Which delisted AFL players are training with your club?
Mid-season draftee Josh Deluca has returned to Carlton in an effort to reignite his AFL career as one of nine ex-AFL players given permission to join pre-season training before this month’s national and rookie drafts.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Seven delisted players have been given the chance to reignite their AFL careers by joining their former clubs in pre-season training.
Carlton’s No. 1 mid-season draftee Josh Deluca and axed Hawthorn small forward Darren Minchington headline the players who are training at their clubs ahead of this month’s national and rookie drafts.
WAFL star Deluca featured in 10 games for Carlton after being the first player taken in the mid-season draft.
The Blues announced Deluca’s delisting last month but said they would “provide him with all the support he needs to continue his playing career”.
The former Docker conceded his frustration at having his time at Carlton cut short.
“It was quite disappointing,” De Luca said on SEN.
“The writing was on the wall a bit. I hadn’t had a contract offered to me for some time after the season.
“I was in limbo, sort of. I was pretty disappointed with the result. I really want to be at the club and I loved my time there.”
Former St Kilda player Minchington was restricted to eight VFL games this year due to injury, kicking four goals.
Tom McKenzie (North Melbourne), Jack Maibaum (Sydney), Josh Schoenfeld (Gold Coast) and Fremantle pair Hugh Dixon and Tom North have also been granted permission to train.
Injured-plagued midfielder Lukas Webb is training at Carlton after playing 24 games in five seasons with Western Bulldogs.
MORE AFL NEWS:
Brendon Goddard ranks every AFL forward line from 1-18
Brendon Goddard ranks every AFL defence from best to worst
Hawthorn’s midfield set to be one of AFL’s most potent with inclusion of Tom Mitchell
Brodie Grundy to sign seven-year contract with Collingwood to stay a Magpie for life
The Blues said both Deluca and Webb were training “without any guarantee of being drafted”.
Former Carlton defender Angus Schumacher (St Kilda) and ex-Port Adelaide forward Aidyn Johnson (Sydney) are other axed players hoping for a second chance at AFL level.
Sudanese next generation academy ruckman Bigoa Nyuon will train St Kilda and could join the club as a category B rookie.
The 196cm Dandenong Stingrays is the brother of ex-Essendon rookie Gach Nyuon and averaged 84 ranking points, 13 hit outs, four marks and 10.7 disposals in the NAB League.
Schumacher spent the past three seasons at the Blues, playing his only AFL game in Round 20 this season.
Johnson was delisted by the Power after 11 games and eight goals in four years.
The AFL national draft starts on November 27.
The rookie draft will take place on November 28 or 29.
PERMISSION TO TRAIN LIST
Adelaide
James Matthews (McLaren)
Carlton
Josh Deluca (Carlton)
Lukas Webb (Western Bulldogs)
Fremantle
Hugh Dixon (Fremantle)
Tom North (Fremantle)
Gold Coast
Josh Schoenfeld (Gold Coast)
Hawthorn
Darren Minchington (Hawthorn)
North Melbourne
Tom McKenzie (North Melbourne)
St Kilda
Angus Schumacher (Carlton)
Bigoa Nyuon (Dandenong Stingrays)
Sydney
Jake Bartholomaeus (Sydney Uni)
Jai Florent (Sandringham Dragons)
Ryan Hebron (Werribee VFL)
Aidyn Johnson (Port Adelaide)
Jack Maibaum (Sydney)