsiadly – VFL Geelong captain who is rewarded with a rookie position.
• #61 Jesse Stringer – Hard nut inside midfielder who will sit alongside Joel Selwood nicely.

Wayde Skipper may seem like a curious pick at first but he can play back which adds versatility

Hawthorn Hawks

• #13 Wayde Skipper – Surprised me to get the missing ruck position but he can also play defense which is another ‘weakness’ for the Hawks.
• #29 Jarrod Kayler-Thompson - Mature age player who plays and kicks similar as a Grant Birchall.
• #42 Michael Johnson – NSW Scholarship player who plays half forward.

Melbourne Demons

Apart from recruiting Joel MacDonald in the Pre Season draft they redrafted Michael Newton and John Meesen who where delisted but promised to be redrafted as rookies.

North Melbourne Kangaroos

• #9 Majak Daw – Another first with the first Sudanese born player on an AFL list. Has the same excitement about him as WCE Nit Nat.
• #25 Matthew Scott – Tough inside midfielder to add more depth to their thin midfield.

Port Adelaide Power

• #12 Cameron Hitchcock – cannot find any information at moment, please leave some in the comments if you have any.
• #28 Daniel Webb – Tall forward with a big leap and good hands.
• #41 Cameron Cloke – ex Carlton and Collingwood player who will add depth to their forward line and saves Carlton a 6 figure pay out.
• #54 Glenn Dawson – Given another chance by Port.
• #64 Daniel Bass – Another ex basketball given a chance to switch codes.
• #72 Jordon Johns - NSW Scholarship player.

Richmond Tigers

• #7 Robert Hicks – small but quick midfielder who will kick goals.
• #23 Pat Contin – Utility who can play around the ground.
• #38 Relton Roberts - Similar player as a Liam Jurrah who could be anything.
• #51 Nicholas Westhoff - Leading tall forward who played basketball & Richmond will hope he becomes the next Tippett.
• #62 Graham Polak - Given another chance by Richmond.
• #70 Jamie O’Reilly – International Irish Rookie.

St Kilda Saints

• #20 Mark Hutchings – Tough inside midfielder who captained the under 18 WA side.
• #36 Daniel Archer – Versatile tall forward who can take a mark.
• #49 Jarryd Allen – Given another chance, from what I have heard he has been redrafted for salary cap reasons.
• #60 Leigh Fisher – Given another chance by St Kilda.
• #69 Tommy Walsh – International Irish Rookie who has huge wraps on him as a Riewoldt type player.

Sydney Swans

• #10 Henry Playfair – interesting he got picked this early but they did pass on four rookie selections.
• #26, #39, #52 & #77 PASS
• #63 Chris McKaigue – International Irish Rookie.
• #71 Nathan Gordon – NSW Scholarship player.
• #75 Dylan McNeil – Similar style player as ex rookie captain Kirk.

West Coast Eagles

• #11 Lewis Broome – Best on ground in the WAFL colts GF who kicked four goals in 6 minutes in the 3rd quarter.
• #27 Andrew Strijk – Mature aged who plays off the half bank flank with damaging foot skills.
• #40 Ashton Hams – Best on ground in the WAFL seniors GF playing in defence.
• #53 Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls – Interesting pick but if he can get his game & body right will be a bargain for WCE, was a top #10 pick once.

Western Bulldogs

The Dogs where given over $50,000 for the second year in a row which allows them to have rookies. Last year they picked up Liam Picken who became a star for them and will one of the following be the same?

• #19 Brodie Moles - Mature aged pick who has played VFL for Tasmania and also was a Geelong rookie.
• #35 Andrew Hooper - cannot find any information at moment, please leave some in the comments if you have any.
• #48 Matthew Panos – Tall forward who kicked 14 goals for SA in the 2009 under 18′s championship.
• #59 Eddie Prato – Another ex Basketballer giving AFL a chance.
• #68 Patrick Rose – Mature aged player who could replace Johnson and Akermanis when they retire.

My thoughts

As an Eagles fan I am happy that we have picked up a few small forward prospects along with some of our other needs. From an outside non club point of view I think the pre season picks of MacDonald and Bradshaw will make Sydney and Melbourne a better side.

I think Sydney have made the best changes to their list in the 2009 off season and I expect to see them back in the finals in 2010. I still cannot understand why Carlton picked up another midfielder but their other picks are smart but has their premiership window gone backwards as they now have to redevelop their side again?

Your Comments

So every club now has a full list of players and rookies and we can now wait for a few more months and then we will get to see all these youngsters in action in the Pre Season competition. I know its early days especially with rookies and the pre season draft but are you happy with your picks and who do you think will be the next rookie star?

Also if you have any comments, biography details or anything else on the players listed above, please add them in the comments section and I will add your input.

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