51 players who played in 2022 NAB League Boys campaign have made their way to AFL clubs ahead of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.
The tally made up more than half of the 100 players who were selected over the past three days via the NAB AFL Draft, NAB AFL Rookie Draft and Category B rookie pre-selection period.
37 of the 59 players selected in the NAB AFL Draft came from NAB League programs, which included the first eight selections.
Key forward Aaron Cadman made history as the first player from the GWV Rebels to be selected with the No. 1 pick in the national draft, when selected by the GWS GIANTS.
Cadman starred for the Rebels and Victoria Country this season and selected in both the NAB League Team of the Year and NAB AFL National Championships All-Australian team.
In addition to the 37 players selected in the national draft on Monday and Tuesday, a further five players were picked in the 2022 NAB AFL Rookie Draft on Wednesday. Nine players made their way onto AFL lists as pre-selected Category B rookie selections.
10 players from the Oakleigh Chargers were drafted, which included nine players selected in the national draft.
George Wardlaw (North Melbourne) and Elijah Tsatas were selected at picks four and five respectively, while Blake Drury was the first selection in the rookie draft.
Sandringham Dragons had seven players make their way onto AFL lists, including Will Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions) and Harry Sheezel (North Melbourne) who were taken at picks 2 and 3 in the national draft.
Five players from the Gippsland Power were selected in the national draft, while four players from each of the Geelong Falcons and Tasmania Devils found AFL homes.
Seven players from NAB League Academy programs were selected. The non-Victorian Academy teams competed in the first four rounds of the 2022 NAB League Boys season.
The Brisbane Lions, GWS GIANTS and Northern Territory Thunder academies each had two players picked, which included Jaspa Fletcher (Brisbane Lions) and Harry Rowston (GWS GIANTS) being selected in the first round of the national draft.
Fletcher was taken as father-son selection after the Lions matched a bid from the Western Bulldogs at pick 12. Meanwhile, Rowston, who also played three games for the Calder Cannons late in the NAB League season, went to the GIANTS after they matched a bid from the Sydney Swans at pick 16.
Below are all NAB League players who were selected by AFL clubs via the NAB AFL Draft, NAB AFL Rookie Draft and Category B rookie pre-selection period.
BENDIGO PIONEERS
Harvey Gallagher
AFL Club: Western Bulldogs
Selection: #39, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Sandhurst
Jason Gillbee
AFL Club: GWS GIANTS
Selection: Category B Rookie (NSW Zone)
Community Club: Balranald
Noah Long
AFL Club: West Coast Eagles
Selection: #58, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Echuca
BRISBANE LIONS ACADEMY
Shadeau Brain
AFL Club: Brisbane Lions
Selection: Category B Rookie (Queensland Zone)
Community Club: Noosa
Jaspa Fletcher
AFL Club: Brisbane Lions
Selection: #12, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Sherwood
DANDENONG STINGRAYS
Jaxon Binns
AFL Club: Carlton
Selection: #32, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Berwick
Henry Hustwaite
AFL Club: Hawthorn
Selection: #37, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Rosebud
EASTERN RANGES
Joshua Bennetts
AFL Club: Rowville
Selection: Category B Rookie (Next Generation Academy)
Community Club: Rowville
Lewis Hayes
AFL Club: Essendon
Selection: #25, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: South Belgrave
GEELONG FALCONS
Jhye Clark
AFL Club: Geelong Cats
Selection: #8, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Queenscliff
Ted Clohesy
AFL Club: Geelong Cats
Selection: Category B Rookie (Next Generation Academy)
Community Club: St Joseph’s
Oscar Murdoch
AFL Club: Geelong Cats
Selection: #18, NAB AFL Rookie Draft
Community Club: Newtown & Chilwell
Osca Riccardi
AFL Club: Geelong Cats
Selection: #32, NAB AFL Rookie Draft
Community Club: Newtown & Chilwell
GIPPSLAND POWER
Coby Burgiel
AFL Club: West Coast Eagles
Selection: #29, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Maffra
Bailey Humphrey
AFL Club: Gold Coast SUNS
Selection: #6, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Moe
Max Knobel
AFL Club: Fremantle
Selection: #42, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Maffra
Jacob Konstanty
AFL Club: Sydney Swans
Selection: #20, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Drouin
Cooper Vickery
AFL Club: Sydney Swans
Selection: #27, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Bairnsdale
GWS GIANTS ACADEMY
Nicholas Madden
AFL Club: GWS GIANTS
Selection: Category B Rookie (Northern Academy)
Community Club: Osborne
Harry Rowston
AFL Club: GWS GIANTS
Selection: #16, NAB AFL Draft (Academy selection)
Community Club: Griffith Swans
*Also played NAB League with the Calder Cannons
GWV REBELS
Hugh Bond
AFL Club: Adelaide Crows
Selection: #50, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: North Ballarat
Aaron Cadman
AFL Club: GWS GIANTS
Selection: #1, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Darley
James Van Es
AFL Club: St Kilda
Selection: #31, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: North Ballarat
MURRAY BUSHRANGERS
Brayden George
AFL Club: North Melbourne
Selection: #26, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Wangaratta Rovers
Oliver Hollands
AFL Club: Carlton
Selection: #11, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Wodonga Bulldogs
Caleb Mitchell
AFL Club: Sydney Swans
Selection: #40, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Yarrawonga
NORTHERN KNIGHTS
Cooper Harvey
AFL Club: North Melbourne
Selection: #56, NAB AFL Draft (Father-son selection)
Community Club: Yarrambat
NORTHERN TERRITOY THUNDER ACADEMY
Lloyd Johnston
AFL Club: Gold Coast SUNS
Selection: Category B Rookie (Northern Academy)
Community Club: Wanderers
Anthony Munkara
AFL Club: Essendon
Selection: Category B Rookie (Next Generation Academy)
Community Club: Tiwi Bombers
OAKLEIGH CHARGERS
Alwyn Davey Jr
AFL Club: Essendon
Selection: #45, NAB AFL Draft (Father-son selection)
Community Club: Ashburton
Jayden Davey
AFL Club: Essendon
Selection: #54, NAB AFL Draft (Father-son selection)
Community Club: Ashburton
Blake Drury
AFL Club: North Melbourne
Selection: #1, NAB AFL Rookie Draft
Community Club: Vermont
Max Gruzewski
AFL Club: GWS GIANTS
Selection: #22, NAB AFL Rookie Draft
Community Club: Surrey Park
Matthew Jefferson
AFL Club: Melbourne
Selection: #15, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Ashburton
Bailey Macdonald
AFL Club: Hawthorn
Selection: #51, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Surrey Park
Jack O’Sullivan
AFL Club: Hawthorn
Selection: #46, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Kyneton
Elijah Tsatas
AFL Club: Essendon
Selection: #5, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Surrey Park
George Wardlaw
AFL Club: North Melbourne
Selection: #4, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: St Peter’s
Josh Weddle
AFL Club: Hawthorn
Selection: #18, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Templestowe
SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS
Will Ashcroft
AFL Club: Brisbane Lions
Selection: #2, NAB AFL Draft (Father-son selection)
Community Club: Old Brighton Grammarians
Charlie Clarke
AFL Club: Western Bulldogs
Selection: #24, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Port Melbourne Colts
Olli Hotton
AFL Club: St Kilda
Selection: #35, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Hampton Rover
Cameron Mackenzie
AFL Club: Hawthorn
Selection: #7, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Beaumaris
Angus McLennan
AFL Club: St Kilda
Selection: Category B Rookie (Next Generation Academy)
Community Club: Glen Iris
Toby McMullin
AFL Club: GWS GIANTS
Selection: #34, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Port Fairy
Harry Sheezel
AFL Club: North Melbourne
Selection: #3, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Ajax
SYDNEY SWANS ACADEMY
William Edwards
AFL Club: Sydney Swans
Selection: Category B Rookie (Northern Academy)
Community Club: North Shore Bombers
TASMANIA DEVILS
Seth Campbell
AFL Club: Richmond
Selection: #12, NAB AFL Rookie Draft
Community Club: Burnie
Lachlan Cowan
AFL Club: Carlton
Selection: #30, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Devonport
Tom McCallum
AFL Club: Port Adelaide
Selection: #36, NAB AFL Draft
Community Club: Clarence
Cameron Owen
AFL Club: Sydney Swans
Selection: #17, NAB AFL Rookie Draft
Community Club: Clarence
The NAB AFL Draft is part of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfil their dream of playing in the AFL.
The NAB AFL Rising Stars Program comprises the following elements:
- NAB AFL/W Rising Star
- NAB AFL/W Draft
- NAB AFL/W Draft Combine
- NAB AFL/W Academy
- NAB AFL/W National Championships - U18
- NAB AFL/W National Development Championships - U16
NAB has proudly supported footy for over a decade, providing boys and girls with a clear pathway from NAB AFL Auskick to the big time.
