GET EVERYTHING you need to know, including how to watch and more on the players who could be snapped up, ahead of the 2026 Telstra AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft on Tuesday, May 26.
What is the AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft?
The Mid-Season Rookie Draft (MSD) is the only chance clubs have during the season to add players to their list. Outside the Trade Period and Telstra AFL Drafts at the end of each season, the only opportunities clubs have to sign new players is during the Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Period – which runs over summer – and the MSD.
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The MSD was reintroduced in 2019, having been scrapped way back in 1993. It's designed to limit the impact long-term injuries and premature retirements can have on a club and allow teams to replenish their list for the second half of the season.
When is it?
The MSD is normally held on a Wednesday night, but this year will be on Tuesday May 26, between rounds 11 and 12, from 6.30pm AEST.
How can I watch?
The only place to watch the 2026 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft is on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App. Gettable co-hosts and draft experts Cal Twomey and Riley Beveridge will lead the coverage along with host Nat Edwards from 6.30pm AEST on Tuesday May 26. See every pick as it happens and get instant analysis of what the new signings can mean for the second half of the season.
Who are the names in contention?
As reported on AFL.com.au last week, Jaxon Artemis is considered one of the favourites to be the No.1 pick, with Richmond - which currently holds the No.1 pick - among the clubs to show interest.
The Tigers' VFL side has been a fruitful breeding ground for the MSD in the past and that could well be the case again this year, with AFL.com.au reporting last week that Sam Toner, Ned Renfree, Mutaz El Nour and Zaydyn Lockwood have all attracted interest, including from the Tigers themselves.
The Western Bulldogs are also interested in Toner and El Nour, while they are also in the ruck market to provide cover for Tim English.
There are several rucks in contention, with AFL.com.au reporting this week that Williamstown's Alex Mirkov has been linked to GWS, North Adelaide's Alex Van Wyk has received interest from Port Adelaide and Carlton's Flynn Riley has been linked to Melbourne, which has also expressed interest in North Melbourne VFL midfielder Xavier Bamert and Nic Staropoli from the Calder Cannons, who has also been linked to Essendon.
Geelong VFL defender Kye Annand and West Adelaide ruck Caleb May have also had significant interest from multiple clubs.
To be eligible, players must have nominated for and been overlooked in the national draft last year, been previously listed by an AFL club, or played a minimum of three games in the WAFL, SANFL, TSL or VFL.
See the full list of nominees so far here
How many clubs have a pick? Why doesn't my club have one?
Clubs must have a vacant list spot in order to take part, with list vacancies occurring through a retirement or if a player suffers a long-term injury and is moved to the inactive list.
Collingwood, West Coast, Melbourne and Port Adelaide are among the clubs that could use multiple picks, with recruiters tipping around 12-16 selections to be made.
There are currently 10 clubs able to open list spots for the mid-year rookie intake, although teams are still able to create vacancies after the weekend should they suffer season-ending injuries in the upcoming round of games.
Collingwood (Reef McInnes and Oscar Steene), West Coast (Deven Robertson and Jacob Newton), Melbourne (Jai Culley and Tom Campbell) and Port Adelaide (Ollie Lord and Ivan Soldo) all have multiple list spots available.
The Eagles are unlikely to create more vacancies, despite long-term injuries sustained by the likes of Sam Allen and Jamie Cripps, having already received four additional rookie spots in pre-season as part of an AFL assistance package.
Richmond has one spot available courtesy of Josh Gibcus' injury and will weigh up creating more given the club's significant injury list, many of which loom as long-term issues, although the Tigers remain unlikely to use more than one pick.
St Kilda, Hawthorn and Adelaide are all currently slated to use one pick courtesy of leftover list spots from pre-season, but Greater Western Sydney is still seen as unlikely to use a pick to replace the injured Tom Green. Essendon on Wednesday moved Brayden Fiorini (back) to the inactive list to open up a pick.
The Western Bulldogs are the other team with a confirmed selection to replace Sam Darcy, with a decision to also be made on Riley Garcia with his hamstring setback, while North Melbourne (Blake Thredgold) has been tipped to create a list vacancy before Monday's lodgement deadline.
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Brisbane, Gold Coast and Fremantle don't currently have a spot available, while Geelong and Sydney are unlikely to create a mid-season pick despite Harley Barker and Max King respectively both expected to be sidelined for much of the season.
Carlton has weighed up whether to move young defender Harry O'Farrell to its long-term injury list, but is currently viewed as being unlikely to take a selection into next week's rookie draft. – Riley Beveridge
Clubs have until Monday to open a vacancy on their list, so the final draft order won't be known until then.
How is the draft order decided?
Like the National Draft, the Mid-Season Draft order is determined by reverse ladder position. The team at the bottom of the ladder after round 11 (assuming it has a list vacancy) gets the No.1 pick, with the second-last team to have the No.2 pick, and so on.
The twist this year is the two teams currently at the bottom of the ladder - Richmond and Essendon - will play each other this Friday night, meaning the loser of that game will get the No.1 pick.
The final draft order will be determined on Monday, after round 11.
Who are the MSD successes from past years?
You only have to look back 12 months to see how quickly mid-season draftees can make an impact at AFL level.
Tom McCarthy (pick No.1), Michael Sellwood (No.5), Archie May (No.6), Oscar Adams (No.7), Roan Steele (No.8) and Cooper Trembath (No.10) were all playing state league footy this time last year, but are now entrenched in their respective AFL sides.
Of the 18 players picked up last year, 15 have since made it into the AFL side, an impressive strike rate for clubs looking for a mid-season boost.
In previous years, John Noble, Sam Durham and Jai Newcombe have all become stars of the competition after being picked up mid-season, while the MSD's most famous success story is Marlion Pickett, who famously debuted in a Grand Final at the age of 27 after being drafted in the middle of that season.
