News Line Australia
The mid-season rookie draft will remain in similar format to 2019 after the AFL consulted clubs and the AFL Players Association about the feasibility of running three in 2021.
The proposal would have meant one draft per month held after rounds four, eight and 12 next year.
Richmond’s Marlion Pickett was the fairytale story of the 2019 mid-season draft.Credit:Getty Images
The idea had received cautious support from clubs in a survey the AFL conducts at the end of each season, with more than half the teams wanting the AFL to put the idea on the table and explore it further.
But with the uncertainty surrounding the starting times of state league competitions around the country and the NAB League, which will be an under-19s competition in 2021, starting later than it has in previous years, industry sources said there was a recognition that players would have different levels of exposure depending on the compeition they played in.
