The AFL mid-season draft kicks off tonight, which will see state league players realise their AFL dream by being drafted to an AFL club half-way through the season.
AFL clubs need to have an open list spot in order to draft a player, meaning clubs need to move long-term injured or recently retired players to the inactive list in order to free up list spots for the mid-season draft.
Initially introduced in 1990, the mid-season draft has been a thing of the past for the AFL, who scrapped the draft in 1993.
It wasn't until 2019 where the AFL reintroduced the draft, before going into hiatus again in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic and coming back in 2021.
There have been some great players to come out of the two mid-season drafts so far, with players showing great promise at the top level.
Before the third edition of the AFL mid-season draft kicks off tonight, check out the 10 best players who have come through the draft since 2019 down below.
7. Sam Durham (Essendon)ย
The Bombers youngster was taken by Essendon with pick six in the 2021 mid-season draft out of the Richmond VFL side, and has proven already to be a consistent player at AFL level, with only 16 games under his belt.
The 20-year old has tallied at least 10 disposals in each of his first 16 matches, averaging 14.7 disposals and featured in the Bombers lineup in their elimination final appearance against the Western Bulldogs.
Midfielder
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
Durham has been a key part of Ben Rutten's side since coming to the club and his consistency has been paramount in what has been a tumultuous season for the Bombers.
Look for Durham to continue to improve as he gains more experience in the AFL.
