By Marnie Vinall, Michael Gleeson and Scott Spits
In today’s AFL briefing, your wrap of footy news:
- Ruckman Sam Draper, key runner Mason Redman and Xavier Duursma have been included in Essendon’s extended squad.
- The AFLW will adopt a fully national draft model ahead of the 2025 season.
- Charlie McCartin, the middle brother of the Sydney defender Tom and retired Swan Paddy, will play VFL for the Swans.
Big man is back: Sam Draper poised to return for Dons
Scott Spits
Essendon are set to be significantly bolstered as they start their assault on the second half of the season, poised to welcome back several guns against West Coast.
Ruckman Sam Draper, key runner Mason Redman and Xavier Duursma have been included in the Bombers’ extended squad as they come off the bye against the potentially tricky opponents at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
With midfielder Darcy Parish the only member of their best 23 unavailable, the Bombers will be hell-bent on bouncing back and retaining a high ladder spot after consecutive losses to Gold Coast and Carlton before their mid-season break.
Essendon ruckman Sam Draper.Credit: AFL Photos
Essendon’s good fortunes in the medical room left coach Brad Scott with some tough calls to make.
“We’re in a good position where we definitely have selection dilemmas, and good dilemmas, where we’ve got players who deserve to be picked in the AFL side who unfortunately won’t be this week,” Scott said on Thursday.
Youngster Elijah Tsatas was Essendon’s only confirmed omission.
In other notable changes for round 15 – the final weekend of the mid-year bye period – Melbourne not only turned to unfamiliar faces to manage the loss of gun Christian Petracca, but they opted to drop former Saint Jack Billings and Bailey Laurie.
Adam Tomlinson and Koltyn Tholstrup come back for the Dees for Saturday’s absorbing clash against an improved North Melbourne, while Kynan Brown will be Melbourne’s latest debutant.
There’s also selection turbulence at GWS as they too deal with the loss of an important player to injury after defender Sam Taylor had surgery for a ruptured testicle.
Giants coach Adam Kingsley dropped 2022 No.1 draft pick Aaron Cadman for the daunting Saturday twilight match against cross-town rivals Sydney. Nick Haynes (injured) is also out for GWS, who will push towards a top-four spot if they upset the Swans.
Lachie Ash, Max Gruzewski and James Peatling are their ins.
There’s a stack of potential changes at Gold Coast for Sunday’s late game against Fremantle at Optus Stadium, including the loss of big man Ben King to injury.
Brayden Fiorini, Nick Holman, Jed Walter Ned Moyle are all out of the Suns’ extended squad. The inclusions are Wil Powell, Jake Rogers, Sam Day, Jarrod Witts, Brandon Ellis, Lloyd Johnston, Alex Davies and Hewago Oea.
At the Eagles, Don Sheed is out with injury for the clash against Essendon while Jayden Hunt, Oscar Allen, Tyler Brockman and Josh Rotham have been added to their squad.
National draft model for women’s footy
Marnie Vinall
The AFLW will adopt a fully national draft model, to take effect for the 2025 season, with all nominees able to be selected by any of the 18 clubs.
In a significant modification to women’s footy drafting rules, high-end picks will now have less influence on which clubs secure them.
Previously in the state-based draft, players could nominate their preferred state to be taken by a club in or to go into the national pool of players.
Chloe Molloy of the Sydney Swans.Credit: AFL Photos
Historically, the majority of players remained in their home state. But last year 70 per cent of draft nominees entered the ‘national draft pool’, including 12 of the top 16 selections.
The state-based system also allowed top draftees to have more control over which clubs took them, such as when Victorian Montana Ham selected NSW in the 2022 draft, allowing herself to be taken as the No.1 pick by Sydney.
The league announced the changes on Thursday, which are part of the ongoing competitive balance review – aiming to make the competition fairer and more equitable.
The move was endorsed at Tuesday’s AFL Commission meeting and had the support from the AFL Players Association and the AFLW competition committee.
The change will coincide with an 20 per cent increase in remuneration for AFLW draftees under the collective bargaining agreement, signed late last year, and the introduction of minimum two-year contracts for new draftees.
The AFLW expanded to an 18-team competition for the 2022-23 season, with the introduction of Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and Sydney.
It was the third and final expansion since the competition’s introduction in 2017, which has seen disrupted player movement.
The league’s football boss Laura Kane said the evolution of the women’s competition was a step towards greater competitive balance.
“As the league continues to evolve, we’re seeing more draftees willing to chase their football dreams by moving interstate,” said Kane.
“An AFLW draftee from this year can earn up to $83,837 in salary and relocation allowances. This transition coincides with an increase of investment in talent pathways, meaning the players coming through the ranks are more prepared for elite-level footy than ever before.
“This will allow our rising stars to be more equally spread across the league, fast-tracking the improvement of developing sides and strengthening the competitive balance of the competition.”
The AFLPA’s head of AFLW, Julia Chiera, added it was the right time for the AFLW to progress to a wholly national draft, giving players greater freedom of opportunity and clubs improved access to talent across the country.
Maddy Prespakis of the Bombers contests the footy with Swan Montana Ham.Credit: AFL Photos
“While players have previously had the option to join a national draft pool, it was important that first-year players were protected from having to uproot their lives without sufficient remuneration,” said Chiera.
“Pleasingly, due to the recent collective bargaining agreement, AFLW minimum wages will increase to $67,337 in 2025, and when coupled with improved relocation allowances and the security of a two-year contract, all drafted players will have greater capacity to establish themselves in their new club’s community and give them the best chance to hit the ground running in their football careers.”
Swans register Charlie McCartin to play in the VFL
Michael Gleeson
Charlie McCartin, the middle brother of the Sydney defender Tom and retired Swan Paddy, will play VFL for the Swans as they seek to test the tall athletic defend at the higher level after playing well for Lorne in country Victoria.
As The Age wrote earlier in the week the 25-year-old McCartin, who is coached by former Blues midfielder Ed Curnow at Lorne, had been scouted by Sydney and St Kilda recruiting staff as well as drawn interest from the Blues and Cats.
Charlie McCartin in action for Lorne in the Colac and District league.Credit: Colac Herald
The Swans on Thursday registered McCartin for the VFL to see if he can play at the higher level as he did at country football.
There was some doubt whether clubs would seek to register McCartin to play VFL and risk exposing him more broadly to the competition but with Swans and Carlton connections as well as former Geelong recruiter Michael Turner connected with Lorne and ex-Swans recruiter Simon Dalrymple at St Kilda McCartin was well exposed to the industry already.
McCartin would be considered a draft smoky if not for his surname and the wider awareness on Victoria’s Surf Coast of his potential.
Recently when Lorne played Birregurra, Swans recruiter and 2012 premiership skipper Jarrad McVeigh was in the crowd. Sydney’s long-term head recruiter Kinnear Beatson has also watched him play live.
The query on him as an AFL prospect is the gulf between Lorne and the game’s higher levels, and how he would compete against better opposition.
Top-level AFL talent Isaac Smith and Tom Stewart are the best recent examples of players making the move from local football leagues to the AFL within the course of a season.
Premiership player Smith began the 2010 campaign playing for Redan in the Ballarat league and finished it playing for North Ballarat in the VFL before he was drafted by Hawthorn at the end of that season.
He famously went on to win three flags with the Hawks and another with Geelong.
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