61:. Until 2008, due to the standard players contract expiring at the end of November, players who did not wish to sign a new contract with their current club were forced to enter the pre-season draft if they were unable to be traded to another club during the trade week held prior to the national draft. There was no free agency in the AFL to allow uncontracted players to easily move clubs until after the
65:; delisted players had the option of nominating for either the national or pre-season drafts. In 2008, the rules were changed to also give uncontracted players the option of nominating for either draft. However, the number of players being selected after being delisted or coming out of contract is diminishing, as most teams are not prepared to pick them ahead of younger players.
77:
A total of 27 players have been selected at pick number one in the pre-season draft. Not every pre-season draft contains a number-one pick, as clubs may choose to pass on their selection for various list management reasons. As the pre-season draft was originally held towards the end of the pre-season
39:
The pre-season draft was first held in 1989, and more than 50 selections were made in each of its first five years. However, its importance has gradually diminished over the time, and pre-season drafts are now routinely cancelled due to every club opting against making a selection. It was considered
48:
Clubs receive selections in the draft based on where they finished on the AFL ladder during the year, generally in reverse order. Teams have the choice of whether to participate in the pre-season draft; many clubs fill their playing roster at the national draft, and hence do not participate in the
68:
The lack of free agency was a powerful bargaining tool during trade week, as the team with the first pick could refuse a trade for a current uncontracted player at another club, and then recruit the player that wants to join their team for free with the first pick in the pre-season draft without
40:
that the pre-season draft only existed to protect the league from writs for restraint-of-trade, but due to the introduction of free agency in 2012, there have been calls to scrap the pre-season draft and extend the free agency period.
78:
in
January or February, the naming of the draft is based on the following season. This is different from the naming of the national draft (which occurs in November), which is named according to the season just completed.
69:
giving anything to the other club. Conversely, the threat of losing a player for nothing into the pre-season draft could force a team to trade him for less than the player's true value.
1123:
1501:
275:
1081:
842:
1241:
645:
1253:
918:
620:
1157:
1049:
1005:
977:
879:
753:
726:
330:
167:
1250:
1021:
965:
884:
857:
763:
736:
672:
593:
566:
539:
512:
485:
448:
421:
394:
367:
340:
290:
263:
236:
209:
182:
155:
128:
21:
1144:
49:
pre-season draft. Also, unlike the national draft, picks in the pre-season drafts cannot be traded between clubs.
820:
699:
411:
194:
150:
1179:
1120:
1008:
had the number-one pick but chose to pass. The first (and only) player selected was at pick number two, where
985:
662:
637:
480:
357:
1234:
993:
961:
949:
874:
610:
588:
534:
529:
507:
475:
438:
389:
362:
258:
204:
145:
123:
118:
1095:
1009:
953:
847:
810:
731:
615:
583:
556:
335:
305:
285:
231:
1052:
had the number-one pick but chose to pass. The first player selected was at pick number three, where
989:
980:
had the number-one pick but chose to pass. The first player selected was at pick number seven, where
952:
had the number-one pick but chose to pass. The first player selected was at pick number two, where
1201:
1227:
1017:
502:
248:
177:
81:
The following is a list of number-one pre-season draft picks since the draft's inception in
32:. The pre-season draft is a place for any uncontracted players to nominate that missed the
1127:
1053:
981:
852:
694:
689:
379:
221:
62:
58:
406:
1479:
1473:
1468:
1463:
1458:
1453:
1448:
1443:
1438:
1433:
1428:
1423:
1418:
1413:
1408:
1403:
1398:
1393:
1388:
1383:
1378:
1373:
1368:
1363:
1358:
1353:
1348:
1343:
1338:
1333:
1328:
1323:
1318:
1313:
1308:
1292:
1287:
1282:
1277:
1272:
1267:
1131:
901:
891:
869:
864:
837:
827:
815:
800:
790:
780:
770:
743:
716:
706:
679:
667:
657:
652:
627:
600:
573:
561:
546:
519:
492:
470:
465:
455:
443:
428:
416:
401:
384:
374:
352:
347:
325:
320:
297:
270:
243:
216:
199:
189:
172:
162:
135:
108:
82:
1495:
1057:
805:
721:
684:
605:
551:
497:
28:
and before the start of the next AFL season. It is conducted at the same time as the
758:
578:
524:
280:
253:
226:
113:
632:
140:
29:
1013:
957:
433:
313:
33:
25:
748:
1219:
1040:
No pre-season draft was held as all clubs declined to take part.
1223:
930:
20:
is the drafting of uncontracted players to teams in the
57:
Historically, the pre-season draft has involved mostly
1060:
after they temporarily delisted him prior to the draft
1301:
1260:
1096:"AFL Draft 2022: Rookie and Pre-Season Drafts"
1235:
1145:Uncontracted players to decide on draft entry
8:
1242:
1228:
1220:
1036:
1034:
1032:
1030:
87:
1204:. Fox Sports Australia. 11 September 2008
1160:. Sydney Morning Herald. 27 November 2006
1082:NAB AFL Pre-Season and Rookie Draft facts
36:or who were delisted after it was held.
1182:. Fox Sports Australia. 1 September 2007
24:(AFL). The draft is conducted after the
1073:
942:
7:
1121:Opening new trade routes next goal
1094:Lerner, Ronny (30 November 2022).
646:Central Australian Football League
14:
314:Cairns Australian Football League
1502:Australian Football League draft
919:Australian Football League draft
1158:"Draft exposes cold realities"
1:
900:
890:
863:
836:
826:
799:
789:
779:
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373:
346:
319:
296:
269:
242:
215:
188:
161:
134:
107:
1180:"Loss a big win for Tigers"
1518:
1202:"Warnock won't come cheap"
931:AFL official draft website
22:Australian Football League
905:
895:
831:
794:
784:
774:
710:
459:
1126:2 December 2008 at the
1006:Greater Western Sydney
978:Greater Western Sydney
880:Greater Western Sydney
754:Greater Western Sydney
727:Greater Western Sydney
103:League recruited from
73:Number-one draft picks
18:AFL pre-season draft
1080:Sinclair, Cameron;
1489:
1488:
1147:; 13 October 2008
1134:; 11 October 2008
1119:Reilly, Stephen;
910:
909:
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1084:10 December 2007
1078:
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1047:
1041:
1038:
1025:
1018:Western Bulldogs
1003:
997:
975:
969:
947:
503:Western Bulldogs
249:Dermott Brereton
88:
59:recycled players
1517:
1516:
1512:
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1506:
1492:
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1142:
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1128:Wayback Machine
1118:
1114:
1104:
1102:
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1092:
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1079:
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1050:North Melbourne
1048:
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1004:
1000:
976:
972:
948:
944:
939:
927:
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380:David Calthorpe
222:Richard Osborne
100:Recruited from
75:
55:
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12:
11:
5:
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1132:The Australian
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925:External links
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668:Brisbane Lions
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658:Joel Macdonald
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471:Stephen Powell
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417:Brisbane Lions
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105:
104:
101:
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34:national draft
26:national draft
13:
10:
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1263:
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1225:
1222:
1203:
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1140:
1137:
1133:
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1125:
1122:
1116:
1113:
1101:
1097:
1090:
1087:
1083:
1077:
1074:
1067:
1059:
1058:Rory Thompson
1055:
1051:
1046:
1043:
1037:
1035:
1033:
1031:
1027:
1023:
1019:
1015:
1011:
1007:
1002:
999:
995:
991:
987:
983:
979:
974:
971:
967:
963:
959:
955:
951:
946:
943:
936:
932:
929:
928:
924:
920:
917:
916:
912:
906:No selection
903:
899:
896:No selection
893:
889:
886:
883:
881:
878:
876:
873:
871:
868:
866:
862:
859:
856:
854:
851:
849:
846:
844:
841:
839:
835:
832:No selection
829:
825:
822:
819:
817:
814:
812:
809:
807:
804:
802:
798:
795:No selection
792:
788:
785:No selection
782:
778:
775:No selection
772:
768:
765:
762:
760:
757:
755:
752:
750:
747:
745:
741:
738:
735:
733:
730:
728:
725:
723:
722:Bret Thornton
720:
718:
714:
711:No selection
708:
704:
701:
698:
696:
693:
691:
688:
686:
685:Nathan Ablett
683:
681:
677:
674:
671:
669:
666:
664:
661:
659:
656:
654:
650:
647:
644:
641:
639:
636:
634:
631:
629:
625:
622:
619:
617:
614:
612:
609:
607:
606:David Gourdis
604:
602:
598:
595:
592:
590:
587:
585:
582:
580:
577:
575:
571:
568:
565:
563:
560:
558:
555:
553:
552:Dylan McLaren
550:
548:
544:
541:
538:
536:
533:
531:
528:
526:
523:
521:
517:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
499:
498:Jade Rawlings
496:
494:
490:
487:
484:
482:
479:
477:
474:
472:
469:
467:
463:
460:No selection
457:
453:
450:
447:
445:
442:
440:
437:
435:
432:
430:
426:
423:
420:
418:
415:
413:
410:
408:
405:
403:
399:
396:
393:
391:
388:
386:
383:
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378:
376:
372:
369:
366:
364:
361:
359:
356:
354:
351:
349:
345:
342:
339:
337:
334:
332:
331:Port Adelaide
329:
327:
324:
322:
318:
315:
312:
309:
307:
304:
301:
299:
295:
292:
289:
287:
284:
282:
279:
277:
274:
272:
268:
265:
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257:
255:
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250:
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245:
241:
238:
235:
233:
230:
228:
225:
223:
220:
218:
214:
211:
208:
206:
203:
201:
198:
196:
193:
191:
187:
184:
181:
179:
176:
174:
171:
169:
166:
164:
160:
157:
154:
152:
149:
147:
144:
142:
139:
137:
133:
130:
127:
125:
122:
120:
117:
115:
112:
110:
106:
102:
99:
96:
93:
90:
89:
86:
84:
79:
72:
70:
66:
64:
60:
52:
50:
43:
41:
37:
35:
31:
27:
23:
19:
1478:
1206:. Retrieved
1196:
1184:. Retrieved
1174:
1162:. Retrieved
1152:
1143:Ralph, Jon;
1139:
1115:
1103:. Retrieved
1099:
1089:
1076:
1045:
1001:
973:
945:
579:Cain Ackland
525:Trent Knobel
407:Shane O'Bree
195:Ashley Green
114:Brian Winton
97:Selected by
80:
76:
67:
56:
47:
38:
30:rookie draft
17:
15:
1208:12 December
843:Jack Martin
633:Liam Jurrah
412:Collingwood
151:Collingwood
141:David Cloke
63:2012 season
44:Eligibility
1302:AFL drafts
1261:VFL drafts
1186:24 October
1164:24 October
1100:Footyology
1068:References
1054:Gold Coast
1014:Jason Tutt
1012:recruited
986:Aaron Hall
984:recruited
982:Gold Coast
958:Aaron Lord
956:recruited
853:Gold Coast
806:Cam O'Shea
695:Gold Coast
690:Gold Coast
434:Brett Voss
1105:31 August
1056:relisted
663:Melbourne
642:Yuendumu
638:Melbourne
481:Melbourne
358:Melbourne
276:Paul Roos
178:Footscray
1496:Category
1124:Archived
962:Hawthorn
950:St Kilda
913:See also
875:Adelaide
749:Jed Lamb
611:Richmond
589:St Kilda
535:St Kilda
530:Richmond
508:Hawthorn
476:St Kilda
439:St Kilda
390:Essendon
363:St Kilda
259:Hawthorn
205:Essendon
200:Brisbane
173:Brisbane
146:Richmond
124:St Kilda
119:Essendon
1251:VFL/AFL
1020:in the
1010:Carlton
992:in the
964:in the
954:Geelong
848:Carlton
811:Carlton
732:Carlton
616:Subiaco
584:Carlton
557:Carlton
336:Fitzroy
310:Cairns
306:Fitzroy
286:Fitzroy
232:Fitzroy
94:Player
53:Players
1254:drafts
990:Hobart
759:Sydney
281:Sydney
254:Sydney
227:Sydney
91:Draft
1016:from
988:from
960:from
937:Notes
1480:2024
1474:2023
1469:2022
1464:2021
1459:2020
1454:2019
1449:2018
1444:2017
1439:2016
1434:2015
1429:2014
1424:2013
1419:2012
1414:2011
1409:2010
1404:2009
1399:2008
1394:2007
1389:2006
1384:2005
1379:2004
1374:2003
1369:2002
1364:2001
1359:2000
1354:1999
1349:1998
1344:1997
1339:1996
1334:1995
1329:1994
1324:1993
1319:1992
1314:1991
1309:1990
1293:1989
1288:1988
1283:1987
1278:1986
1273:1982
1268:1981
1210:2008
1188:2007
1166:2007
1107:2023
902:2023
892:2022
865:2021
838:2020
828:2019
801:2018
791:2017
781:2016
771:2015
744:2014
717:2013
707:2012
680:2011
653:2010
628:2009
621:WAFL
601:2008
574:2007
547:2006
520:2005
493:2004
466:2003
456:2002
429:2001
402:2000
375:1999
348:1998
321:1997
298:1996
271:1995
244:1994
217:1993
190:1992
163:1991
136:1990
109:1989
83:1989
16:The
1022:AFL
994:TSL
966:AFL
885:AFL
858:AFL
821:VFL
764:AFL
737:AFL
700:VFL
673:AFL
594:AFL
567:AFL
540:AFL
513:AFL
486:AFL
449:AFL
422:AFL
395:AFL
368:AFL
341:AFL
291:AFL
264:AFL
237:AFL
210:AFL
183:AFL
156:VFL
129:VFL
1498::
1130:;
1098:.
1029:^
85::
1243:e
1236:t
1229:v
1212:.
1190:.
1168:.
1109:.
1024:.
996:.
968:.
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