AFL pre-season supplementary period: See who your club might take as an SSP pick
Two delisted AFL players have been granted lifelines at new clubs as the supplemental selection period officially kicks off, while an ex-Kangaroo will attempt to earn a list spot at Essendon.
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Essendon has tossed a potential lifeline to key forward Tyler Sellers, who was let go by North Melbourne after spending this year on the rookie list.
The Kangaroos signed Sellers under the SSP rule after a sparkling 2023 debut VFL season in which he booted 30 goals and ran second in the best and fairest.
The 22-year-old Old Scotch product played two AFL games last season.
At VFL level he booted another 30 goals from 15 matches, including a bag of six in Round 1 against Northern Bullants.
The Roos are still looking for more key position talent and drafted swingman Matt Whitlock after giving up their future first-rounder to the Tigers in exchange for pick 27 and the Tigers’ future-second-rounder.
North fans were surprised Sellers did not get another season on the list.
Standalone clubs Williamstown and Port Melbourne were among the clubs pursuing him in the past few weeks but the lure of another SSP rookie listing has taken him to the Bombers.
He will also sign for their VFL team, to be coached next year by Dale Tapping.
The Dons believe their key position forwards have a bright future with Nate Caddy about to start his second pre-season and Harrison Jones enjoying a breakout season playing forward and wing with his huge tank.
But with the loss of Jake Stringer to GWS the club will need to find more avenues to goal in 2025.
Delisted Melbourne swingman Adam Tomlinson is still looking for a new home with the Pies having instead signed Tim Membrey and West Coast looking elsewhere.
The Eagles will give delisted West Coast player Coby Burgiel and former Gold Coast Sun Sandy Brock chances to secure their single remaining list spot.
The Bombers signed delisted Brisbane player Jaxon Prior on Monday and hope he can grasp his second chance, with the 23-year-old’s father Michael playing 81 games for the Dons.
Prior was not the only signing on the opening day of the SSP, with former Geelong and Port Adelaide forward Quinton Narkle signing at Fremantle for 2025.
He played 16 games across two seasons at the Power after being a mid-season selection in 2023, including all three finals this year.
Narkle was the starting substitute on eight different occasions in 2024, and played a full game just five times as he struggled to break into a strong Power outfit.
AFL CLUB OPENS DOOR TO VFL FAIRYTALE STORY
– Jay Clark
The Western Bulldogs are looking at offering Werribee hard nut and inspirational captain Dom Brew a potential list spot after inviting him to train with the club.
The Herald Sun can reveal Brew, 27, will begin training with the Dogs this week in a bid to impress the club’s coaching staff and list management team.
It could be the fairytale story of the summer as the mature-age hard and popular skipper has been desperately fighting for an AFL chance for years.
But he still faces a fight to secure a list spot as the Dogs are weighing up other players to invite to the club as well.
While there are no guarantees, the Dogs will consider whether Brew could help provide some midfield depth next season after losing Jack Macrae (St Kilda), Bailey Smith (Geelong) and Caleb Daniel (North Melbourne) in the exchange period.
The tough nut enjoyed the best season of his career in 2024, winning the Liston Trophy as the best player in the VFL with 31 votes, nine ahead of second-placed Rory Atkins.
Brew averaged 28 possessions, 10 clearances, nine tackles, and six inside-50s a game in an outstanding season playing onball.
It means he is ready-made and will step straight into competitive match simulation with Dogs’ brilliant ball winners Marcus Bontempelli, 29 today, and Tom Liberatore, 32, over summer.
Brew, who is one of the most respected and popular players in the VFL, also captained Werribee to the flag, was named captain of the team of the year, and won the coaches’ MVP this year.
Brew is renowned for his professionalism, such as taking an ice bath every morning of the year, and outstanding character attributes.
Brew said recently he wrote a letter to all 18 club coaches in a bid to try to secure a train-on spot this summer.
He is certain to impress with his dedication, however the Dogs are likely to invite other players to try out for the club’s one vacant list spot.
The Dogs will make a decision on who joins the list in the new year as part of the supplemental selection period ahead of the new season.
The Dogs enjoyed an impressive draft last week, landing midfield-forward Cooper Hynes (pick 20), rebounding defender Lachie Jaques (pick 29), half forward Josh Dolan (pick 31), tall forward and medical student Sam Davidson (pick 51) and speedster Luke Kennedy (pick 61).
But after taking five players at the draft, the Dogs have the room to add one more, such as Brew, in the new year after a training stint.
Brew said on SEN last week he was desperate to get a chance at the top level.
I just wanted to play the highest level of football,” Brew said on SEN.
“I’m lucky enough now that I’ve played some good footy that I’m able to do that – write a letter to every club to let them know if there is an opportunity there.
“Obviously, I’ll only suit a couple of clubs because you get clubs that are rebuilding. But at my age and how much good footy I’ve got left in me, which is about five years, I just thought it was worth a shot.
“You never know, and if it doesn’t work out then at least I can go to bed knowing that I did everything I possibly could, which was the whole point of my year this year, was just making sure I gave myself the best opportunity to succeed and not leave a stone unturned.
“I just reckon that all I need is an opportunity. I just need a foot in the door and the rest will take care of itself. That’s where I’m at mentally, but it’s out of your hands, you just don’t know.
“I just feel like I could make a ready impact. There’d be natural improvement to come if you’re doing it every day in a full-time environment.
“If I got in that environment where all I was focusing on was footy I’d go to another level. I’m convinced I would anyway.”
BLUES, DONS THROW DOORS OPEN TO AFL HOPEFULS
– Josh Barnes and Andrew Capel
Carlton and Essendon will be targets for hopefuls frozen out by during the AFL’s draft week, as the fight for a summer train-on spot begins.
With the drafts now finished, the next chance for players to get on an AFL list will be the summer supplemental period (SSP) in February.
Both the Bombers and Blues kept two spots open on their rookie lists for summer signings by passing up twice during Friday’s rookie draft.
7.0 from Liam McMahon! #VFLpic.twitter.com/wFXdoiWs5J
— Carlton Blues Fans (@CarltonFCBlues) August 10, 2024
The Blues have promised cut pair Sam Durdin and Matt Carroll a chance to train with the club again and push for a SSP spot, while former Hawthorn No. 6 pick Denver Grainger-Barras and Blues VFL ace Liam McMahon will get a go during pre-season.
Clubs can have two players train per open list spot, and last summer those players were paid $1000 per week to put their hands up.
Essendon has told delisted defender Kaine Baldwin he is welcome to return in summer and target one of the Bombers’ spots, while Jaxon Prior has been linked to the club.
The Western Bulldogs kept a close eye on SANFL star ruck Harry Boyd amid intense interest from St Kilda leading into the draft.
Boyd was overlooked as the Saints plucked teen ruck Alex Dodson, and the joint Magarey medallist from Norwood could be in the sights of the Dogs as a Tim English back up.
From Melton South to the Western Jets - now, Jack Watkins leads North Melbourne's VFL team 🫡
— 7AFL (@7AFL) May 5, 2024
Watch @NMFCReserves take on @sandyzebs from 2pm AEST: https://t.co/atodKpMqCOpic.twitter.com/sqEHXYfVoS
“He certainly deserves a crack at the AFL, he’s the best player in the SANFL and clubs would be silly not to look at him,” Norwood general manager of football Richard Kelly said.
“We’re expecting clubs to offer him a train-on spot in the next couple of days and if he gets an opportunity, good luck to him.”
Port Adelaide will invite North Melbourne VFL skipper Jack Watkins to audition for a SSP spot.
Fremantle has long been expected to sign former Cat and Power midfielder Quinton Narkle and didn’t lock him in during the rookie draft.
West Coast has been linked to cut Suns defender Sandy Brock.
Gold Coast also passed up in the rookie draft and can sign a player through the SSP.
Clubs will also be able to clear a spot on the list through long-term injuries or pre-season retirements, with Collingwood ending up with three SSP players last summer after Nathan Murphy retired.
DISCARDED SUN CHASES LIFELINE AT NORTH MELBOURNE
— Callum Dick
Delisted Gold Coast utility Darcy Macpherson hopes he can convince North Melbourne to throw him an AFL lifeline after beginning pre-season training with the Kangaroos this week.
Macpherson, 27, was delisted by the Suns in September after 97 games in nine seasons but believes he still has plenty of quality football left in him despite seeing limited opportunities under Damien Hardwick this year.
Darcy MacPherson?? pic.twitter.com/IBVN0OrEsx
— Batesy (@mitch23bates) November 18, 2024
He finished third in the Suns’ best and fairest in 2019 and seventh in 2023, but featured only two times this year – both as a sub.
Collingwood and Carlton were among the VFL programs who came knocking for his services before he ultimately settled on signing with North Melbourne.
“(North) lets VFL players train a couple of times a week with the main group and I just thought, given the way I train and how I go about my business, it gives me the best chance to get back on a list,” Macpherson told this masthead.
“Melbourne is obviously my hometown and there’s a lot more eyes on me down here … and I just thought North, with where the list is at, I could definitely add something.
“They see me in that high half-forward (role) with my work rate, going into the midfield for a little bit.”
Macpherson nominated for the AFL draft this week but sees the SSP as his most likely route back onto an AFL list.
Although he and the club have not held any formal conversations around an SSP spot, it would appear North is considering the notion given the ex-Sun has been green-lit to train with the senior squad twice a week, whereas the club usually rotates its VFL players in and out.
“I think they have an SSP (Supplementary Selection Period) spot available. They haven’t promised me anything, but I’ll be working hard and seeing where that can take me,” he said.
“This year just didn’t go to plan – it didn’t reflect who I am as a player.
“The fire is still there to keep going and I still believe I’m good enough.
The 2025 SSP runs from February 3-28.
Originally published as AFL pre-season supplementary period: See who your club might take as an SSP pick
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