This deserves its own thread.
The AFL have announced that in 2021, clubs will have 3 opportunities to add rookies who were overlooked in the 2020 drafts- after rounds 4, 8 and 12.
This will be a really valuable tool. If this rule was in place in 2017, clubs could have signed Tim Kelly
for free as he started to burn in the WAFL instead of waiting until the next draft and using #24 to get him. Other players who emerged like Kelly as stars after being overlooked in their draft year include Lewis Jetta (# 14 in 2009), Liam Ryan
(#26 in 2017) Luke Ryan and Marlion Pickett
. If you want to go back further, Clive Waterhouse, Mathew Primus and Ryan Fitzgerald
all went in the top few picks more than a year after being draft eligible.
In 2021 about 60 currently 17 year old TAC cup players, eligible for the 2020 draft who don't get picked in the 2020 drafts will play TAC cup in 2021. There are always 10 or more players who go from being in the pack 12 months before their draft, who explode from the pack in their draft year. Those players couldn’t show their dramatic improvement in 2020 and will have to wait until 2021 to do that. They will be ripe for the picking in the 2021 Draft Windows.
I expect most clubs will leave a spot open for the 2021 draft windows. However, a case can be made for leaving more than just one spot available.
In our case, we have enough depth already and will be adding Jones and Schofield. Our first live pick will be at #50+. My point is, unless an absolute bargain drops to our first live pick, we will be better off waiting to the 2021 Draft Windows to add to our squad rather than adding any other rookies.
The AFL have announced that in 2021, clubs will have 3 opportunities to add rookies who were overlooked in the 2020 drafts- after rounds 4, 8 and 12.
This will be a really valuable tool. If this rule was in place in 2017, clubs could have signed Tim Kelly
PLAYERCARDSTART
11
Tim Kelly
- Age
- 30
- Ht
- 184cm
- Wt
- 83kg
- Pos.
- Mid
Career
Season
Last 5
- D
- 23.6
- 5star
- K
- 13.5
- 5star
- HB
- 10.1
- 5star
- M
- 3.4
- 3star
- T
- 4.0
- 5star
- CL
- 4.9
- 5star
- D
- 19.9
- 5star
- K
- 12.3
- 5star
- HB
- 7.6
- 4star
- M
- 3.1
- 3star
- T
- 4.7
- 5star
- CL
- 3.6
- 4star
- D
- 21.6
- 5star
- K
- 10.4
- 4star
- HB
- 11.2
- 5star
- M
- 2.8
- 3star
- T
- 3.8
- 5star
- CL
- 3.8
- 5star
PLAYERCARDEND
PLAYERCARDSTART
1
Liam Ryan
- Age
- 28
- Ht
- 181cm
- Wt
- 76kg
- Pos.
- Fwd
Career
Season
Last 5
- D
- 11.3
- 3star
- K
- 8.6
- 3star
- HB
- 2.7
- 2star
- M
- 3.0
- 3star
- T
- 2.0
- 4star
- G
- 1.3
- 5star
- D
- 9.9
- 3star
- K
- 8.0
- 3star
- HB
- 1.9
- 1star
- M
- 3.3
- 3star
- T
- 1.6
- 3star
- G
- 1.3
- 5star
- D
- 11.4
- 3star
- K
- 9.0
- 4star
- HB
- 2.4
- 3star
- M
- 3.8
- 4star
- T
- 1.8
- 4star
- G
- 1.6
- 5star
PLAYERCARDEND
PLAYERCARDSTART
50
Marlion Pickett
- Age
- 33
- Ht
- 184cm
- Wt
- 83kg
- Pos.
- M/F
Career
Season
Last 5
- D
- 13.0
- 3star
- K
- 7.5
- 3star
- HB
- 5.5
- 4star
- M
- 2.4
- 3star
- T
- 3.3
- 5star
- CL
- 1.5
- 4star
- D
- 11.7
- 3star
- K
- 6.7
- 3star
- HB
- 5.0
- 3star
- M
- 2.4
- 3star
- T
- 3.6
- 4star
- CL
- 1.3
- 4star
- D
- 12.8
- 4star
- K
- 7.2
- 3star
- HB
- 5.6
- 4star
- M
- 1.8
- 2star
- T
- 3.2
- 5star
- CL
- 1.6
- 4star
PLAYERCARDEND
PLAYERCARDSTART
Ryan Fitzgerald
- Age
- 48
- Ht
- 199cm
- Wt
- 96kg
- Pos.
- Fwd
Career
Season
Last 5
- D
- 6.1
- 2star
- K
- 4.4
- 2star
- HB
- 1.7
- 2star
- M
- 2.9
- 3star
- T
- 0.6
- 3star
- G
- 1.3
- 5star
No current season stats available
- D
- 6.8
- 2star
- K
- 6.2
- 3star
- HB
- 0.6
- 1star
- M
- 3.4
- 4star
- T
- 0.2
- 3star
- G
- 2.6
- 5star
PLAYERCARDEND
In 2021 about 60 currently 17 year old TAC cup players, eligible for the 2020 draft who don't get picked in the 2020 drafts will play TAC cup in 2021. There are always 10 or more players who go from being in the pack 12 months before their draft, who explode from the pack in their draft year. Those players couldn’t show their dramatic improvement in 2020 and will have to wait until 2021 to do that. They will be ripe for the picking in the 2021 Draft Windows.
I expect most clubs will leave a spot open for the 2021 draft windows. However, a case can be made for leaving more than just one spot available.
In our case, we have enough depth already and will be adding Jones and Schofield. Our first live pick will be at #50+. My point is, unless an absolute bargain drops to our first live pick, we will be better off waiting to the 2021 Draft Windows to add to our squad rather than adding any other rookies.