Everything you need to know, including how to watch and more on the players who could be snapped up, ahead of the 2026 Telstra AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft on Tuesday, May 26.
What is the AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft?
The Mid-Season Rookie Draft (MSD) is the only chance clubs have during the season to add players to their list. Outside the Trade Period and Telstra AFL Drafts at the end of each season, the only opportunities clubs have to sign new players is during the Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Period – which runs over summer – and the MSD.
The MSD was reintroduced in 2019, having been scrapped way back in 1993. It's designed to limit the impact long-term injuries and premature retirements can have on a club and allow teams to replenish their list for the second half of the season.
When is it?
The MSD will be on Tuesday May 26, from 6.30pm AEST.
How can I watch?
The only place to watch the 2026 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft is on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App, or on the AFL's official YouTube channel. Gettable co-hosts and draft experts Cal Twomey and Riley Beveridge will lead the coverage along with host Nat Edwards from 6.30pm AEST on Tuesday May 26. See every pick as it happens and get instant analysis of what the new signings can mean for the second half of the season.
Who is in contention?
As reported on AFL.com.au last week, Tasmania's Jaxon Artemis is considered one of the favourites to be the No.1 pick and has attracted interest from both Richmond - which had the No.1 pick up until last week - and Essendon, which will now have the top pick.
Tasmania's Max Mapley, Jed Hagan, Jye Menzie and Brandon Leary have also had significant interest from multiple clubs.
To be eligible, players must have nominated for and been overlooked in the national draft last year, been previously listed by an AFL club, or played a minimum of three games in the WAFL, SANFL, TSL or VFL.
See the full list of nominees so far here.
How is the draft order decided?
Like the National Draft, the Mid-Season Draft order is determined by reverse ladder position. The team at the bottom of the ladder after round 11 (assuming it has a list vacancy) gets the No.1 pick, with the second-last team to have the No.2 pick, and so on.
The final draft order is below.
Round 1
1. Essendon
2. Richmond
3. West Coast
4. Carlton
5. Port Adelaide
6. North Melbourne
7. St Kilda
8. Collingwood
9. Western Bulldogs
10. Adelaide
11. Melbourne
12. Hawthorn
Round 2
13. West Coast
14. Port Adelaide
15. Collingwood
16. Melbourne
Round 3
17. Port Adelaide
18. Collingwood
19. Melbourne
Who are the MSD successes from past years?
You only have to look back 12 months to see how quickly mid-season draftees can make an impact at AFL level.
Tom McCarthy (pick No.1), Michael Sellwood (No.5), Archie May (No.6), Oscar Adams (No.7), Roan Steele (No.8) and Cooper Trembath (No.10) were all playing state league footy this time last year, but are now entrenched in their respective AFL sides.
Of the 18 players picked up last year, 15 have since made it into the AFL side, an impressive strike rate for clubs looking for a mid-season boost.
In previous years, John Noble, Sam Durham and Jai Newcombe have all become stars of the competition after being picked up mid-season, while the MSD's most famous success story is Marlion Pickett, who famously debuted in a Grand Final at the age of 27 after being drafted in the middle of that season.