A TOTAL of 83 new players were selected by AFL clubs as part of the 2021 NAB AFL National, Rookie and Pre-Season Drafts.

Despite a second year of football affected by COVID-19, more than 860 draft nominations were received from players in every state and territory with players selected from across the country and included international representation from Ireland.

>> SCROLL TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR DRAFTEES PLAYED THEIR JUNIOR FOOTY

Players were selected from every state and territory across Australia with two international players selected from Ireland.

Victoria Metro - 28 players
Victoria Country - 17 players
Western Australia - 16 players
South Australia - 13 players
Northern Territory - 3 players
New South Wales - 1 player
ACT - 1 player
Queensland - 1 player
Tasmania - 1 player
International - 2 players

Josh Ward playing for Vic Metro in an U19 game against Vic Country in June 2021. Picture: AFL Photos

A total of eight First Nations players were selected, headlined by the 11th overall pick Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (St Kilda). Jesse Motlop (Carlton), Arthur Jones (Western Bulldogs), Marcus Windhager (St Kilda), Eric Benning (Fremantle), Jase Burgoyne (Port Adelaide), Jack Peris (St Kilda) and Josiah Kyle (St Kilda) join AFL lists in 2022.

In a historic moment for the AFL, three players with African origins were selected in the first round after Mac Andrew (Gold Coast) was picked up with selection five, Neil Erasmus (Fremantle) with selection 10 and mature-age Leek Aleer (Greater Western Sydney) with selection 15.

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With the selection of Domanic Akuei (Carlton) in the NAB AFL Rookie Draft, he became the third Australian player of Sudanese descent to be joining an AFL list in 2022 after Mac Andrew (Gold Coast) and Leek Aleer (GWS).

Carlton was the last team to enter the draft when it selected Motlop with pick No.27, but that was nowhere near as late as West Coast's draft entry point in 2020 when it came in with pick 52. Coincidentally, the year before that, St Kilda's first draft pick was 52, and Hawthorn also entered the draft with pick 52 in 2018.

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2021 NAB AFL DRAFT        

  1. NTH Jason Horne-Francis - Christie Beach FC
  2. WBD Sam Darcy - Glen Iris FC / Scotch College  
  3. GWS Finn Callaghan - Mordialloc-Braeside / St. Bede's College
  4. COL Nicholas Daicos - Kew Rovers
  5. GCS Mac Andrew - Berwick FC / St. Joseph’s Ferntree Gully   
  6. ADE Joshua Rachele - Shepparton Swans / Caulfield Grammar
  7. HAW Joshua Ward - Fitzroy JFC / Melbourne Grammar
  8. FRE Jye Amiss - Bussellton FC
  9. RIC Joshua Gibcus - Eastpoint FC / St. Pat’s College
  10. FRE Neil Erasmus - Sorrento-Duncraig FC / Hale
  11. STK Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera - Marion FC
  12. POR Joshua Sinn - East Brighton JFC / Old Xavierians
  13. ESS Benjamin Hobbs - Horsham Demons FC / Ballarat Clarendon College
  14. WCE Campbell Chesser - Lavington Panthers FC / Melbourne Grammar
  15. GWS Leek Aleer - Central Districts, SANFL  
  16. BRI Darcy Wilmot - Montmorency FC / Hazelglen College
  17. RIC Tom Brown - Mooroopna FC / Geelong Grammar
  18. SYD Angus Sheldrick - Mosman Park JFC / Christ Church Grammar
  19. MEL Jacob Van Rooyen - Claremont, WAFL
  20. BRI Kai Lohmann - Lake Wendoree FC / St Pats
  21. FRE Matthew Johnson - North Beaches JFC
  22. NTH Josh Goater - Sunbury FC / Sunbury College
  23. HAW Sam Butler - Lake Wendoree FC / St. Pat's College
  24. GEE Toby Conway - St. Mary’s FC / Geelong Grammar
  25. GEE Mitchell Knevitt - Grovedale FC / Grovedale College
  26. HAW Connor Macdonald - Doveton FC / Haileybury College
  27. CAR Jesse Motlop - South Coogee JFC / Aquinas College
  28. RIC Tyler Sonsie - Lysterfield JFC / Rowville FC
  29. RIC Samuel Banks - Clarence FC
  30. RIC Judson Clarke - East Ringwood FC / Yarra Valley Grammar
  31. WCE Brady Hough - Harvey FC
  32. GEE James Willis - Ingle Farm FC/ The Heights School
  33. STK Mitchito Owens - Beaumaris FC / Mentone Grammar
  34. SYD Matthew Roberts - Langhorne Creek FC/ St. Peters College
  35. NTH Paul Curtis - Melton South FNC / Keilor FC
  36. ADE Jake Soligo - Lysterfield JFC / Dromana FC
  37. WCE Rhett Bazzo - Guilford Grammar
  38. NTH Miller Bergman - Berwick FC / Mazenod College
  39. MEL Blake Howes - Mordialloc-Braeside / Parkdale FC / St. Bede's
  40. SYD Corey Warner - Willetton JFC / Aquinas College
  41. BRI James Tunstill - Bussellton JFC / Bunbury Grammar School  
  42. GWS Joshua Fahey - Queanbeyan FC  
  43. WBD Arthur Jones - Claremont  
  44. ADE Zac Taylor - Oak Park / Penola Catholic College  
  45. COL Arlo Draper - Willunga FC  
  46. ESS Alastair Lord - Norwood  
  47. STK Marcus Windhager - Beaumaris FC / Haileybury College  
  48. GEE Flynn Kroeger - Eastern Ranges  
  49. COL Cooper Murley - Tea Tree Gully FC  
  50. ESS Garrett Mcdonagh - Richmond  
  51. STK Oscar Adams - South Gambier FC-Mount Gambier  
  52. COL Harvey Harrison - Tyndale Christian College
  53. HAW Jai Serong - Warragul FC / Geelong Grammar  
  54. FRE Eric Benning - Waringarri Crows  
  55. POR Hugh Jackson - Crystal Brook FC  
  56. POR Dante Visentini - Xavier College  
  57. WCE Jack Williams - Rossmoyne FC  
  58. SYD Lachlan Rankin - Beverley Hills JFC / Caulfield Grammar  
  59. NTH Jackson Archer - Northern Knights  
  60. POR Jase Burgoyne - Woodville-West Torrens, SANFL  
  61. WBD Luke Cleary - Beaumaris FC  
  62. WCE Greg Clark - Subiaco             
  63. GCS Charlie Constable - Geelong Cats            
  64. GEE Cooper Whyte - Grovedale FC / Grovedale College  
  65. MEL Taj Woewodin - Booragoon JFC/Coorparoo JAFC-QAFL          

2021 NAB AFL PRE-SEASON DRAFT    

3. Gold Coast Rory Thompson - Gold Coast  
4. Adelaide Luke Nankervis - Sandringham Dragons             

2021 NAB AFL ROOKIE DRAFT - Pre-Selected Category B Rookies  
INTERNATIONAL          
Hawthorn Fionn O'Hara - Westmeath County     
Geelong Oisin Mullin - Mayo             
NGA, ACADEMY, QUEENSLAND& NSW BASED ZONE      
Carlton  Domanic Akuei - Northern Knights     
Melbourne Andy Moniz-Wakefield - NT Thunder     
St Kilda Josiah Kyle - Dandenong Stingrays     
St Kilda Jack Peris - Sandringham Dragons     
Western Bulldogs Cody Raak - Western Jets             

2021 NAB AFL ROOKIE DRAFT        

1. North Melbourne Jared Polec - North Melbourne   
2. Collingwood Charlie Dean - Williamstown
3. Gold Coast Levi Casboult - Carlton   
4. Adelaide Ben Davis - Adelaide   
5. Hawthorn Ned Long - Northern Knights   
6. Carlton Lochie O'Brien - Carlton   
7. Richmond Bigoa Nyuon - Richmond   
8. Fremantle Karl Worner - Oakleigh Chargers   
9. St Kilda Pass
10. West Coast Pass   
11. Essendon Patrick Voss - Oakleigh Chargers   
12. Sydney Lewis Taylor - Sydney   
13. GWS Cooper Hamilton - Bendigo Pioneers   
14. Brisbane Cameron Yolmen - Brisbane
15. Geelong Oliver Dempsey - Old Carey Grammarians   
16. Port Adelaide Trent Dumont - North Melbourne   
17. Western Bulldogs Charlie Parker - Sturt   
18. Melbourne Judd Mcvee - East Fremantle   
19. North Melbourne Pass    
20. Collingwood Isaac Chugg - Collingwood   
21. Gold Coast Jez Mclennan - Gold Coast
22. Hawthorn Pass
23. Carlton Matthew Cottrell - Carlton   
24. Fremantle Mitchell Crowden - Fremantle   
25. St Kilda Pass  
26. Essendon Pass   
27. Sydney Pass   
28. Greater Western Sydney Jacob Wehr – Greater Western Sydney  
29. Geelong Pass
30. Port Adelaide Sam Mayes - Port Adelaide   
31. Western Bulldogs Robbie McComb - Footscray Bulldogs   
32. Gold Coast Pass  
33. Fremantle Connor Blakely - Fremantle   
34. Essendon Pass
35. Gold Coast Sandy Brock - Peel Thunder
36. Gold Coast Bodhi Uwland - Broadbeach AFC