Adelaide has secured 201cm forward/ruck Toby Murray with Pick No.7 in the AFL’s Mid-Season Rookie Draft on Tuesday night.

The younger brother of Nick who has played 46 AFL games for the Crows, Murray has been part of Adelaide’s SANFL team this season after moving from Victoria.

The 20-year-old is originally from Henty in NSW and played under-18s with the Murray Bushrangers. He also played with Collingwood’s VFL team in 2022, before joining the Wangaratta Rovers in the Ovens and Murray League last year.

This season he joined Nick in Adelaide and has played five SANFL games for the Crows while working full-time.

He kicked four goals against South Adelaide in Round One and had 16 disposals and seven marks against Port Adelaide in Round Five.

His unconventional path to an AFL list is similar to Nick who joined the Crows as a rookie during the AFL’s pre-season supplemental selection period in March, 2021. Their other brother Sam played 13 games for Collingwood in 2018.

In a timely quirk, both Nick and Toby will play together this Saturday, with Nick returning from a knee reconstruction in the SANFL against West Adelaide.

Adelaide’s National Recruiting Manager Hamish Ogilvie described Murray as a versatile key position player who will join the Club on an 18-month contract.

“We’ve had a chance to have a good look at Toby this year and are very pleased with him,” Ogilvie said.

“He’s put on some size and strength while working on a farm full-time which shows a great attitude and appetite for hard work.

“He played strong footy against men for Wangaratta Rovers last year and we think as a 20-year-old 200cm player he’s got plenty of scope and time to improve.

“And it’s an area of the ground we need some support in going forward so it’s pleasing to add to our forward/ruck stocks.”

Murray was Adelaide’s only selection in the mid-season draft.

“We need to keep some list flexibility for what we may want to do at the end of the year so were keen to keep our options open,” Ogilvie said.

“And also with the view to the talent pool in this year’s national draft being quite strong.

“It was never our intention to select three players just for the sake of it or just to bolster our SANFL team.”