2024 AFL Mid-season Draft: Who are the leading rookie prospects and what team have picks?
With the mid-season rookie drafts for 2024 coming up, top-prospects are emerging. In the past, mid-season drafts have brought forth quite a number of impeccable players. See John Noble (2019), Jai Newcombe (2021), Massimo D’Ambrosio (2022), Marlion Pickett (2019), Sam Durham (2021), and Jye Menzie (2022) among many.
Scheduled for May 29, 2024, this year’s mid-season draft is between Rounds 11 and 12 , with many talents awaiting their big opportunity.
While decisions on the picking order are yet to be settled on, some names stand out already.
Jack Hutchinson, a Wonthaggi general forward, is arguably the 2024 draft pool’s top pick. Whether the VFL Magpie would be considered a must-have by the top-pick holder North Melbourne, seeing that they have quite a number of players in his height range (Jaidyn Stephenson, Eddie Ford, Cam Zurhaar, Zane Duursma and Tyler Sellers at 189cm, 189cm, 190cm, 190cm respectively) is what is yet unknown.
Herald Sun journalist Jay Clark, said about the 22-year-old on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle:
“Jack Hutchinson, the high-flyer from collingwood-magpies" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Collingwood (VFL), 190 centimetres, taking some great marks. He’s a talent “Hutchinson, you speak to most recruiters, they say he’s the number one at this stage, but do North Melbourne need his type? “I think that’s a real conundrum, because they’ve got a couple of those types.”
Aside from Hutchinson, Will McLachlan and Joe Pike, who are both over-aged Falcons returnees, Jasper Scaife, and Jacob Blight who are part of the WAFL state squad to play against South Australia on May 19, and Oskar Smart seem to have caught the attention of stakeholders. Clark on the hypothetical stars continued:
“Those are the guys that recruiters are talking about, “It’s interesting the way it’s all shaping up, because I think Hawthorn and Richmond are looking at big men — they need key forwards and key defenders.”
Unlike Melbourne, Hawthorn and Richmond are in need of key position players and the mid-season draft presents them with an opportunity to rise up the ranks. With some major players down due to injury, both teams will be looking to restock on talents to enable them to get through the remainder of the season.
Now, North Melbourne will most likely make the first pick, Richmond next, and Hawthorn third. Thirteen clubs can make at least one selection, but Brisbane has four open list spots, Adelaide has three, Richmond two, North Melbourne two and Carlton two.
Watching how it pans out for each club should be some fun.
Brisbane has got some work to do sorting through rookies at 2024's mid-season AFL draft due to injuries
Unfortunately for Brisbane, two pivotal players are down with ACL injuries. Darcy Gardiner and Lincoln McCarthy’s misfortune has most definitely messed with the club’s mid-season draft plans, making their fate this season reliant on the outcome. Gardiner and McCarthy suffered these injuries early in the clash against Gold Coast.
Keidean Coleman and Tom Doedee are also currently inactive due to knee injuries, leaving the Lions with four open slots. Brisbane's GM of Football, Danny Daly, has confirmed the club's intent to fill at least three of those spots as an attempt at recovery on SEN Afternoons.
According to Daly, former Collingwood utility Trey Ruscoe and Essendon's Oskar Smartt are potential recruits being considered.
In addition to the rookies, Daly has disclosed that there is a possibility of Will Ashcroft’s return due to a quick recovery from last year’s ACL injury.
As the Lions gear up for the mid-season draft on Wednesday, May 29, expectations to bolster their roster are high and hopefully, they can do well with what’s left of the season.