Former Hawthorn utility Emerson Jeka has joined the Cats, and former Port Adelaide defender Riley Bonner has also found a new club following the AFL rookie and pre-season drafts on Wednesday.
Jeka was released by Waverley following four seasons with the Hawks, where he played in only seven senior games, none of which were this season. The Cats, who made some intriguing picks following the first round of the national draft, took Jeka in the rookie round by surprise, providing depth to their big man department.
While the Hawks were unwilling to throw Jeka a lifeline, they re-listed Chad Wingard through the pre-season draft. Wingard is on the mend after rupturing his Achilles tendon, but hopes to be back on the field late next season.
Bonner, a rebounding defender who can play on the ball, was taken by St Kilda in the pre-season draft. Bonner managed 17 senior games in 2022 and 11 this year.
Former Kangaroo Jack Mahony was taken by the Gold Coast Suns in the rookie draft.
VFL star Sam Clohesy joined his Werribee teammate Shaun Mannagh in the big league, Clohesy heading to the Gold Coast with pick No.4 in the rookie draft. The Suns had earlier re-listed Sam Day through the pre-season draft.
North Melbourne took ruck-forward Finnbar Maley, the 19-year-old impressing with the Northern Bullants in the VFL. Maley’s sister Anneli is a basketball player for Australia’s national women’s team and also plays in the WNBL. Their father Paul was an import player in the NBL in the ’90s.
Melbourne selected Oakleigh Chargers and Vic Metro midfielder Kynan Brown – his father Nathan played 146 games for the Demons – as a pre-selected rookie under the father-son rules. Brown trained with the Demons this season, and played two games with Casey in the VFL.
As a category B rookie, Sydney selected Indhi Kirk, the son of club legend Brett Kirk. Indhi Kirk is a Swans academy graduate who has also played VFL.
Will Hamill (Adelaide), Cooper Stephens (Hawthorn), Jake Melksham (Melbourne), Adam Kennedy (Greater Western Sydney), James Borlase (Adelaide), Lachie McNeil (Western Bulldogs), and Taylor Duryea (Western Bulldogs) were also re-listed.
