2012 AFL draft


The 2012 AFL draft consisted of five opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2012/13 Australian Football League off-season.
These were:
Of the players not yet eligible for free agency, Kurt Tippett from, Sharrod Wellingham and Chris Dawes from were the highest profile players who were linked to trade discussions. Geelong have reached an agreement with Gold Coast regarding Josh Caddy, which would involve Geelong's mid-first-round compensation pick, for losing Gary Ablett Jr. to the Suns and other picks to be confirmed, with paperwork for this trade to be lodged to the AFL at a later date.

Free agency

During the 2012 AFL season, in the leadup to the first ever free agency trade period, there was speculation about high-profile players who had contracts that expired at the end of the season, including Travis Cloke, Travis Boak, Brendon Goddard and Troy Chaplin. However, during the season, Cloke and Boak both re-signed with their current clubs. Brent Moloney from became the first player to announce that he would become a free agent He was followed by Carlton pair Bret Thornton and Jordan Russell, West Coast's Quinten Lynch and Port Adelaide's Steven Salopek to declare themselves as free agents.
The initial list of free agents, published in March 2012, consisted of 62 unrestricted free agents and 19 restricted free agents. A restricted free agent is a player who has served eight or more seasons of AFL football at one club, is one of the top 25 per cent highest-paid players at his club, and is now out of contract for the first time since reaching eight seasons of service. Unrestricted free agents are players who have been delisted by their club, played more than ten seasons at one AFL club or has played eight or more seasons at one club and is not one of the top 25 per cent highest-paid players at his club. Restricted free agents must allow their current club to match any offer from a rival club, whereas unrestricted free agents are free to sign with any other club.
The final free agents list issued on 27 September in the week before the trade period commenced consisted of 28 unrestricted free agents and six restricted free agents, reflecting the number of players that had either re-signed with their current club or retired from the AFL.
PlayerDateFree agent typeFormer clubNew clubCompensationRef-
Restricted2nd roundRef
Restricted1st round-
Unrestricted--
Restricted2nd round-
Unrestricted3rd round-
Unrestricted--
Unrestricted--
Restricted3rd round-
Unrestricted3rd round-
Unrestricted3rd round-
Delisted--
Delisted--
Delisted--
Delisted--

Trades

Trade #Player and/or picks tradedTraded fromTraded toTraded for
1Draft picks No. 2 and 67
End of first-round compensation pick		GWS Mini-draft pick No. 1
End of first-round compensation pick
2Angus MonfriesDraft pick No.51
3Tom Lee
Draft picks No. 24 and 45		Draft pick No. 12
4Brian Lake
Draft pick No. 27		Draft picks No. 21 and 43
5GWS Mini-draft pick No.2
Dominic Barry
Draft pick No. 20 		Draft picks No. 3 and 14
6Sharrod WellinghamDraft pick No. 18
7Chris Dawes
Draft pick No. 61		Draft picks No. 20 and 47
8Hamish McIntoshDraft pick No. 38
9Josh CaddyFirst-round Compensation pick
Draft pick No. 57
10Angus Graham
Draft pick No. 53 		Draft pick No. 42
11Jack Hombsch
Jake Neade 		Draft pick No. 28
12Tom Hickey
Draft picks No. 25 and 46		Draft picks No. 13, 36 and 55
13Koby StevensDraft pick No. 43
14Greg Broughton
Draft pick No. 58		Draft pick No. 36
15Tom YoungDraft pick No. 69
16David RodanDraft pick No. 88
17Jordan RussellDraft pick No. 69
18Lewis StevensonDraft pick No. 88
19Campbell Heath
Draft pick No. 82		Draft pick No. 70
20Cale MortonDraft pick No. 88
21Aaron EdwardsDraft pick No. 72
22Jordan Gysberts
Draft pick No. 61		Cameron Pedersen
Draft pick No. 72
23Matthew Spangher
Draft pick No. 70		Draft pick No. 64
24Stephen Gilham
Draft picks No. 27 and 63		Jed Anderson
Draft picks No. 28 and 66
25Stefan MartinDraft picks No. 52 and 71
26Draft picks No. 41 and 47Draft pick No. 38
27Trent Dennis-LaneDraft pick No. 46
28Jamie Cripps
Draft pick No. 45		Draft picks No. 40 and 43

Note: the numbering of the draft picks in this trades table may be different to the draft picks known at the time of the trade due to adjustments due to either the insertion of compensation draft picks, Adelaide relinquishing their first two selections or clubs exiting the draft before the later rounds.

Retirements and delistings

NameClubDateNotes
Mutually agreed to part ways with club, failed to meet club expectations on multiple occasions
Retirement, due to on-going back injury, effective immediately
Retirement, effective end of season
Retirement, effective immediately
Retirement, effective immediately
Western BulldogsRetirement, effective immediately
Western BulldogsRetirement, effective immediately
Retirement
Retirement
Retirement
Gold CoastRetirement
Western BulldogsDelisted
Western BulldogsRetirement
Resignation
Retirement
Resignation
Retirement
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Rohan KerrDelisted
Delisted
Retirement
Died
Retirement
Western BulldogsRetirement
Retirement
Retirement, effective following VFL Grand Final
Delisted
North MelbourneDelisted
North MelbourneDelisted
Retired
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Retired
Delisted
Retirement
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
MelbourneDelisted
MelbourneDelisted
MelbourneDelisted
MelbourneDelisted
North MelbourneDelisted
North MelbourneDelisted
North MelbourneDelisted
North MelbourneDelisted
North MelbourneDelisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Delisted
Retired
Contract terminated
Delisted
Delisted

Mini-draft

As part of their entry concessions, was allocated up to four selections in a mini-draft, which could be used to recruit seventeen-year-olds who would not otherwise be eligible for that year's national draft. These players could not play senior AFL football until the 2014 season. GWS could not use these draft picks themselves, but could trade them to other clubs prior to either the 2011 or 2012 AFL Drafts. In 2011, and negotiated trades with GWS for selections in this draft and selected Jaeger O'Meara and Brad Crouch. The two remaining selections for the 2012 mini-draft were obtained by the Gold Coast and Melbourne. Western Australian youngsters Jack Martin and Jesse Hogan were widely expected to be taken with the two Mini-draft picks.
PickPlayerRecruited fromLeague:Category:Australian Football League clubs|Club
1Jack MartinClaremont Football ClubWAFL
2Jesse HoganClaremont Football ClubWAFL

2012 national draft

The 2012 AFL national draft was held on 22 November at the Gold Coast Convention Centre.
During the free agency and trade period, the Adelaide Football Club was investigated for draft tampering and breaches of the salary cap relating to the 2009 contract extension of Kurt Tippett, who was seeking a trade. Adelaide was likely to incur a loss of draft picks, among other penalties, if found guilty, but the AFL Commission was yet to complete its hearing into the matter when the National Draft was held, so the club was permitted to participate in this year's draft as normal. However, on the day before the draft, the club voluntarily relinquished its highest two remaining selections as a "gesture of goodwill" ahead of the hearing. When the final penalties were handed down on 30 November, Adelaide was also stripped of its first and second round draft picks in the 2013 National Draft, as well as receiving a fine; Tippett received an 11-match suspension, and a fine.
Notes:
The 2013 AFL pre-season draft was held on 11 December 2012.

2013 rookie draft

The 2013 AFL rookie draft was held on 11 December 2012.