Cameron Wood may not be a superstar but at least he's been given another chance

NEW Carlton recruit Cameron Wood was seen to have written his own football obituary late in the 2012 season.

CAMERON Wood was seen to have written his own football obituary in the space of two hours late in 2012.

With the club's star ruckman Darren Jolly out injured, back-up Wood was plucked from VFL duties to battle West Coast in Round 22.

It ended in tears. Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui recorded 59 hit-outs to Wood's 12, the Eagles won clearances 47 to 23, and the Pies were pumped by 49 points.

Jolly was rushed back the next week, Wood's papers were stamped NEVER TO RETURN and he was delisted a month later.

Now the 32-year-old Jolly has been shunted onto the AFL scrapheap while Wood has been handed a lifeline under Mick Malthouse at Carlton?

When it comes to the rookie list, normal rules do not apply.

ROOKIE DRAFT - THE FULL LIST

A rookie list which was once about unearthing the next Dean Cox might as well now be called the Insurance Policy.

In a weak 2013 talent pool, it is just bad business for clubs to get stuck with half a dozen rookies they didn't rate a week earlier in the national draft.

Richmond for the second year running has topped up with experienced recruits in case injury hits their stars.

North Melbourne has lured 25-year-old defender Joel Tippett in case Scott Thompson or Nathan Grima go down midyear.

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Wood played 20 mostly solid VFL for games for Williamstown, averaging 15 disposals, 29 hit-outs (seven to advantage) and 107 Champion Data ranking points.

He might not be a superstar, but with Matthew Kreuzer recently in a moon boot and Robert Warnock having played more than 12 games just once in a season, Wood is handy backup.

Yet if Malthouse saw something in the former Pie, it is hard to see how Jolly hasn't been given a final year at a fourth club.

St Kilda, with young ruckman Billy Longer and Tom Hickey, and Essendon, with forward/ruckmen Tom Bellchambers and Paddy Ryder, surely could have done with some more insurance.

ROOKIE DRAFT ANALYSIS

Instead the dual premiership player is gone, with his last involvement in football a fiery exit interview where Nathan Buckley told him his Collingwood career was over.

Jolly did not react well to that sudden news and let Buckley know, but two months on none of the Pies delistees in Jolly, Alan Didak and Andrew Krakour have found new homes.

GWS got Swan Jed Lamb in the pre-season draft's only pick, with the Giants just as happy to poach a Sydney players as secure a ready-made midfielder.

Richmond has again gone old with three recycled players, but it hints more at that insurance policy again than a premiership tilt.

Former Brisbane forward Banfield adds to the three mid-sized forwards taken last Thursday, but Port Adelaide hard nut Matt Thomas might end up as a tagger in Round 1 next year.

And former GWS midfielder Anthony Miles, the club's third rookie selection, is a ball magnet who talent scouts believe always deserved a second chance.

Footy isn't fair - just ask Jolly - but if the rookie list has its quirks it at least provided 50-plus players with a first or second chance yesterday.