Levi Casboult (left) and Trent Dumont were thrown AFL lifelines by Gold Coast and Port Adelaide. Photos: GETTY IMAGES
There might have only been 12 live selections in total across Friday’s pre-season and rookie drafts, but there were still a few genuine lifelines handed out.
Former Carlton key forward Levi Casboult joined Gold Coast and ex-North Melbourne wingman Trent Dumont got a second chance at Port Adelaide.
Casboult looks set to help bolster the Suns’ big-man stocks up forward and in the ruck, along with No.5 national draft pick Mac Andrew, while Dumont will certainly add some midfield depth to what is already a strong line for the Power who have made back-to-back preliminary finals in the last two years.
Casboult, 31, kicked 156 goals from 154 games in 12 seasons with the Blues while 26-year-old Dumont has 113 games under his belt from his eight-year stint at Arden Street.
The majority of Friday’s “live” picks (14 out of 26) were used on delisted players who were re-selected by the clubs they played for in season 2021.
Rory Thompson headed back to Gold Coast via the pre-season draft, while in the rookie draft, Jared Polec (North Melbourne), Ben Davis (Adelaide), Lochie O’Brien (Carlton), Bigoa Nyuon (Richmond), Lewis Taylor (Sydney), Cam Ellis-Yolmen (Brisbane Lions), Isaac Chugg (Collingwood), Jez McLennan (Gold Coast), Matt Cottrell (Carlton), Mitch Crowden (Fremantle), Jacob Wehr (GWS), Sam Mayes (Port Adelaide) and Connor Blakely (Fremantle) all returned to their respective folds.
Luke Nankervis was the only other pre-season draft pick and after being overlooked in the national draft, he fortuitously still found his way straight onto an AFL senior list thanks to Adelaide.
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The 18-year-old is a promising wing/forward who is athletic and agile with a team-first mentality that sees him consistently set up his teammates for scoring opportunities.
There were also some feelgood state-league stories in the rookie draft with Charlie Dean (Williamstown) and Robbie McComb (Footscray) picked up by Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs respectively.
And the Cats made a really left-field selection by picking up Ollie Dempsey from Old Carey in the VAFA with pick 15.
There were also some additional Category B rookie selections made following the draft, via various Next Generation Academies, with Carlton recruiting Domanic Akuei, St Kilda picking up Josiah Kyle and Jack Peris, who is the son of former Olympian athletes Nova Peris and the late Daniel Batman, and the Bulldogs snapping up Cody Raak.
The Saints have had a heavy focus on their NGA this year after also adding Mitchito Owens and Marcus Windhager to their senior list in the national draft on Thursday night.
However, there were also plenty of hard-luck stories with former AFL players Martin Gleeson (Essendon), Jack Lonie (St Kilda), Matt Buntine (GWS), Jarrod Lienert (Port Adelaide), James Cousins (Hawthorn), Oliver Hanrahan (Hawthorn), Taylin Duman (Fremantle), Dylan Clarke (Essendon), Ryan Garthwaite (Richmond) and Derek Eggmolesse-Smith (Richmond) all missing out on selection.
But on the flip side, with so many picks passed on, quite a few clubs have left spots open on their list potentially for the pre-season supplemental selection period and even next year’s mid-season draft, so some of those delisted players might be invited to partake in pre-season training with the hope of winning a spot back on an AFL list.
2022 AFL PRE-SEASON DRAFT
Round One
1. Rory Thompson (Gold Coast) – Gold Coast
2. Luke Nankervis (Sandringham Dragons) – Adelaide
2022 AFL ROOKIE DRAFT
Round One
1. Jared Polec (North Melbourne) – North Melbourne
2. Charlie Dean (Williamstown) – Collingwood
3. Levi Casboult (Carlton) – Gold Coast
4. Ben Davis (Adelaide) – Adelaide
5. Ned Long (Northern Knights) – Hawthorn
6. Lochie O’Brien (Carlton) – Carlton
7. Bigoa Nyuon (Richmond) – Richmond
8. Karl Worner (Oakleigh Chargers) – Fremantle
9. Pass – St Kilda
10. Pass – West Coast
11. Patrick Voss (Oakleigh Chargers/GWS Academy) – Essendon
12. Lewis Taylor (Sydney) – Sydney
13. Cooper Hamilton (Bendigo Pioneers) – GWS
14. Cam Ellis-Yolmen (Brisbane Lions) – Brisbane Lions
15. Ollie Dempsey (Old Carey) – Geelong
16. Trent Dumont (North Melbourne) – Port Adelaide
17. Charlie Parker (Sturt) – Western Bulldogs
18. Judd McVee (East Fremantle) – Melbourne
Round Two
19. Pass – North Melbourne
20. Isaac Chugg (Collingwood) – Collingwood
21. Jez McLennan (Gold Coast) – Gold Coast
22. Pass – Adelaide
23. Pass – Hawthorn
24. Matt Cottrell (Carlton) – Carlton
25. Mitch Crowden (Fremantle) – Fremantle
26. Pass – St Kilda
27. Pass – Essendon
28. Pass – Sydney
29. Jacob Wehr (GWS) – GWS
30. Pass – Geelong
31. Sam Mayes (Port Adelaide) – Port Adelaide
32. Robbie McComb (Footscray VFL) – Western Bulldogs
Round Three
33. Pass – Gold Coast
34. Connor Blakely (Fremantle) – Fremantle
35. Pass – Essendon
