GEELONG has given Stewart Crameri a chance to resurrect his career, adding the former Essendon and Western Bulldogs forward to its list at the NAB AFL Rookie Draft on Monday afternoon.
Crameri, who was delisted by the Bulldogs last month after four seasons at the club, was one of 15 delisted players given an AFL lifeline on Monday, including Claye Beams (Brisbane Lions), Matt Shaw (Carlton) and Dylan Buckley (Greater Western Sydney).
In total, 36 players were selected as rookies, including 20 new faces. Carlton was the only club to participate in the Pre-Season Draft, selecting former Port Adelaide defender and Northern Blues' VFL club champion Cam O'Shea, who will be added to the Blues' senior list.
Players to miss out included ex-Fremantle defender Sam Collins and delisted Geelong backman Tom Ruggles, while it emerged on Monday afternoon that former Richmond half-forward Ben Lennon did not nominate for the Rookie Draft and would pursue a career as an American football punter in USA.
After a season-long drugs ban in 2016 and a hip injury this year that restricted him to two games, Crameri was stranded on 99 games and had been training on his own in an effort to earn another AFL chance.
Geelong did not land a ready-made forward during the Trade Period after flirting with Jack Watts and Jake Stringer, but Crameri shapes as a bargain version after joining the club as pick No.16 in the Rookie Draft.
"We took right up until today to make up our mind … in the end we settled on Stewart because we decided that he's got some good footy ahead of him," Geelong list manager Stephen Wells told AFL.com.au.
"We are confident that he'll be fit and provide us for another option next year as a forward line player.
"Hopefully he can back to his best as a running player and prove versatile and capable at AFL level."
All rookies will be available for selection from round one after the AFL adjusted rookie rules to ensure all category-A rookies can play from the start of the season.
Former Blue Nick Holman is off to Gold Coast. Picture: AFL Photos
After all eligible clubs opted not to take part in the Pre-Season Draft Carlton had a change of heart and picked O'Shea, who played 81 games with the Power between 2011-16.
Clubs then turned their attention to the Rookie Draft, which lasted only 10 minutes, with Beams taken back in by the Lions with pick No.1.
Billy Gowers, who spent 2016 as a rookie with Carlton and 2017 with VFL team Footscray, was picked up by the Bulldogs, who also re-rookied defender Roarke Smith for a fourth season.
Former North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas joined the Power in the first round as expected.
Melbourne was the only club not to participate in the Rookie Draft, passing on its first round selection, while Adelaide took the most, adding four players, including delisted midfielder Cam Ellis-Yolmen.
Collingwood gave standout VFL defender Brody Mihocek his first chance on an AFL list after he played a key role in Port Melbourne's premiership campaign in 2017.
Other delisted players given another chance with their clubs were Lewis Pierce (St Kilda), Sam Reid (GWS), Mackenzie Willis (Gold Coast), Adam Oxley (Collingwood), Dallas Willsmore (Hawthorn) and Alex Johnson (Sydney).
Adelaide pre-selected Jackson Edwards, the son of 300-game champion Tyson Edwards, as a rookie.
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