Mid-season draft state of play: The clubs set to pick… and the AFL hopefuls they’ve been linked to

Outside of the first pick, a significant amount of mystery surrounds Wednesday night’s mid-season rookie draft, with clubs keeping their cards close to their chest.

The 2025 AFL mid-season rookie draft will take place on Wednesday May 28, with the event to kick off at 6.30pm (AEST).

The AFL on Monday night indicated the draft order wouldn’t be finalised until Tuesday night, with the league happy to give clubs as long as possible to sure up their plans.

As it stands, at least eight clubs are expected to take part in the draft, with as many as 15 overall picks expected.

FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer.

West Coast will enter the draft with Pick 1 after leaving a spot open during the pre-season following Dom Sheed’s move to the inactive list due to an ACL rupture.

And Richmond VFL star Tom McCarthy, who nominated for the draft under an 18-month term, is widely expected to be taken by the Eagles with the selection.

In a shallow mid-season pool, McCarthy is considered one of the few genuine AFL talents. One recruiter told foxfooty.com.au it was “McCarthy then daylight” regarding the prospects up for grabs.

Like previous Eagles mid-season draftees Ryan Maric and Jack Hutchinson, McCarthy is likely to play early games for West Coast – potentially as early as Sunday’s game against Geelong.

After playing predominantly as a midfielder last season, McCarthy has thrived across half-back this season for Richmond’s VFL side, showing off his excellent kicking skills and power while averaging 22.6 disposals, 4.1 marks and 3.3 tackles from seven games.

The West Australian also reported the Eagles were considering opening up a second list spot ahead of Wednesday night due to All-Australian Jake Waterman’s injury on the weekend, with triple Simpson Medallist and East Fremantle midfielder Milan Murdock in the club’s mix. The Eagles have also been linked to premiership Cat Brandan Parfitt – who’s been starring in the WAFL for Perth this season – and in-form Peel Thunder defender Michael Sellwood.

North Melbourne, which is set to have the second pick in the draft, could take as many two players on Wednesday night due to the season-ending injuries to Miller Bergman (ACL) and Darcy Tucker (back).

The Kangaroos are one of several clubs with interest in 198cm Subiaco key forward Archer May, who, like McCarthy, is seen by clubs as a player worth taking a punt on at this mid-season draft. The 20-year-old has kicked 12.11 and averaged 13.8 disposals and 6.2 marks from six WAFL games this season, while he kicked two goals for WA in a state game against SA earlier this month.

May was a late withdrawal from Subiaco’s 103-point loss to South Fremantle on Saturday, fuelling speculation he’s set to be taken on Wednesday.

But North has also shown strong interest in 175cm Werribee star Zac Banch, who’s kicked 8.8 and averaged 16.2 disposals from his past five VFL games. Like May, Banch has interest from several other clubs set to pick on Wednesday night after impressing with his speed, power and ability to convert his disposals into scores, either for himself or for the team.

With Richmond unlikely to have a selection, Port Adelaide is set to have the next pick.

The Power in recent days have been strongly linked to mobile Glenelg 202cm utility Harry Ramm, who only turned 18 in December last year. Ramm has played six SANFL league games this season mainly as a key defender, but has the potential to play in any third of the ground. Port, while it was in Perth last weekend, also met with Sellwood ahead of the club’s clash with Fremantle.

But some rival clubs believe the Power are on the hunt for a player with speed in the forward half. It’s why Port has been linked to North Adelaide 182cm goalkicker Ewan Mackinlay, who’s impressed clubs with his speed and power, as well as his kicking skills in the front half.

Mackinlay, coincidentally, played against the Port Adelaide SANFL team on Saturday and had a season-high 23 disposals and five inside 50s for the Roosters. But in the same game, Port SANFL-listed player Jack Watkins – who’s also been linked to the Power – starred with one goal from 32 disposals and six tackles. Watkins, who trialled with the Power over the pre-season, has had a prolific SANFL season to date, averaging 30 disposals, five marks and four clearances.

Another SA-based player with interest is Central District on-baller Mani Liddy, who’s averaged 22.6 disposals, 5.3 inside 50s and 5.0 clearances from seven games in a career-best SANFL season.

The Power have leant towards selecting SA-based talent at the mid-season draft – and last year they looked from within, picking Port SANFL defender Logan Evans, who’s played 20 AFL games for the Power since being drafted.

Carlton is expected to use its sole pick for the night after the Power, with Norwood’s Jacob Newton strongly linked to the Blues in recent weeks. Newton, who showed his wares as a forward for South Australia at last year’s national Under 18 championships, has kicked 6.3 across his past SANFL two matches.

But the Blues also have interest in May – and should the WA key forward still be on the board, it’s expected Carlton would strongly consider taking him.

Other players linked to the Blues include Mackinlay, Banch, Richmond VFL forward Sam Toner – a dangerous 184cm natural goalkicker with a deep trick bag who kicked 7.3 and averaged 13 disposals across the two Young Guns games – and 19-year-old Murray Bushrangers ruck Zac Harding.

The Western Bulldogs on Tuesday officially opened a second list spot ahead of Wednesday night’s draft. They already had an opening after opting against filling their list during the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP). But forward Cody Weightman (knee) has been moved to the inactive list, therefore giving the Dogs flexibility to take a second player at the rookie draft if they want.

The Dogs have been linked to all of Banch, Mackinlay and Sellwood, while they’ve continued to monitor Werribee star midfielder Dom Brew after he trained with – but was ultimately overlooked by – the Bulldogs during the SSP after winning the JJ Liston Trophy last year as the VFL’s best player. Brew has averaged 29.3 disposals, 10.3 clearances and 9.0 tackles from eight VFL matches in 2025.

All eyes will then turn to Essendon, which is set to be the most active club on Wednesday night as it could have as many as four selections due to a horrific early-season injury run to begin the 2025 season.

While injuries suffered by Kyle Langford (quad) and Zach Reid (hamstring) during Friday night’s win over Richmond weren’t season-ending, coach Brad Scott post-game suggested to Fox Footy the club’s mid-season draft “strategy probably just changed” and that the Bombers “need to fill some gaps”.

Clubs widely expect the Bombers to target a ruck to help support Todd Goldstein. But while ex-Sun turned Southport star Brayden Crossley has received ample external hype in recent weeks, multiple sources indicated to foxfooty.com.au the Bombers were more likely to target mature-age WAFL rucks.

The Bombers have kept tabs on 26-year-old East Fremantle big man Lachlan Blakiston, who was heavily linked to them – and other clubs – ahead of last year’s national draft before ultimately being overlooked. Some believe the Bombers are leaning more towards Blakiston over Claremont big man Ollie Eastland – a 27-year-old 199cm ruck who’s averaged 18.3 disposals and 34.2 hit-outs from seven WAFL games. Eastland kicked 3.0 from 14 disposals and 47 hit-outs in the Tigers’ 42-point win over Swan Districts on the weekend.

Essendon has also been linked with two 19-year-old rucks in Floyd Burmeister (GWV Rebels) and Harding.

The Bombers have also done their work on May, Ramm and Werribee 199cm defender Ryan Eyers, but they’ve been strongly linked across recent days to ex-St Kilda defender Oscar Adams. After failing to play an AFL game in his two seasons at the Saints, Adams has returned to Glenelg and become a key member of its backline, playing in the team’s 2024 SANFL premiership triumph.

Other ready-made players in the mid-season mix include former AFL players Adam Tomlinson and Nathan Kreuger.

Should the Bombers look to recruit from within, 21-year-old rebounding defender Matthew Foley and 25-year-old key back Will Hoare are regarded by rival clubs as two of the best prospects from Essendon’s VFL team.

Gold Coast could take up to two players on Wednesday night due to season-ending ACL injuries to Charlie Ballard and, most recently, Elliott Himmelberg.

The Suns for weeks have been heavily linked to Southern Football Netball League 198cm bolter Caleb Lewis, who kicked five goals across the two Young Guns games. Initially renowned as a tall intercept marking defender with pinpoint ball use, Lewis has developed into an exciting key forward with high-flying ability and goal nous.

Intriguingly, he didn’t play at VFL or local level on the weekend “apparently at the request of an AFL club”, per CODE Sports.

The Suns have also been heavily linked to Adams – but he could be off the board by the time they pick, should Essendon pounce – and Burmeister.

The last club expected to enter the draft is Collingwood, which can have up to two picks after moving Harvey Harrison and Reef McInnes to the inactive list due to their ACL ruptures.

Sources believe the Magpies are likely to take at least one player from ‘within’ – and they’ve been keeping close tabs on two of their own VFL players: 195cm forward Riley Mason and on-baller Josh Browne.

After kicking 72 goals from 18 games for Seymour last year, Mason has kicked 18.5 this season, with nine of those goals coming in the first two weeks. Essendon’s VFL team showed interest in Mason pre-season before he ultimately chose to sign with the Magpies.

Browne, meanwhile, has kicked 7.3 and averaged 23.3 disposals and 3.3 clearances from his eight VFL games for the Magpies. Browne, in particular, impressed the Magpies’ AFL set-up during the pre-season, including in the triple threat match simulation against Brisbane and Gold Coast in February.

And should Eastern Ranges defender Rod Ali find an AFL home on Wednesday night, it’ll most likely be the Magpies via their second pick.

A former basketballer who only prioritised football at the start of the year, Ali is a chance to be taken on Wednesday night. He impressed as a 186cm hybrid intercept defender for the Ranges then in both Young Guns games against Vic Metro and Vic Country, turning heads with his vertical leap, groundball ability, competitiveness and physicality.

Scouts know Ali is raw and would be a long-term project, but his upside is enormous. So if he was selected, it’d be a club wanting to ‘get ahead’ of rivals before November’s national draft — for Ali could be a top-30 prospect, according to one recruiter, by then if his upwards trajectory continues.

The Pies have also shown interest in Burmeister and South Adelaide 196cm forward Noah Howes, who’s kicked 12.6 and averaged 11.3 disposals and 5.0 marks from six SANFL games in 2025.

St Kilda has done its work on its mid-season prospects – most notably Burmeister, who spent more time in defence in the Rebels’ game against the Western Jets on the weekend – but whether it opens up a selection for Wednesday night remains unclear.

Adelaide could pick depending on a call on Toby Murray (ankle).

At this stage Brisbane, Fremantle, Geelong, the Giants, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Richmond and Sydney are all unlikely to take players.