Every club rated: How did your club go at the Mid-Season Draft?

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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9U_3-8UIo8 Essendon (Jaxon Artemis) Grade: A+ The consensus best player in this year's Mid-Season Draft pool joining Essendon is a great result. The choice largely made itself given his standout start to the season for Tasmania's VFL side. The big uptick in Jaxon Artemis' game which propelled him back onto the radar after being overlooked as an 18-year-old was his lift in defensive transition - an area the Bombers need to address given how easy they have been to score against and the ease at which opponents have picked them apart. A Western Australian playing from Tasmania, he is not a flight risk and has played different styles of footy and is built for modern footy, so could play this year. Richmond (Kye Annand) Grade: A- Not until just a couple of days out from the Mid-Season Draft were Richmond first linked to their sole selection, Kye Annand, but it is a sensible selection. Adding defensive depth with Nathan Broad in his last year as a Tiger and Nick Vlastuin ageing makes sense, with Ben Miller the only key defender in between that pair and the young brigade. It also makes sense when looking at their injury list, giving them cover in the short term. The Tigers only lose marks because there was a school of thought from many that it would be sensible for them to take a second selection due to their injury crisis, and put either Campbell Gray or Josh Smillie on ice - though, admittedly, that would have created a list squeeze later in the year. West Coast Eagles (Oliver Francou, Marcus Herbert) Grade: A Both Oliver Francou and Marcus Herbert have the capacity to play multiple positions and are mature-aged, which complements a young list well. Francou, the son of Port great Josh, was a surprise selection who adds depth and footy IQ as does Herbert. Herbert was a great selection and there was great surprise he slipped through to the Eagles second pick, having been linked to several clubs with earlier selections. Geelong VFL's Herbert has put together a strong body of work and earned his chance as a Jack Sinclair-like half-back. Carlton (Flynn Riley) Grade: C- The harsh grading is not a reflection of ruck Flynn Riley, for he was seen by many clubs - and many around the VFL - as the leading ruck in the league. But with Marc Pittonet, Liam Reidy and Hudson O'Keefe already on the list - it does not appear to fill a clear list need. The Blues also considered Sam Toner which would have better addressed a list need. The Blues' shuffle with their current rucks becomes a fascinating watch at the end of the season. Port Adelaide (Xavier Bamert, Alex Van Wyk) Grade: B+ Port Adelaide appear to have had their sights set on their two players for some time and emerged with exactly who they were after: Xavier Bamert and Alex Van Wyk. They had a third selection available, but chose to pass. Bamert has always looked likely to end up on an AFL list, having been one of the better players to go undrafted at the end of last year, and he adds a competitive edge to the midfield brigade. Given Port Adelaide is some time from being back in the window, it makes sense to pick a 19-year-old despite the Mid-Season intake increasingly slanting towards mature-agers. Alex Van Wyk is a local ruck they valued highly to provide back-up to Jordon Sweet and Dante Visentini, so should be viewed as a positive pick-up for the Power. The slight caveat which brings the grade down is there will be a level of scrutiny that will be applied if Van Wyk does not end up becoming the player Port hope he will, given there was several ruck options that most clubs viewed as the leaders, which he was not in. North Melbourne (Ollie Griffin) Grade: B+ If there is a player on North Melbourne's list Ollie Griffin plays like, its Cam Zurhaar. Albeit he may not quite have the same mongrel, both are medium forwards who love the contest and can take big grabs. The Kangaroos had been linked to Ky Annand who did not slip through to the Roos. While a good pickup who deserved an opportunity on an AFL list - would the club have been better off adding defensive depth, given it is the line that appears the weakest on paper? St Kilda (Campbell Lake) Grade: B St Kilda emerge with Campbell Lake who is viewed as one of the most balanced small forwards in the competition, possessing goal-kicking ability, dynamism and high pressure. There were question marks around his kicking, but that has lifted this year. A graduate of Gold Coast's Academy, he has put together a consistent body of work in the VFL. He is a sensible addition to an area of the ground so important in the modern game where St Kilda perhaps lack starpower outside of Jack Higgins. Perhaps other players have more upside than the hard working Lake, but he will bring a level of consistency and work ethic that will be hard to match. Collingwood (Harrison Coe, Liam Puncher, Mitch Podhajski) Grade: A+ Collingwood wanted to bring in ready to go talent and did just that. Given their list dynamic, bringing in players in their mid-20s able to contribute who would not take years of development was a must. Harrison Coe was viewed as one of the leading rucks in the pool and Collingwood have spoken before of how rucks' capacity to mark the ball and give them possession is a key indicator and, like Darcy Cameron and Oscar Steene, that is exactly what Coe provides. Mature-aged, he has the capacity to come in immediately, and is not afraid to use his size. Key defender Liam Puncher was a surprise name from left field who has received minimal fanfare, but adds to an area of the ground where the Pies are in desperate need of depth, particularly with captain Darcy Moore's body letting him down this year. Unlike the others the club was considering, Puncher is more of a key-position height so offers something different. Mitch Podhajski is a player the club did work on some time out from the Mid-Season Draft and knows where the goals are. With Jamie Elliott going out with an ACL injury and the Pies already struggling in attack, bringing in a proven goal kicker who gives real presence inside 50 makes sense. On paper, the Pies are a big winner of the night - the question will be how each player makes the step up to the big time. Western Bulldogs (Caleb May) Grade: A Caleb May was a player heavily linked to West Coast Eagles at Pick 3, and viewed by many as one of the best talls available, he slipped through to the Western Bulldogs selection. A towering 208cm ruck from North Adelaide, he addresses an immediate list need with Rory Lobb forced to shoulder the ruck load in recent weeks after the Bulldogs lost faith in Lachie Smith, and with Tim English injured. Like Smith, May has old-school tendencies but has improved his aerial power and ground coverage since graduating from Sydney's Academy - and as a mature-ager is ready to go. Adelaide (Hugo Hall-Kahan) Grade: B+ Hugo Hall-Kahan was Adelaide's sole selection and adds dash off half-back. He's been one of the standouts of the VFL early in the season and has clear AFL attributes. Hall-Kahan is a player transformed from the one who has delisted from Sydney at the end of 2023. He has changed from a forward to a defender whose dash, ball use and ball-winning all hold him in good stead for what the half-back role demands. 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. Hawthorn (Max Beattie) Grade: A His name had drifted in discussions in the lead-up to the Mid-Season Draft, but ultimately Max Beattie gets a deserved opportunity. His name has been around the periphery of AFL Draft discussions for some time without ultimately getting the chance, but has proved his versatility, playing off half-back last season and that has grown his footy IQ and broader effectiveness. A very Hawthorn style of player as an upbeat, energetic 174cm livewire who makes things happen. The South Australian also applies great pressure, but is a different type of small forward to Nick Watson and others on their list, with his decision making and kicking going forward among the standout traits so complements their list excellently.

		P	W	L	PTS	%
1	FRE	11	10	1	40	135.5
2	SYD	11	9	2	36	142.5
3	GEEL	11	8	3	32	124.4
4	HAW	11	7	3	30	110.4
5	GC	11	7	4	28	116.9
6	MELB	11	7	4	28	106.7
7	ADEL	11	6	5	24	107.9
8	BL	11	6	5	24	106.6
9	WB	11	6	5	24	92.8
10	COLL	11	5	5	22	100.3

Every club rated: How did your club go at the Mid-Season Draft?

A total of 18 players found AFL homes

Carlton (Flynn Riley)

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

Latest News

Essendon embarrassment as Scott-Merrett handling the perfect snapshot of Bombers’ dysfunction

The Mid-Season Draft recruits who could immediately push for AFL debuts

Essendon or Carlton? Who would we rather coach?

Essendon legend backs Hird to rescue Bombers from turmoil

AFL whispers: Why North Melbourne shouldn’t have beaten Gold Coast

FOLLOW US