Last year, in the most recent figures to hand, more than 25,000 draft-aged boys were registered to play club footy around Australia.
Many of them were also among the almost 30,000 lads who played interschool football.
Only about 80 will be drafted – about 0.3 per cent of the club footballers – which only reinforces how tough it is to make it onto an AFL list.
But with the well-established talent pathways, if you are good enough you'll get your chance. Here's how ...
Am I eligible?
The NAB AFL Draft, held each November, isn't a free-for-all open to just anyone with a dream of playing AFL footy.
For example, a local or country footballer from Western Australia or South Australia can't simply nominate himself hoping for a Hail Mary miracle.
There's a criteria to fulfill.
Chief among the requirements, you must be 18 years of age by December 31 that year; and you need to have been registered and played at least one game that year in the WAFL or SANFL, or been registered with any recognised club or school competition in the other states or territories.
How do I nominate for the draft?
Simple. There's no need to even leave your home. In fact, you can nominate yourself for the draft from wherever you are, as long as you have internet access.
It's as easy as completing the nomination form at nabafldraftnom.com.au.
If the player hasn't yet turned 18, the nomination must be submitted by a parent or guardian.
The AFL will then review the submission and, when approval has been granted, an email alert will be sent.
Nominations are valid for only one year, so prospective draftees need to submit a new nomination form each year.
If hopefuls are overlooked in the national draft, their nomination automatically enters them in the AFL's other drafts.
Special cases
Clubs and aspiring League players are granted draft concessions if they meet certain requirements relating to their family background or geographical zone.
Youngsters are eligible to be selected by the same club his father represented under the father-son rule if the father played at least 100 games for the club. Current examples include Essendon forward Joe Daniher and Melbourne co-captain Jack Viney.
There are additional rules for some non-Victorian clubs, with West Australian clubs West Coast or Fremantle able to snare players whose fathers played at least 150 games for certain WAFL clubs by the time the Eagles or Dockers entered the AFL/VFL; while South Australian clubs Adelaide and Port Adelaide can secure players whose fathers played at least 200 games for certain SANFL clubs by the time the Crows or the Power entered the League.
The father-son process is subject to a bidding system in which other clubs can make plays for the prospect.
Clubs can also access players in their designated regions as part of Northern Club or Next Generation Academies, the aim of which is to increase the talent pool and grow the game.
Northern Club Academies provide the four AFL clubs in the non-traditional AFL markets of New South Wales and Queensland with the opportunity to groom local talent and access them at a draft discount.
Next Generation Academies enable clubs to develop young players from Aboriginal (for instance, North Melbourne's Tarryn Thomas) and multicultural backgrounds (Collingwood's Isaac Quaynor).
Tarryn Thomas in action for the Roos. Picture: AFL Photos
What if I'm overlooked in the national draft?
It ain't over yet – you still have several other avenues to find your way onto an AFL list. They are the:
- Pre-Season and Rookie Drafts, which are held the next month, in December. In the rookie draft, clubs can also select players from overseas (Collingwood giant Mason Cox) or those who haven't played or been registered for three years such (Crow-turned-Bulldog Alex Keath). A club can retain a player on its rookie list for a maximum of three years before it must decide whether to promote the player to its primary list or delist him.
- Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Period, from December 1 to March 15, in which clubs can select a rookie if they have a spot vacant on its rookie list after the rookie draft, or a player retired or was injured and was to be sidelined for the season. Richmond sensation Sydney Stack found his way to Punt Road via this mechanism, which was introduced last year.
- Mid-Season Rookie Draft, another new initiative, could also be accessed by clubs who had a list spot available. It will be difficult to top the effort o
