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Draft

New Hawthorn player Matt LeRay

‘It was dead silent’: Moment new Hawk thought dream was over

The LeRay household screamed when Hawthorn called out Matt’s name late on the second night of the draft – but it was an agonising wait. Go inside the draftee’s ‘stressful’ 24 hours.

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Tobyn Murray VFL rise to Fremantle

Frustrated to Freo: Cats sensation, motivation behind VFL draftee’s rise

After missing out in two drafts in eight months, Tobyn Murray was left frustrated dominating local footy late last year. But he continued to believe. The 20-year-old reflects on his ascent from Colac to Fremantle.

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NCA. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA. November 19th. AFL National Draft at Marvel Stadium. Name 1 pick Willem Duursma with number 3 pick Harry Dean . Picture: Michael Klein

Pick of the draft? The data that points to Blues’ big win

You never hear an AFL club talking negatively about their draft haul. But should everyone really be happy? We’ve crunched the numbers on every pick and its production since 2010 to find out.

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GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 24: Zeke Uwland, Dylan Patterson, Koby Coulson, Jai Murray, Beau Addinsall and Avery Thomas pose during a Gold Coast Suns AFL training session at People First Stadium on November 24, 2025 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

‘You’d get bullied for playing’: The AFL’s win in NRL heartland

Zeke Uwland could be standing in the middle of People First Stadium, opening a new AFL season in less than three months – but playing Aussie rules in a rugby state hasn’t always been easy.

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VideoDraft news

Jesse Mellor in his Geelong guernsey after being drafted. Picture: Instagram

Watch: Primary school’s priceless reaction for Cats draftee after snub

While Cats rookie pick-up Jesse Mellor didn’t hear his name called in the national draft, the reaction from a local primary school before it was official made up for it. See the video.

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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 20: Adam Sweid, Daniel Annable, Cooper Duff-Tytler, Sam Grlj, Lachy Dovaston, Zeke Uwland, Xavier Taylor, Latrelle Pickett, Willem Duursma, Oskar Taylor, Harry Dean, Sullivan Robey, Sam Cumming, Cameron Nairn, Dyson Sharp, Jacob Farrow, Josh Lindsay pose for a photo during an AFL Draft Media Opportunity at Marvel Stadium on November 20, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Chasing The Dream: Backyard lesson that inspired AFL star

The AFL Draft journey is an emotional rollercoaster – not just for the kids, but for the entire family. For the first time, go behind the scenes and get the real story on Chasing The Dream.

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Chasing The Dream Episode 3

Access all areas: Inside the AFL draft night that changed lives

It all comes down to this moment. Will dreams come true? This is the AFL Draft like you’ve never seen it – before, during and after. Go behind the scenes with Zeke Uwland, Cooper Duff-Tytler and Matt LeRay in an exclusive documentary.

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Where each draftee went to school

Gold Coast school rivalling elite Melbourne colleges for AFL talent

An elite Melbourne private school has recorded its best draft haul in more than a decade – but its position at the top is being challenged. See where each draftee went to school, plus the state-by-state breakdown.

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EDFL A-Grade. Thomas McGuane makes his seniors debut for Keilor against Doutta Stars. He's a chance to be drafted by Collingwood under the father-son rule and his dad, Mick McGuane coaches Keilor. Picture: Ian Currie

‘Whatever it takes’: McGuane lands in SA for shot at AFL dream

Overlooked Collingwood father-son prospect Tom McGuane is confident he can show the Crows enough to land a spot on their list, vowing to find a way to realise his AFL dream.

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NCA. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA. November 21st. Best mates Adam Sweid (freo) and Hussien El Achkar (ess) live out their child hood dream being drafted into the AFL. Proud muslims, Sweid and El Achkar could becom=e the 7th and 8th muslims to play in the AFL. . Picture: Michael Klein

‘I cried’: Best mates react to Essendon’s ‘tough’ draft split

Adam Sweid and Hussien El Achkar went into the 2025 draft with a dream of playing for the Bombers together. But when Essendon didn’t match a bid on one of the best mates, everything changed.

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Matt LeRay. Picture: Cory Sutton/SANFL

Watch: Cricket star’s rollercoaster ride to Hawthorn

After a long wait on night two, Matt LeRay is a Hawthorn player – but his path to the big time has been a unique one. Watch the exclusive documentary now.

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AFL Draft verdict on every club

Verdict is in: Bargains and winning picks of every club’s draft haul

The AFL national draft is over and the next generation has officially arrived. Was there a winner? Who landed the bargain? We run the rule over every club’s haul.

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NCA. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA. November 20th. AFL National Draft at Marvel Stadium. Number 1 draft pick Willem Duursma heads up the top 30 selections from last nights AFL Draft . Picture: Michael Klein

Who’s round one ready? Every club’s draftees set for early debut

The draft is done and dusted, now the real work begins. Which youngsters will be ready to go in 2026? We look at every club’s draftees and who will be set for an early AFL debut.

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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 04: Riley Onley in action during the 2025 Marsh AFL National Academy Boys training session at The Hanger on December 4th, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos)

Rookie Draft: Every pick as big names left hanging

The rookie and pre-season drafts are over – and a few highly-touted prospects were again left without an AFL home. See every pick here.

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Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/afl/draft