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Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes has labelled the AFL’s rookie draft “an absolute farce” after several established veterans were redrafted as rookies ahead of the 2023 season.
There were 27 players taken in this year’s rookie draft, but eleven were recently-delisted AFL players who were redrafted by the same clubs that cut them.
Other pick-ups included players who had already been on AFL lists, which left 13 players who were actually put on a list for the first time.
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“To see only 13 new players get selected, we speak about it every year, but the rookie draft and the rookie rules are an absolute farce and something the AFL needs to do something about,” Cornes told SEN’s Sportsday.
“Phil Davis was selected as a rookie. He’s 32, he’s played 192 games. Ed Curnow would you believe is an AFL rookie, he’s 33, it’s his 16th season and he’s played 204 games. Connor Blakely is 25, (and has played) 78 games as a rookie. Paul Seedsman is 30 years of age, he’s a rookie. Kayne Turner was re-rookied by North Melbourne, Daniel Howe to North, Nakia Cockatoo (redrafted to Brisbane) as well.
“It’s been exploited by clubs and the AFL has allowed it to happen. I loved the rookie list … but the AFL has allowed this to happen. In total, only 72 new players are getting an AFL opportunity. That’s four per club, it’s not enough and they need to change the rules.”
Cornes stressed he was in favour of the concept of the rookie draft when it allowed previously untried players to realise their potential at AFL level.
Among the prime examples of rookie draft success, Cornes said, were the likes of Dean Brogan and Brownlow medallist Matt Priddis.
“I don’t think it’s a hard problem to solve. At the moment you can have between 36 and 38 primary listed players. You can have four to six Category A traditional rookies and you can have two Category B rookies,” Cornes suggested.
“Just make it 44 – or bring it back to what it originally was where rookie players are between 18 and 23, they sit on your list and develop and they can only play if there’s a serious injury.
“That was a great rule and that’s where all those players came from and got their opportunities.
“But at the moment clubs are exploiting it and they’ll keep doing it until the AFL does something about it.”
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