2023 AFL Rookie Draft, Pre-Season Draft, trio of ex-AFL players earn lifelines, Sam Clohesy selected

A trio of recently delisted AFL players landed career lifelines through the 2023 AFL Rookie Draft and Pre-Season Drafts on Wednesday.

St Kilda selected former Port Adelaide backman Riley Bonner with their sole Pre-Season Draft selection, while Geelong's left-field draft plans continued at the Rookie Draft with the addition of former Hawthorn tall Emerson Jeka.

Gold Coast picked up three players at the Rookie Draft, including delisted North Melbourne forward Jack Mahony and 2023 Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal winner Sam Clohesy.

Northern Territory prospect and Suns-linked teenager Will Rowlands was also selected by the Queensland club.

West Coast selected Loch Rawlinson with the opening pick of the Rookie Draft, with North Melbourne adding Finnbar Maley at second overall.

Melbourne recruited father-son prospect Kyanan Brown with Pick 24, the son of ex-Demon Nathan.

Odin Jones (Fremantle), Vigo Visentini (Essendon), Xavier Walsh (Port Adelaide) and Matt Carroll (Carlton) picked up prospects who were overlooked at the National Draft.

As many as eight players were drafted via the rookie list after being delisted by their clubs, with Adam Kennedy (GWS), Taylor Duryea (Western Bulldogs), Lachie McNeil (Western Bulldogs), Jake Melksham (Melbourne), Sam Reid (Sydney), James Borlase (Adelaide), Will Hamill (Adelaide) and Cooper Stephens (Hawthorn) all receiving lifelines.

Gold Coast selected delisted veteran Sam Day via the Pre-Season Draft, as did Hawthorn with Chad Wingard.

Pre-Season Draft

1) Hawthorn - Chad Wingard
2) Gold Coast - Sam Day
3) St Kilda - Riley Bonner

2023 Rookie Draft 

Round one
1) West Coast - Loch Rawlinson
2) North Melbourne - Finnbar Maley
3) Hawthorn - Cooper Stephens
4) Gold Coast - Sam Clohesy
5) Fremantle - Odin Jones
6) Richmond - Pass
7) Geelong - Emerson Jeka
8) Essendon - Vigo Visentini
9) Adelaide - Will Hamill
10) Western Bulldogs - Lachie McNeil
11) Sydney - Sam Reid
12) St Kilda - Pass
13) Melbourne - Jake Melksham
14) Port Adelaide - Xavier Walsh
15) GWS - Adam Kennedy
16) Carlton - Matt Carroll
17) Collingwood - Pass

Round two
18) North Melbourne - Pass
19) Hawthorn - Pass
20) Gold Coast - Will Rowlands
21) Fremantle - Pass
22) Adelaide - James Borlase
23) Western Bulldogs - Taylor Duryea
24) Melbourne - Kynan Brown
25) Collingwood - Pass

Round three
26) Gold Coast - Jack Mahony
27) Western Bulldogs - Pass
28) Melbourne - Pass
29) Collingwood - Pass

Round four
30) Gold Coast - Pass

Round five
31) Gold Coast - Pass