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.
West was picked up by the West Coast Eagles from WAFL side West Perth with pick 23 in the 2021 AFL mid-season draft and has made a great impact in a struggling Eagles outfit to date.
The hard nosed midfielder made his debut in round 18, 2021 against the Adelaide Crows and had 19 disposals (13 contested) and four tackles in a big win and proved he could match it with the best in the top flight.
Midfielder
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
In 2022, West has averaged 17 disposals and 4.3 tackles in eight games for the Eagles and has been a big positive for Adam Simpson in a season that has been disastrous for the Eagles.
The 23-year old has played 13 games in total for the Eagles and continues to improve, and will be exciting to watch as he gains more experience at the top level.
Matthew Parker was selected by St Kilda with pick 47 in the 2018 AFL Draft out of WAFL side South Fremantle where he went on to have an immediate impact with the Saints, kicking 16 goals in 2019 in what looked to be the start of a promising career.
Parker then fell out of the best 22 in 2020, playing only two games and was delisted at the end of the season.
Forward
Disposals
Marks
Goals
The 26-year old then returned to South Fremantle before getting picked up by Richmond with pick 10 in the 2021 AFL mid-season draft and has since played 11 games with the Tigers in 2021 and 2022.
Parker has played a total of 30 AFL games so far, and would be higher on this list if he was able to perform consistently as he has the X-Factor, but is unable to produce on a consistent basis.
Peatling was picked up in the 2021 mid-season draft by the Giants with pick eight out of Pennant Hills, and has hit some seriously good form in recent weeks in the senior side.
Since coming through the Giants' VFL program, the utility product has impressed both Leon Cameron and Mark McVeigh with his ability to play in defence and also swing forward and kick goals.
The 21-year old made his debut in Round 20, 2021 against Port Adelaide and tallied 19 disposals, seven marks and three tackles in an impressive display.
Forward
Disposals
Marks
Goals
In the past fortnight, Peatling has had great form, booting six goals and averaging 19.5 disposals over the two games, proving he can be a very dynamic player in the AFL.
In just the small sample size of eight games, Peatling has shown he is an exciting prospect and don't be surprised if he rises up this list in the future with his potential talent.
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.
Gardner has developed into a key piece of the Western Bulldogs defence, with him and Alex Keath poising as the two pillars in the defensive 50 for Luke Beveridge's side.
Taken with pick six in the 2019 mid-season draft, the Tasmanian native has exceeded expectations in the AFL since being delisted by Geelong in 2018.
Defender
Disposals
Marks
Rebound50s
Gardner was initially drafted by Geelong in 2015 but didn't manage a game at senior level, but the Bulldogs gave him a chance and he has become a reliable key defender in the competition, playing 32 games with them so far.
Currently averaging a career-high 10.1 disposals and 4.8 marks per game in 2022, Gardner plays his role well and locks down opposition key forwards, whilst holding down a spot in one of the best sides in the competition, which is why he ranks higher on this list.
Cooper Sharman was taken with pick 21 in the 2021 mid-season draft by St Kilda out of Woodville West-Torrens in the SANFL, and the forward had an exciting and instant impact on the Saints' senior side.
Sharman has booted 13 goals in his first eight matches in the AFL and is yet to play a game where he hasn't kicked a goal.
Forward
Disposals
Marks
Goals
His goal kicking prowess and high IQ make him a valuable asset to Brett Ratten's side, and will look to keep showing those signs as his career progresses at the Saints.
An exciting start to what should be an exciting career in the AFL.
The Bombers small forward is an exciting talent when healthy and has been able to produce some quality football since being taken with pick seven in the 2019 mid-season draft out of West Adelaide.
The 25-year old has only played one game so far this season, in a win against the Adelaide Crows, as he deals with issues with his calf, but when he is healthy, Snelling is a dynamic player in the forward line for the Bombers.
Forward
Disposals
Marks
Games Played
In 2021, Snelling played 20 games, averaged 17.7 disposals and five tackles per game, and kicked 12 goals, showing his ability to hit the scoreboard and ability to apply forward 50 pressure for the Bombers.
In his solid sample size of 43 games in the AFL, Snelling has proven that he is a quality small forward when up and running.
The crafty Collingwood winger was taken by the Pies with pick 14 in the 2019 mid-season draft and has become a mainstay in the Collingwood line-up on the wing, playing 55 games since he was drafted, the most by any mid-season draftee from 2019 onwards.
Noble has averaged 17.7 disposals per game during his career, and has good speed and endurance that in recent times has suited Craig McRae's style of fast play.
Midfielder
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
The son of current North Melbourne head coach David Noble is as consistent as they come and plays his role very well on the wing.
Hailing from West Adelaide in the SANFL, Noble continues to be a key piece of a dangerous Collingwood outfit that could do some damage in 2022, and look for Noble to keep improving as his career progresses.
The hard nosed midfielder was taken at pick two in the 2021 mid-season draft by Hawthorn, and came out of Hawthorn's VFL affiliate, Box Hill.
The 20 year old made an instant impact in his debut in Round 13, 2021, tallying a whopping 14 tackles against the Swans, and let the AFL world know that Newcombe was not to be messed with.
Midfielder
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
Since then, Newcombe's stocks have continued to rise with his 2022 campaign landing him as one of the lead contenders for the NAB Rising Star award. Currently averaging 21.5 disposals across 11 games, Newcombe would surely be in contention for Hawthorn's best and fairest award if he keeps this form up.
The sky is the limit for Newcombe after 18 games, and his current trajectory may have him becoming the best player on this list in the future, and he is well on the way to a great career.
Definitely the most famous mid-season draft selection in its history goes to Marlion Pickett, who was picked by Richmond with pick 13 in the 2019 mid-season draft, coming from South Fremantle in the WAFL.
It was a famous selection as Pickett would go on to debut in the 2019 Grand Final against GWS and play a big role, even earning Norm Smith votes for his performance, and became the first player to win a premiership in their debut game since 1926.
Midfielder
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
Pickett went onto play a pivotal role in midfield and defence in Richmond's 2020 premiership side as well, winning a second premiership in just his 20th game.
Pickett has all the accolades that the other mid-season draftees don't have, which puts him on top of this list alongside his big time playmaking and ability to have an impact on a game.
Averages 14.4 disposals per game across his 45 games so far in his career, and is carving out a consistent and inspiring AFL career.