2008 AFL draft


The 2008 AFL draft consisted of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2008/09 Australian Football League off-season. These were trade week, the national draft, the pre-season draft and the rookie draft. It was considered to be the last uncompromised draft before the draft concessions given to the and expansion teams restrict the existing AFL clubs' access to the best young players in the future years drafts.

Player changes

Trades

Throughout the year there was much speculation about high-profile players such as Jonathan Brown, Alan Didak and Daniel Kerr being likely to be traded during the AFL's annual trading period, but each re-signed with their clubs before the trading period started. The main discussions during trade week were the surprise request by Ryan O'Keefe to be traded from Sydney, as well as the destination of young Fremantle ruckman Robert Warnock, both of whom wished to be traded back to their home city of Melbourne. Other players to request trades include Andrew Lovett, Brent Prismall, Mark Seaby, Farren Ray, Josh Carr and Daniel Harris.
North Melbourne surprised many early in the week by naming Hamish McIntosh and Corey Jones as players available to trade, with McIntosh later being withdrawn from the offer after a backlash from his manager and club legend Glenn Archer.
Like most years, no trades were completed during the first three days of the trade week and for the first time the AFL was requested to assist by providing a mediator to solve the stand-off between Fremantle and Carlton over the Warnock deal. Carlton had offered its second round selection, #24 overall, but Fremantle wanted its first round selection, the sixth overall. On the final day of trade week Warnock was traded. The deal included Fremantle's pick No. 69, in exchange for Carlton's picks 24, 56 and 72.
In total only six trades were completed, with O'Keefe, Lovett, Seaby, Carr and Harris unable to finalise deals during the week. The low number of completed trades prompted calls by the AFLPA for a form of free agency to be introduced, although it could be explained as a one-off event due to a combination of the high regard for the players available in year's draft and the impending concessions to be given to the expansion teams, and in the coming years.
PlayerOriginal club:Category:Australian Football League clubs|New clubTraded for
Adam Thomsondraft pick #42
Rhyce Shaw and draft pick #61draft pick #46
Anthony Corriedraft pick #93
Farren Ray and draft pick #48draft pick #31
Brent Prismalldraft pick #39
Robert Warnock and draft pick #69draft pick #24, #56 and #72

Retirements and delistings

2008 national draft

The 2008 national draft was held on 29 November. Melbourne finished the 2008 AFL season in last position and had the first selection in the draft. As both Melbourne and West Coast Eagles won less than 5 games during the season, they were eligible for a priority pick. As this was the first year in which they qualified, the priority pick was allocated between the first and second rounds of selections.
Ayce Cordy was the first player selected in the draft as the only father–son selection. The Western Bulldogs had to use their 1st round selection, #14, to secure him after St Kilda bid their #1st round selection for him. His father, Brian, played 124 games for the Bulldogs in the 1980s.
The top two selections were widely tipped to be Jack Watts and Nic Naitanui, with Daniel Rich, Ty Vickery, Stephen Hill, Chris Yarran and Hamish Hartlett to fill the next few selections.
RoundPickPlayerRecruited fromLeague:Category:Australian Football League clubs|Club
11Jack WattsSandringham DragonsTAC Cup
12Nic NaitanuiSwan DistrictsWAFL
13Stephen HillWest PerthWAFL
14Hamish HartlettWest AdelaideSANFL
15Michael HurleyNorthern KnightsTAC Cup
16Chris YarranSwan DistrictsWAFL
17Daniel RichSubiacoWAFL
18Ty VickerySandringham DragonsTAC Cup
19Jack ZiebellMurray BushrangersTAC Cup
110Phil DavisNorth AdelaideSANFL
111Steele SidebottomMurray BushrangersTAC Cup
112Lewis JohnstonNorth AdelaideSANFL
113Tom LynchSandringham DragonsTAC Cup
114 Ayce CordyGeelong FalconsTAC Cup
115Mitchell BrownSandringham DragonsTAC Cup
116Ryan SchoenmakersNorwoodSANFL
Priority17Sam BleaseEastern RangesTAC Cup
Priority18Luke ShueyOakleigh ChargersTAC Cup
219James StraussOakleigh ChargersTAC Cup
220Tom SwiftClaremontWAFL
221Hayden BallantynePeel ThunderWAFL
222Jackson TrengoveCalder CannonsTAC Cup
223David ZaharakisNorthern KnightsTAC Cup
224Nick SubanNorth Ballarat RebelsTAC Cup
225Jack ReddenGlenelgSANFL
226Jayden PostWestern JetsTAC Cup
227Sam WrightMurray BushrangersTAC Cup
228Shaun McKernanCalder CannonsTAC Cup
229Dayne BeamsSouthportQAFL
230Dan HanneberyOakleigh ChargersTAC Cup
231Jordan RougheadNorth Ballarat RebelsTAC Cup
232Liam JonesNorth HobartTFL
233Tom GilliesDandenong StringraysTAC Cup
234Liam ShielsEastern RangesTAC Cup
335Jamie BennellSwan DistrictsWAFL
336Ashley SmithDandenong StingraysTAC Cup
337Zac ClarkeOakleigh ChargersTAC Cup
338Matthew BroadbentWoodville-West TorrensSANFL
339Steven MotlopWanderersNTFL
340Mitch RobinsonTasmanian DevilsVFL
341Todd BanfieldSwan DistrictsWAFL
342Mitch BannerWestern JetsTAC Cup
343Liam AnthonyEast FremantleWAFL
344Rory SloaneEastern RangesTAC Cup
345Jarrad BlightSwan DistrictsWAFL
346Luke RoundsGeelong FalconsTAC Cup
347Rhys StanleyWest AdelaideSANFL
348Nicholas HeyneGippsland PowerTAC Cup
349Taylor HuntSandringham DragonsTAC Cup
350Jordan LisleOakleigh ChargersTAC Cup
451Neville JettaSwan DistrictsWAFL
452Jordan JonesGeelong FalconsTAC Cup
453Michael WaltersSwan DistrictsWAFL
454Jarrad ReddenWoodville-West TorrensSANFL
455Michael StillNorthern KnightsTAC Cup
456Ben BucovazGeelong FalconsTAC Cup
457Aaron CorneliusTasmanian DevilsVFL
458Tom HislopEssendonAFL
459Nathan O'KeefeEastern RangesTAC Cup
460Tom LeeClaremontWAFL
461Campbell HeathGippsland PowerTAC Cup
462Alistair SmithPerthWAFL
463Luke LowdenSandringham DragonsTAC Cup
564Rohan BailMount GravattQAFL
565Rhys O'KeeffeNorth AdelaideSANFL
566Glenn DawsonWoodville-West TorrensSANFL
567Tyson SlatteryWest AdelaideSANFL
568Tim RufflesNorth Ballarat RebelsTAC Cup
569Bart McCullochSouth LauncestonTFL
570Pass
571Warren BenjaminClaremontWAFL
572Will YoungNorth Ballarat RebelsTAC Cup
573Leigh BrownNorth MelbourneAFL
574Paul CahillSturtSANFL
575Shane SavageDandenong StingraysTAC Cup
676Pass
677Chris HallWoodville-West TorrensSANFL
678Jason DavenportGeelongAFL
679Pass
680Caleb TillerMurray BushrangersTAC Cup
681Kieran KingEast FremantleWAFL
682Pass
683Colm BegleyBrisbane LionsAFL
784Pass
785Pass

2009 pre-season draft

The pre-season draft was held on 16 December 2008 and most pre-draft interest was on whether or not former West Coast Eagles captain and Brownlow Medal winner Ben Cousins would be selected by the Richmond Football Club. Richmond, the only club to show interest in recruiting Cousins, had one selection in the pre-season draft. In the week leading up to the pre-season draft, Richmond requested to have Graham Polak moved to the rookie list, to free up an additional list space and give them a second selection in the pre-season draft. The request was similar to one made by and granted to the Essendon Football Club a few years earlier with respect to Adam Ramanauskas, but there were key differences which led to Richmond's request being rejected by the AFL and a majority of rival clubs on December 15. Although Richmond had maintained throughout the previous week that it would draft Cousins only if its request to put Polak on the rookie list was granted, they selected Cousins anyway with their only selection in the pre-season draft. Josh Carr's return to Port Adelaide was the other major player move.
RoundPickPlayerRecruited fromLeague:Category:Australian Football League clubs|Club
11Liam JurrahYuendumuCAFL
12Josh CarrAFL
13Hayden SkipworthBendigo BombersVFL
14Chris JohnsonAFL
15Tom RockliffMurray BushrangersTAC Cup
16Ben CousinsWest Coast EaglesAFL

2009 rookie draft

Due to the expansion in the number of rookie places available for clubs to use - from the previous maximum of six players to the maximum of eight rookies and veteran listed players combined - the 2009 rookie draft featured more selections than usual.

Rookie elevation

A total of 15 players were promoted from their respective clubs' rookie lists to the club's primary lists at the conclusion of the 2008 season.
PlayerRecruited from:Category:Australian Football League clubs|Club
Woodville-West Torrens
Morningside
North Ballarat
Gippsland Power
Perth
Bendigo Bombers
Norwood
Central District
North Adelaide
Woodville-West Torrens
Gippsland Power
Gippsland Power
Calder Cannons
Oakleigh Chargers
Claremont

Selections by league

National and pre-season draft selection totals by leagues:
LeaguePlayers
selected
State
TAC Cup40VIC
WAFL16WA
SANFL13SA
VFL3VIC
TFL2TAS
QAFL2QLD
NTFL1NT
CAFL1NT