Former Bomber, SANFL gun opts out of AFL Mid-Season Draft in massive boost for state-league clubs

Former mid-season recruit and Essendon player Will Snelling has decided to nominate for the Mid-Season Draft, which will be held on Wednesday, May 29.

A total of 342 players from across the country were nominated, including a number of well-known figures aiming to return to the top flight.

However, Snelling, who plays in the SANFL for Sturt, elected not to pursue his AFL dream again, along with Redlegs star Harry Boyd.

The former Bomber was taken as a rookie by Port Adelaide in 2016, but the Victorian club re-selected him with Pick 7 in the 2019 Mid-Season Draft.

Snelling played 64 games for Essendon until being delisted at the end of 2023. According to SEN SA’s Jarrod Walsh, the pair would have had a high chance of being picked up given their incredible run in 2024, and “it’s good to keep them” in the league.

“I was speaking to someone in the know at Adelaide Oval and they advised that Snelling and Boyd both have not put their names in the mix for the mid-season draft,” Boyd stated.

“And I enjoy it because they’re two of the greatest players so far this season as we’re coming to the halfway mark, so the fact that we get to keep those individuals who were probably going to be drafted, it’s good to keep

Of the 342 players nominated, 33 are from the SANFL, including former AFL players Cooper Murley, Matthew Ling, Jackson Callow, Oscar Adams, and Jack Saunders.

This comes as Norwood coach Jade Rawlings stated his dissatisfaction with the AFL’s Mid-Season Draft, claiming that the current system damages state-league teams.

“It really annoys me this time of year,” Rawlings remarked on SEN’s Sportsday SA two weeks ago. “We’re assigned to put together a team to try to win it (the premiership), and then they want to pick our team apart. This time of year makes me very frustrated.

“We’re assigned to put together a team to try to win it (the premiership), and then they want to pick our team apart. This time of year makes me very frustrated.

“I’m strong on encouraging our guys to advance as far as they can in their careers. I simply disagree with the idea that they can go for six months and not get the complete AFL experience.

“I was fortunate enough to have spent several years in the system and understand how much young, inexperienced athletes require the whole two years to complete the two pre-seasons, grasp the game, the demands of the competition, and potentially relocate interstate.

“I’m aware that one of our players met with one team, and I assumed that club would have called me to let us know. That’s a minor complaint of mine.

“A number of our guys will certainly be interested, but I am only aware of one right now.

“They don’t understand the full extent of what it does to your club. The other year, Sturt lost Jed McEntee and Ash Johnson in the same draft. Two players are emerging for Sturt, which is good for the players but unfortunate for the club.”