The 2022 AFL mid-season draft takes place on Wednesday, June 1. ESPN's draft expert Chris Doerre assesses what every team needs to strengthen their list.
Adelaide
Likely number of picks: 2
Greatest list need: Midfield quality
Who should they pick: With Adelaide's midfield short, lacking size, and filled with 'vanilla' players with limited versatility, strong bodied mid Josh Carmichael is the optimal list fit if available. He would provide a much needed point of contrast. While Carmichael possesses strong contested ball winning capabilities, he is also a penetrating and damaging kick, a strong mark and can push forward and provide heavy scoreboard impact.
Brisbane
Likely number of picks: 0
Greatest list need: General defender
Who should they pick: With Brisbane not having a list spot available to take anyone during the mid-season draft, they will be preparing for the National Draft and will be positioning themselves this offseason to ensure they have the draft capital available to match bids on Will Ashcroft and Jaspa Fletcher who Brisbane should have first access to.
Carlton
Likely number of picks: 2
Greatest list need: Immediate key defender
Who should they pick: Following the retirement of Liam Jones and with injuries to Jacob Weitering, Oscar McDonald, Mitch McGovern and doubts around the fitness of Caleb Marchbank, Carlton's defence feels more than one solid key defender short. Kallan Dawson has impressed for Williamstown in the VFL with his intercept markingx, and could step in this season and play if required. The greater appeal with Dawson is his long-term scope to be a key defence solution based on his early season improvement. Former Kangaroo Sam Durdin has also been linked to the Blues.
Collingwood
Likely number of picks: 2
Greatest list need: Key forward
Who should they pick: With key position weaknesses at both ends of the field, the rapidly growing and improving Wade Derksen is this mid-season draft's most appealing as a late blooming key forward who has grown 12cm over the past two years. Derksen who has this year established himself as one of the WAFL's premier key forwards is a strong mark, a good leaper and fluid mover who hits the scoreboard and can provide relieving ruck minutes as needed.
Essendon
Likely number of picks: 2
Greatest list need: Outside midfield
Who should they pick: Essendon have several list needs that require filling, but another capable outside midfielder would be a positive addition and help with Essendon's midfield balance. Former West Coast rookie Mitch O'Neill would be a positive list fit as a skilful midfielder who not only racks up the football, but has developed a contested side to his game this year. Importantly for Essendon, O'Neill is a two-way player and has been a tackling machine over his past four games, averaging 7.5 tackles.
Fremantle
Likely number of picks: 1
Greatest list need: Rotational midfielder/forward
Who should they pick: With Fremantle's midfield in a transition stage, there is room for another good midfielder to add value to the existing group. 2021 Sandover Medallist, Bailey Rogers is an ideal immediate piece who could help the Dockers in their push towards a top-4 finish, as a classy ball winning midfielder who can split his time between playing through the midfield and up forward as a strong marking and goalkicking option.
Geelong
Likely number of picks: 1
Greatest list need: Midfield youth
Who should they pick: With Geelong's midfield aging and a core of next-generation midfielders needed, Patrick Dozzi is a young midfielder who could add to Geelong's long term midfield core. A strong ball winning midfielder with great skills and vision, Dozzi has been one of the early NAB League standouts. Enjoying his most notable performance in the Young Guns clash against Vic Country, Dozzi secured game highs of 34 disposals, 13 contested possessions, nine clearances, 10 inside 50s and four score assists, while also kicking one goal.
Gold Coast
Likely number of picks: 1
Greatest list need: General defender
Who should they pick: With the Suns' defence currently one or two good pieces short, Massimo D'Ambrossio has the scope to develop into a possible best-22 player for a Suns as a rebounder. D'Ambrossio is a small defender at just 178cm, but is one of the premier kicks from defence outside the AFL. He also possesses impressive speed and agility, displays competitiveness one-on-one and aerially, while he also demonstes good intercepting capabilities.
Greater Western Sydney
Likely number of picks: 1
Greatest list need: Injection of speed
Who should they pick: What the Giants need most is an injection of explosive speed to add greater balance to their list. Heavily influencing games this year in the NAB League, Hugo Hall-Kahan has as a forward hit the scoreboard, been a strong marking presence and hit meaningful targets by foot. When Hall-Kahan has been most damaging though has been when he has been able to push up the field and display run and dare, take on the game and break the lines at high speed.
Hawthorn
Likely number of picks: 1
Greatest list need: Ruckman
Who should they pick: With Ned Reeves and Max Lynch drawing ever closer to that mid-20s mark when they should start entering their peak years, Hawthorn have the opportunity to add to their thin ruck stocks and draft someone now with a view towards starting to develop their next generation. Max Ramsden is the ideal project to have developing as a mobile and athletic ruckman who has impressed over the early rounds of the NAB League season, and could (if his rapid development continues) partner with or potentially even surpass Reeves or Lynch in the future.
Melbourne
Likely number of picks: 0
Greatest list need: Best available
Who should they pick: With no picks, Melbourne will be planning ahead to this year's free agency, trade and draft periods. Melbourne's off-season will be another low key one with the club sure to focus on retaining talent and limiting list turnover, with long-term list continuity historically one of the keys to long-term, sustained success.
North Melbourne
Likely number of picks: 1
Greatest list need: General defender
Who should they pick: With North Melbourne's defence shaky and lacking quality youth, Casey Voss is the ultimate solution as a plug and play defender with his defensive competitiveness, intercepting capabilities, and with how he uses the ball from defence by foot. The son of Michael, Casey earned a position in the SANFL Team of the Year and won Sturt's best and fairest last year. He has only improved this season, winning the Fos Williams Medal in a best-on-ground display in the SANFL vs. WAFL match with 29 disposals and 15 marks.
Port Adelaide
Likely number of picks: 1
Greatest list need: Quality general forward
Who should they pick: With a number of capable forwards available in this mid-season draft, this is a great opportunity for Port Adelaide to improve their front half so that one fewer midfielder is required to play forward. Arguably Tasmania's best prospect in the NAB League last year, Jye Menzie has copied Jackson Callow's successful move from Tasmania into the SANFL. Like Callow ast year, Menzie is looming as a prime mid-season draft candidate. Menzie is a talent around goal, kicking 10 majors in his first two SANFL League games and nine in his past four. He is also excellent setting up teammates with his entry kicks inside 50m and is reliable with his application of forward pressure.
Richmond
Likely number of picks: 1
Greatest list need: Quality inside midfielder
Who should they pick: A COVID fill-in for West Coast in their Round 8 AFL clash against Brisbane, Jake Florenca stepped up and secured a team high 13 contested possessions and an equal team high seven tackles in a strong midfield display. With Richmond's midfield lacking potency around stoppages, Florenca would give the Richmond midfield a much-needed boost.
St Kilda
Likely number of picks: 2
Greatest list need: Ready-made midfielder
Who should they pick: With St Kilda's thin and weak midfield only weakened by the shoulder injury sustained by Jack Steele, additional support would help the Saints in their top eight push. The premier ball winning midfielder in the VFL, former Gold Coast Sun Jacob Dawson, dominated last year and likely would have won the J.J. Liston Trophy had there been a count. Continuing his dominance this season, Dawson has averaged 29.8 disposals, 10.2 clearances and five tackles per game and is good enough to step into St Kilda's best side and contribute immediately.
Sydney
Likely number of picks: 1
Greatest list need: General forward
Who should they pick: With Isaac Heeney continuing to play predominantly forward and another good forward needed to enable Heeney to be released to spend more time through the midfield, former Sydney Academy prospect Jacob Bauer could be that piece who can make that possible. Improving rapidly since last year, Bauer has been one of the SANFL's best and most influential around goal, with his scoreboard impact, high leap, and contested marking features of his game.
West Coast
Likely number of picks: 2
Greatest list need: Best available
Who should they pick: With pressing list needs across the field, West Coast's smartest move is taking the best available talent. If he were in the national draft pool and it was held tomorrow, Jai Culley is the one prospect from this mid-season draft crop who would likely feature inside the first round. Standing at 193cm, Culley has a case for being this draft's most damaging field kick, is a contested marking weapon, moves well, and displays the versatility to impact games across a number of positions.
Western Bulldogs
Likely number of picks: 0
Greatest list need: Ready-made key defender
Who should they pick: Unless the Dogs choose to develop Jamarra Ugle-Hagan or Sam Darcy in defence, the Dogs top priority needs to be adding a quality key defender this offseason. While Blake Schlensog didn't nominate for the mid-season draft, he would be a possible mature age solution for the Dogs at the end of the year if he nominates as an ideal immediate complement to Alex Keath.