Tuesday's Mid-Season Draft was dominated by mature-agers, with 11 players from the VFL, seven from the SANFL and just one from the Talent League selected.
As expected, most clubs targeted list needs after Essendon used their Pick 1 on the player consensually viewed as the best player in the crop.
Six key-position players were picked up, including four rucks, with former Sydney player Hugo Hall-Kahan the only formerly listed player to get a second chance.
A total of 12 clubs participated, with GWS, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Fremantle, Sydney Swans and Geelong not taking a player.
Below is a club-by-club grading.
Melbourne (Lukas Cooke, Joel Fitzgerald, Max Mapley)
Grade: B
Melbourne scouted widely before landing on Lukas Cooke, Joel Fitzgerald and Max Mapley as its three selections.
How the Demons view the trio will be fascinating, given the preferred position of each is in the backline, but Fitzgerald and Mapley, in particular have shown versatility.
The Dees' backline has been a positive in 2026, but it is the area of the ground, on paper where they have the least depth.
For weeks, the Dees had been linked to taking a tall as a replacement for Tom Campbell, and ended up selecting Tasmanian Mapley. While Mapley has played ruck early in the year for the Devils, the consensus view from those around him is that his best footy is as a key defender.
Fitzgerald, meanwhile, has played through the midfield for Williamstown this year and has brought his tenacity and proven his ability to win clearances. He does, however, project as a sturdy half-back at AFL level, while Cooke is a strong marking defender.
The positive Jason Taylor and co. get with all three is that they are all proven and trusted assets at senior level and each have an appetite for the contest that well complements the exuberant list.
