The Cats will go into this Wednesday’s NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft with one selection available, as Geelong List Manager Andrew Mackie look’s to navigate the impact Covid has had on many draft hopefuls.
Club list managers will be on virtual hook up from 6.30pm Wednesday event with West Coast Eagles and North Melbourne currently in possession of the first two selections.
Draft order is based on reverse ladder order, with the Cats' selection to fall in the 10-14 range depending on what other clubs do. Clubs are not obligated to use their selection and may chose to keep the list spot open.
Speaking exclusively to geelongcats.com.au, Mackie said he and his team had been working toward draft day since late last year.
“The preparations go back to post the National Draft & Rookie Draft last year, when we decided to leave a rookie spot free,” Mackie said.
“The strategy around that was to see if any players who had missed an opportunity through the draft, whether that being Covid impacts or other reasons, were able to play early this year and show what they are capable of and that we had the flexibility to add one of them if we decided to do so.”
Earlier this year clubs were given the option of signing a SSP (Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Period) player, or a train-on player, essentially anyone who had gone through the draft, or a mature age player, but the club ultimately elected to keep their powder dry until Wednesday night.
As for the club’s priorities on the night, Mackie said it’s an ongoing conversation between the list management committee, including coach Chris Scott and his broader team, and the club has yet to settle on one particular player.
“From a List Management point of view we have continual talks with the coaches around what our List needs are, and we'll continue to have those chats right throughout the week,” he said.
“Ultimately we're just trying to make our list better."
See every NAB AFL Mid-Season Draft pick live and exclusively on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App on Wednesday June 1 from 6.30pm AEST.
FINAL MID-SEASON ROOKIE DRAFT ORDER
ROUND ONE
1. West Coast (via Oscar Allen injury)
2. North Melbourne (via Miller Bergman injury)
3. Essendon (via Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti retirement)
4. Adelaide (via Rory Sloane injury)
5. GWS Giants (via Josh Fahey injury)
6. Hawthorn (via open list spot)
7. Gold Coast (via Ben King injury)
8. Port Adelaide (via Jake Pasini injury)
9. Collingwood (via Nathan Kreuger injury)
10. Richmond (via Josh Caddy retirement)
11. Sydney (via open list spot)
12. Geelong (via open list spot)
13. Carlton (via open list spot)
14. St Kilda (via Nick Coffield injury)
15. Fremantle (via open list spot)
ROUND TWO
16. West Coast (via Luke Edwards injury)
17. North Melbourne (via Tom Lynch retirement)
18. Essendon (via Nik Cox injury)
19. Adelaide (via Paul Seedsman injury)
20. Hawthorn (via Tyler Brockman injury)
21. Collingwood (via Jordan Roughead retirement)
22. Carlton (via Oscar McDonald injury)
23. Fremantle (via Jye Amiss injury)
