ANOTHER eight players have been granted exemptions to be available in this year’s NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft after the second stage of the League’s approval process.
After the AFL initially gave three exemptions last week – Hugo Hall-Kahan, Will Reinhold and Josh Carmichael – the League has notified clubs that a secondary batch has been granted eligibility for the June 1 mid-season intake.
They are Wade Derksen (Peel Thunder), James Blanck (Box Hill), Kallan Dawson (Williamstown), Kim Kantilla (South Adelaide), Liam Reidy (Frankston), Zac Strom (South Fremantle), Brett Turner (Glenelg) and West Coast COVID top-up player Jake Florenca (South Fremantle).
The players were initially not eligible for the mid-season draft after not nominating for the national draft last year, which is a qualification for the following year’s mid-season draft.
But given the players have all had exposed form at state league level for their clubs, the AFL has granted the exemptions given they have been able to be scouted by all recruiting teams.
DRAFT HUB Click here for the latest draft news
At least half of the group shape as genuine contenders for the mid-season draft as well, with Derksen, Blanck and Turner all on the radar of multiple clubs with mid-season selections and Florenca's efforts for the Eagles at AFL level also catching the eye.
There are currently as many as 13 possible picks at the mid-season draft if all clubs activate open list spots, with more likely to be opened before the draft, which comes after round 11.