Crows finalise 2016 squad
Ruck stocks bolstered: Ogilvie

Who they drafted: Paul Hunter (Redland), Jonathon Beech (West Adelaide), Hugh Greenwood, Alex Keath

Summary: The Crows had already committed to officially drafting Category B rookies Greenwood and Keath, who join the AFL ranks from basketball and cricket respectively. In 25-year-old Beech, the Club gets a strong-marking forward, but a player who can push higher up the ground as well. He's an established SANFL performer. Hunter adds some extra ruck depth at West Lakes, complementing Luke Lowden and Reilly O'Brien along with No.1 ruckman Sam Jacobs.

What the club says: "We identified the need to bolster our options in the ruck and we have been tracking Paul for some time during which he has shown great improvement. 'Jono' (Beech) was unlucky not to be selected last year and since then he has continued to work tirelessly and his SANFL performances have been outstanding." – recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie

Rookie profile: Paul Hunter
Rookie profile: Jonathon Beech

Who they drafted: Jackson Paine (Lions), Reuben William (Zillmere)

Summary: The Lions had already agreed to re-rookie Paine after an injury-ravaged 2015. It will be his third year at the club and adds another tall forward that could potentially battle for that third spot alongside Josh Walker and Josh Schache. William is another product of the Lions' academy and adds speed as a running defender.

What the club says: "Jackson was playing well this year until he hurt his ankle and we thought he deserved another chance. Reuben is a very good player and we were very close to taking him in the National Draft and were very pleased he got through. He's played a lot of NEAFL for us and has overcome a bit of OP (osteitis pubis) he had at the end of the season. It's great to get another academy player on our list." - CEO Greg Swann 

Who they drafted: Jesse Glass-McCasker (Swan Districts), Andrew Gallucci (Williamstown)

Summary: In Glass-McCasker, the Blues have a 195cm running defender from Western Australia. Every team loves someone that can run and carry and the 18-year-old fits that bill. Gallucci comes from Williamstown and adds some bite around the forward line – something the Blues badly need.

What the club says: "With the first pick you have a look where you may be a bit short on your list, but you pick best player, and we thought Jesse was the next best developing tall defender. Those guys can take a bit longer, so to get Jesse as a rookie is perfect. Andrew's mature-age, if you call 22 mature-age, but he's got some real pace, a few tricks, so we're happy to add a goalkicker who can also pressure. It's nice for Andrew to get an opportunity after missing out a few years ago." - list manager Stephen Silvagni. 

Who they drafted: Lachlan Keeffe (Collingwood), Josh Smith (Redland), Josh Thomas (Collingwood), Tim Golds (Greater Western Sydney), Darrean Wyatt

Summary: The Magpies stuck to their plans and took Lachie Keeffe and Josh Thomas, despite the pair not being eligible to play until 2017 after they tested positive to the banned drug clenbuterol. Josh Smith, 21, has an elite endurance base and was a member of the NEAFL Team of the Year, with the Magpies a big fan of his dedication and determined attitude towards bettering himself. Golds played six games for the Giants over four seasons before being delisted at the end of 2015. He trained with Collingwood ahead of the draft and the Pies believe he deserved another opportunity at the top level. Wyatt comes to the club after playing college basketball in the US.

What the club says: To come

Who they drafted: Gach Nyuon (Dandenong Stingrays), Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (Essendon VFL), Will Hams (Essendon), Tom Wallis (Calder Cannons)

Summary: The Bombers have added to their ruck stocks by selecting exciting Sudanese-born ruckman and under-18 All Australian Gach Nyuon with their first pick. They have also recruited popular Essendon VFL defender Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti as reward for consistent performances over the past couple of years. The Bombers have re-drafted Will Hams after he was a late delisting. To round out their rookie draft they have picked up midfielder Tom Wallis, son of two-time premiership player Dean Wallis.

What the club says: To come

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti in action for Essendon VFL. Picture: AFL Media

Who they drafted: Matthew Uebergang (Redland), Ryan Nyhuis (Nightcliff), Anthony Morabito (Fremantle), Josh Deluca (Fremantle)

Summary: The Dockers had committed to re-drafting Anthony Morabito and Josh Deluca after both were delisted. Both men have been training with the club this week. Morabito looks in great shape after missing all of last season while Deluca endured an injury-ravaged first season on the list and will be given more time to develop on the rookie list. The Dockers have added two defenders with their first two picks. Queenslander Matthew Uebergang stands at 194cm and can play at both ends, while Ryan Nyhuis is a 188cm defender from the Northern Territory who can move through the midfield. 

What the club says: "Matthew (Uebergang) is a really good-sized player. We've seen him play forward in previous years but this year he played a really good role for Redlands down back. At 194cm we like his pace off the mark and his agility, plus he uses the ball nicely. Ryan (Nyhuis) played predominantly for NT Thunder. He is a really good-sized backman, a really good athlete with his agility and balance. We look forward to welcoming (Anthony Morabito and Josh Deluca) back onto the playing list. We're really excited about our mix. From a list management point of view, we feel we've really added through the midfield, a couple of tall boys and some goal-kickers." - Fremantle list manager Brad Lloyd

Who they drafted: Jock Cornell (Mangoplah Cue), James Parsons (Eastern Ranges), Tom Ruggles (Geelong VFL)

Summary: Cornell is a midfielder who can also push into the forward line. At 187cm, he is renowned for the way he views the game and makes the right decisions under pressure. The cousin of Essendon forward Joe Daniher (his mother is the sister of the four Daniher brothers Terry, Neale, Chris and Anthony), Cornell was both a GWS academy and NAB AFL Academy member. Parsons played mainly across half-back but also pushed onto the wing for Vic Metro where he displayed his elite speed. Winning last year's best and fairest for Geelong's VFL team was enough to convince the Cats to give Tom Ruggles a chance to prove himself at the top level. Ruggles, 23, is a determined small defender who could come in and fill that role straight away if given an opportunity.

What the club says: "We got a nice mixture of players, some talls, experience and young developing guys who can play in a variety of positions. We think we've got a good balance." – Geelong recruiting manager Stephen Wells 

Who they drafted: Tom Keough (West Adelaide); Darcy MacPherson (Northern Knights); Ryan Davis (Swan Districts); Cameron Loersch (South Fremantle); Danny Stanley (Gold Coast); Jesse Joyce (Palm Beach Currumbin).

Summary: With a clean slate of rookies, the Suns needed a bit of everything. Aside from the reliable Stanley being re-rookied, they acquired a tall defender in Keogh, nippy midfielder in MacPherson (the Dogs passed on him as a father-son selection), mature midfielder in Davis who has played a handful of games for West Coast, project forward in Loersch and a small defender in academy product Joyce.

What the club says: "Tom is a tall defender from West Adelaide. He played in a Grand Final over there and was South Australia's best player in the state game this year against Western Australia. We think he can have an impact at AFL level, straight away. Darcy plays with great energy, he’s got super agility, a huge work rate and a great appetite to tackle. Ryan played at West Coast a few years ago before going back to WAFL level where he refined his game. Loersch is 202cm, he’s big, strong, a great contested mark and very competitive. Jesse is just a hard working local boy who has been really effective at NEAFL level. Has good footy IQ, he’s a good decision maker, he’s a good kick, prides himself on his skills and he will stick to the task." - recruiting manager Dom Ambrogio 

Who they drafted: Sam Reid (UWS Giants), Daniel Lloyd (Killarney Vale AFC)

Summary: Two surprise selections for the Giants, who gave a third chance to Reid, and a Hail Mary to Lloyd. Reid has spent the past two seasons at the clubin a development role and captained the reserves side last year, where he was regularly amongst the best players. Lloyd attracted the attention of GWS assistant coach Mark McVeigh in 2014, and although raw, he adds some experience to the young list.

What the club says: "Sam and Daniel both deserve their opportunities on the rookie list and have shown great perseverance in their careers so far. They add some experience and maturity and compliment the make up of our list for the 2016 season." – general manager football Graeme Allan

Who they drafted: Luke Surman (Norwood), Kade Stewart (South Fremantle), Alex Woodward (Hawthorn), Conor Glass

Summary: The club will offer Woodward another season to recover from his knee reconstruction, while they clearly want to see more of Surman – a tall South Australian defender. At 197cm he can also play in the ruck and the Hawks also see him as a possible forward option. Stewart's a neat-kicking inside midfielder who performed for Western Australia this year. Hawthorn also officially selected Irishman Conor Glass, although he's been training with the Hawks for some time.

What the club says:"We think Luke will play as a ruck-forward - he’s well developed physically and only 17 years old…he’s a really competitive player - his ruck work is really good, he’s strong overhead and kicks the ball well for a big man. [Kade's] a left-footer, a very good user of the ball and good overhead for his size. He's pretty tough and competitive…he needs to work on his body - he's only 70 kilograms, so he needs to put some weight on - but he has genuine talent." – recruiting and list manager Graham Wright

Who they drafted: Joshua Wagner (Aspley), Viv Michie (Melbourne), Joel Smith

Summary:Wagner – the 21-year-old brother of recent North Melbourne draftee Corey – showed some promise during his junior career but was hampered by groin injuries and was overlooked at the time. His last two seasons at Aspley in the NEAFL have been really strong and the Demons view him as a player who could slot in as a rebounding defender. The Demons committed to picking Michie, who played 11 games last season, after delisting him from the senior list after the season. Smith, the son of former high-flying Demon Shaun, has already been training at the club after Melbourne secured the 19-year-old as a category B rookie.

What the club says:"When you look at the list in its entirety we were able to add some talls and we're starting to build depth in most areas. We needed depth in our key position stocks, particularly forward, so we've been able to achieve that through the trade and draft periods." – recruiting manager Jason Taylor 

Who they drafted: Farren Ray (St Kilda), Majak Daw (North Melbourne)

Summary: After picking up five young draftees on Tuesday night in the NAB AFL Draft, along with three others 12 months ago, this year's preliminary finalists have opted to add depth to their midfield brigade with Ray. The ex-Saint and Bulldog brings with him 205 games of experience and will be able to slot into their side if they are hit with injuries. They've also stood by Daw, who is currently facing rape charges in court, having playing 16 games in four years with the club.

What the club says: "We're rapt to have been able to pick up Farren in the rookie draft and believe he will be a valuable addition. Farren will add some more depth, experience and leadership to our list. He is an elite runner and with the trading of Ryan Bastinac to the Lions, we felt Farren would give us more options and coverage in a wing role." – list manager Cameron Joyce

Who they drafted: Will Snelling (West Adelaide), Cameron Hewett (North Adelaide), Dan Houston (Oakleigh Chargers), Kane Mitchell (Port Adelaide)

Summary: The club promised to re-draft Mitchell and so back onto the rookie list he goes. In Snelling, the Power adds a seasoned SANFL midfielder who helped West Adelaide to a premiership this year. Just like Sam Colquhoun, Snelling won South Australia's MVP at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships only to be overlooked at the draft and then rookie-listed by the Power. Hewett and Houston provide further depth at either end of the ground. 

What the club says: "West Adelaide speak very highly of [Snelling], as does Brenton Phillips, he played all year with the Bloods in the League, culminating with a premiership. He’s used to SANFL-grade footy and can come in and start training with our players straight away. Cameron’s a lean, wiry frame, and it’s going to take him a few pre-seasons to start putting some size on. Dan’s had a good two seasons at TAC Cup level and represented Vic Metro as a forward. He leads smartly, has a good pair of hands and kicks accurately." - recruiting manager Geoff Parker. 

Who they drafted: Callum Moore (Calder Cannons), Mabior Chol (Aspley), Adam Marcon (Williamstown)

Summary: The Tigers addressed their need for a small forward on Tuesday night with Daniel Rioli, versatility with Oleg Markov and added another mature body to their midfield with Nathan Broad, so they went with a key position pair Moore and Chol – one of three Sudanese players to be rookied - first on Thursday, before adding 23-year-old Williamstown midfielder Marcon as further ready-made depth.

What the club says: To come

Mabior Chol was one of three Sudanese-born players taken in the rookie draft. Picture: AFL Media

Who they drafted: Nick O'Kearney (Calder Cannons), Nick Coughlan (Albury), Josh Saunders (St Kilda)

Summary: Speedy midfielder Jade Gresham headlined their choices on Tuesday, ahead of mid-sized defenders Brandon White and father-son Bailey Rice. On Wednesday, they added two more midfielders – O'Kearney, a competitive small mid, and Saunders, who has been retained as a Saint after three years on the senior list – and a key position prospect in Coughlan who can play at either end and spent this year as a top-age player for the Murray Bushrangers and with Footscray's VFL team after being overlooked 12 months ago.

What the club says: To come

Who they drafted: Tom Papley (Gippsland Power), Harry Marsh (Sydney Swans), Kyle Galloway (Shepparton), Sam Murray (Wodonga Raiders), Colin O'Riordan (Irish International rookie)

Summary: The Swans have continued their push towards elite foot skills and speed by taking Papley and Murray, while the 209cm, 105kg Galloway gives them yet another ruckman to develop. Papley and Murray also fit the mould of a small forward that the Swans need to complement their talls in Lance Franklin, Kurt Tippett and Callum Sinclair.

What the club says: "Papley is a small forward who played 15 games for Gippsland Power in the TAC Cup and kicked 33 goals for the season. Throughout the course of the year he booted 41 goals from 70 shots after starting the season as a midfielder." – sydneyswans.com.au

"Kyle [Galloway] is quite a unique player, having not played too many games of AFL, but he displays all of the attributes we're looking for in a ruckman – he's tall, a good size with a great reach and he's deceptively agile. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find players who are capable of playing AFL footy in the ruck but with his height and size we think Kyle is certainly worth a punt. We’re also pleased to bring Sam [Murray] on to our list as we know he attracted a lot of attention in the back half of the season. Sam is a 189cm left-footer who can play as a half-forward or on the wing – he's got great speed and has a real knack for kicking goals. Sam showed great character this year after being overlooked for the Murray Bushrangers squad. He persevered, worked on the areas he needed to and was rewarded with a breakout season playing for the Wodonga Raiders and now has an opportunity on our rookie list." - Swans recruiting manager Kinnear Beatson

Who they drafted: Jordan Snadden (East Fremantle), Brant Colledge (West Coast) Alec Waterman (West Coast), Simon Tunbridge (West Coast)

Summary: The Eagles didn't have any specific needs and were committed to re-drafting Brant Colledge and Alec Waterman after their delisting in October but they also re-drafted utility Simon Tunbridge. He played in round two last season but badly damaged his ankle and missed the rest of the season. Jordan Snadden is the only new face. A 188cm inside midfielder who has been a member of the NAB AFL Academy, Snadden excelled in the athletic testing at the Combine, topping the standing vertical jump results and finishing top-10 in the running vertical jump, 20m sprint and repeat sprints. 

What the club says: "Jordan is a young player that we believe has plenty of upside, which is exactly what you are looking for in the rookie draft. He is a strong built, left-footed midfielder with good pace and skills. Perhaps other recruiters didn’t think he had as good a year as other players around him and that’s why he slipped this late, but we were thrilled to snag him when we did." - WA recruiting scout Trevor Woodhouse

Who they drafted: Bradley Lynch (Swan Districts), Luke Goetz (Altona), Jed Adcock (Brisbane Lions)

Summary: Adcock's experience will be massive for the young Bulldogs and if he can play over 10 games for the club it will be a bonus. His impact off the field will be just as important as his game time. Lynch gives the club another running defender to develop with captain Bob Murphy and Matthew Boys nearing the end of their careers, while Goetz adds to the Dogs' big man depth.

What the club says: "Lynch is a raw rebounding defender from Swan Districts (WAFL) who is a good decision-maker and possesses excellent foot skills on both sides of the body. Tested in the elite category for both speed and agility. Goetz is a 202cm developing ruckman with excellent athleticism, highlighted by above average results in both speed and endurance testing. Adcock is a 206-game former captain of Brisbane who possesses excellent leadership and ability to play in all three areas of the ground." – westernbulldogs.com.au