Tom McCarthy (left) was the No.1 pick in the 2025 mid-season draft and Archer May (right) was recruited five selections later. Pictures: GETTY IMAGES, WAFC

Essendon has gone a long way to alleviating its significant height issues by using all four of its picks in Wednesday’s mid-season draft.

The Bombers headed into the draft with an alarming personnel crisis, and their bigs have felt the brunt in particular as 10 players 190cm or taller are unavailable currently.

Sam Draper (Achilles), Nick Bryan (knee), Tom Edwards (knee) and Lewis Hayes (knee) are all done for the year, while Jordan Ridley (hamstring), Kyle Langford (quad), Ben McKay (foot), Zach Reid (hamstring), Harrison Jones (ankle) and Nik Cox (concussion) are all at least a month away.

In response, Essendon signed Archer May, Lachlan Blakiston and Liam McMahon on Wednesday night, as well as Oskar Smartt who’s a small forward.

May, taken at pick six, was recruited from Subiaco via Richmond’s highly-regarded VFL system, and is a very promising key forward. The 20-year-old has improved dramatically this year, and at 198cm, he has a strong and athletic frame.

At 26, Blakiston is the definition of a mature-age recruit. The East Fremantle ruckman is 203cm tall and has been a consistent performer for a number of years. He will provide much-needed support for soon-to-be-37-year-old Todd Goldstein with both Draper and Bryan unavailable.

Carlton VFL captain Liam McMahon was taken with the last pick (18) and will join May in bolstering Essendon’s attacking options. The 194cm key forward was previously listed by Collingwood and after failing to play a senior game there, he went back to state level, did the hard yards and after kicking 24 goals from just seven games with the Blues this year, he is now a Bomber.

Essendon’s second-last pick was used on Smartt who is a dead-eye, having booted 13.2 for the Bombers’ VFL side this year, but can also take a big mark.

As expected, impressive Richmond VFL defender Tom McCarthy was taken with the first selection by West Coast. After playing in the midfield last year, his move to half-back this season has proven to be a masterstroke.

The 24-year-old has averaged 23 touches a game this year and not only does he move smoothly with ball in hand, he knows how to pinpoint a target, which is exactly what the last-placed Eagles need at this point. He looks as though he could step straight into the senior side.

McCarthy will be joined at West Coast by Jacob Newton, who slid to pick nine after being talked about as potentially being a higher selection. The 19-year-old is a strongly built midfielder-forward.

Another small forward, Zac Banch, headed to North Melbourne with pick two after a hot recent run with Werribee that has seen him average 16 touches and boot eight goals in his last five games.

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Cooper Trembath was the Kangaroos’ other pick (10) and at 193cm tall, he can play either end of the ground, and could provide support for Charlie Comben in the intercept-marking department down back.

Port Adelaide, another injury-hit club, also went hard at the draft, using all three of their picks and they covered all parts of the ground by taking versatile Glenelg key defender Harrison Ramm, North Adelaide small forward Ewan Mackinlay and 23-year-old Central District midfielder Mani Liddy, who could play senior footy almost immediately after averaging 23 touches and five clearances this year.

Carlton’s only selection was used on another Werribee premiership player in Flynn Young, who, at 22, the Blues hope will strengthen their misfiring mid-sized forward stocks.

The Western Bulldogs zeroed in on their defence by selecting Peel Thunder running half-back Michael Sellwood and Gippsland Power interceptor Zac Walker who are both great readers of the ball.

With Gold Coast key position duo Charlie Ballard and Elliott Himmelberg both rupturing their ACLs, the Suns have attempted to fill those holes on their list by picking up former Saint Oscar Adams and Casey Demons swingman Caleb Lewis.

Adams has been an eye-catching key defender for Glenelg and knows how to do a shutdown job.

And Collingwood identified its forward line as an area in need of attention, so they went and got West Perth half-forward Roan Steele and South Adelaide key forward Noah Howes.

Steele, 23, has starred in the WAFL this year, averaging 21 disposals, and has had an impact both in the middle and in attack, while 19-year-old Howes has booted 12 goals from six games in 2025, including three hauls of three.

2025 AFL MID-SEASON DRAFT

First Round
1. Tom McCarthy (Richmond VFL) – West Coast
2. Zac Banch (Werribee) – North Melbourne
3. Harrison Ramm (Glenelg) – Port Adelaide
4. Flynn Young (Werribee) – Carlton
5. Michael Sellwood (Peel Thunder) – Western Bulldogs
6. Archer May (Subiaco) – Essendon
7. Oscar Adams (Glenelg) – Gold Coast
8. Roan Steele (West Perth) – Collingwood

Second Round
9. Jacob Newton (Norwood) – West Coast
10. Cooper Trembath (North Melbourne VFL) – North Melbourne
11. Ewan Mackinlay (North Adelaide) – Port Adelaide
12. Zac Walker (Gippsland Power) – Western Bulldogs
13. Lachlan Blakiston (East Fremantle) – Essendon
14. Caleb Lewis (Casey Demons) – Gold Coast
15. Noah Howes (South Adelaide) – Collingwood

Third Round
16. Mani Liddy (Central District) – Port Adelaide
17. Oskar Smartt (Essendon VFL) – Essendon

Fourth Round
18. Liam McMahon (Carlton VFL) – Essendon