Nine Dragons nominate for Mid-Season Draft
By Marcus Uhe
Jacob Edwards headlines the list of nine Dragons who have nominated for Wednesday’s 2021 NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft.
The ruckman, who is widely expected to be chosen with the first pick in the draft, joins co-captain Darby Hipwell, vice-captains Luke Cleary and Charlie McKay, Lachlan Carrigan, Felix Flockart, Max Heath, Lachlan Riley and William Skinner as players who have put their name forward for selection.
Players who nominate for the Mid-Season draft will be given the option of nominating for a six-month or 18-month contract.
Clubs that have open list spots and choose to participate will make their selections in reverse order of the ladder as of the end of round 11. North Melbourne will select first, followed by Hawthorn, Collingwood, and so on.
There are 27 list spots available across the competition; St Kilda and Carlton lead the way with four and three, respectively.
Seven clubs (Collingwood, Essendon, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Melbourne, North Melbourne, West coast) will make two selections, while six (Adelaide, Brisbane, GWS, Port Adelaide, Richmond, Sydney) will make one.
Due to not having available spots on their list, Fremantle, Geelong and the Western Bulldogs will not participate.
Players such as Will Snelling (Essendon) and John Noble (Collingwood) were major beneficiaries of the inaugural Mid-Season Draft in 2019, going on to be mainstays of their respective sides, while Marlion Pickett famously played in a premiership with Richmond is his first game, and added another in 2020, after his selection in the draft.
The Draft will be held as an online event, adhering to the current health and safety protocols imposed by the Victorian Government.
To watch the draft, fans will need access to the AFL app or AFL.com.au, where the broadcast will begin at 6.30pm for a 7pm start.
To learn more about Edwards, Cleary, McKay, and Heath, check out their player profiles:
Cleary - https://www.sandringhamdragons.com.au/players/seeing-the-game-cleary-lukes-positional-switch
McKay - https://www.sandringhamdragons.com.au/players/charlie-mckay-growing-the-legacy
Heath - https://www.sandringhamdragons.com.au/players/heath-aggression-to-the-max