Recycled players set for second chance draft

FORMER St Kilda captain Luke Ball and ex-Demon midfielder Simon Buckley are firming as the most certain recycled players to be selected in Thursday's NAB AFL Draft.

Ball is eager to get to Collingwood, but has been strongly linked to Essendon and Melbourne. Buckley has been training with North Melbourne, but Collingwood, the Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs are also believed to be interested.

Hawthorn will also add a ruckman with AFL experience on Thursday, with Adam Pattison (Richmond), Cameron Cloke (Carlton), Wayde Skipper (Western Bulldogs), John Meesen (Melbourne) and Chris Bryan (Collingwood) in contention.

The final destination of former Roo Jesse Smith remains unknown. Smith was linked to Geelong during the trade period, but has since trained at Hawthorn. Interest has also come from the Brisbane Lions.

Matt Maguire has been training with the Blues and remains a touch-and-go selection for the national draft.

Carlton appears to be keen, but is more likely to select Maguire in the pre-season or rookie drafts on December 15, possibly opening the door for the Hawks who have also shown interest in the key defender.

Players in Maguire's situation could also find themselves at new homes come mid-December due to changes to the rules governing rookie listings.

Clubs are now able to claim two players as rookies who are more than 23 years old. So former Demon Russell Robertson, ex-Roo Daniel Harris and past Tiger Mark Coughlan could all be claimed in the rookie draft, despite their vast experience.

Other players looking for new homes are delisted Hawk Mitch Thorp and former Cat Kane Tenace, who have been training with Melbourne.

Former Eagles duo Jamie McNamara and Ryan Davis, who opted to nominate for the draft instead of remaining West Coast rookies, could possibly be picked up late in the national call.

Ex-Swan Daniel O'Keefe and former Bulldog Guy O'Keefe have been training with Geelong and are not without a chance, while Luke Ablett is searching for a new home after confirming he will not be reunited with the Swans. 

Log on to afl.com.au on D-day, Thursday, November 26, for the most comprehensive coverage of the 2009 NAB AFL Draft. We’ll have live chats, live audio streams, in-depth player profiles, club reaction and our famous afl.com.au Draft Tracker.