THE excitement and emotions of draftees when their names are called out is one of the highlights of draft night, and 2025 certainly did not let us down.

The first round of the Telstra AFL Draft was held on Wednesday night at Marvel Stadium, with players able to invite some family and friends along for the ride, the reactions in the room were brilliant.

>> WHO DID YOU PICK? The rundown on every club's 2025 draft haul
>> TALKING POINTS Sun-sational academy haul, family ties, Dees' long game?
>> PLAYER PROFILES Highlights, stats and full bios of every draftee
>> DRAFT HUB Click here for the latest draft news

And even though no draftees were in attendance on the second night, the exhilaration of becoming an AFL player was no less evident, as captured on social media by their loved ones.

Check out some of the best reactions from the players, their families and friends - even some family pooches got involved - below.