FOOTBALL

MID GIPPSLAND

By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

 

HILL END Football-Netball Club will be one of five country football/netball clubs to have a Carlton Draft player this season.

The promotion, by the brewing company, sees an ex-AFL player suit up for a one-off game with a local club.

The Rovers will gain the chance to solidify the signature of either three-time Geelong premiership champion Tom Hawkins, former Richmond No. 1 draft pick Brett Deledio, AFL Hall of Famer and Fremantle great Matthew Pavlich, 2010 Collingwood premiership player Travis Cloke, or 2018 West Coast premiership player, Will Schofield.

Hill End will be vying for any one of these past players, having only secured victory once across the last two Mid Gippsland Football-Netball League seasons.

The official draft will take place on April 30 at The Sporting Globe, Richmond.

In a class comprising 1437 AFL games, Draft Commissioner and Brisbane Lions great, Jonathan Brown is excited to give more community clubs a chance at some high-level professional talent.

“The Carlton Draft is all about giving back to the local footy clubs and communities… we’ve got some excited clubs who are itching to select their draftee, I can’t wait to see the campaign come to life for another edition,” Brown said.

Brown will be joined by former Carlton and GWS player and media personality, Dylan Buckley as the official draft recruiter, helping to strengthen the player pool this year.

The son of Blues triple premiership player Jim Buckley, Dylan played a Carlton Draft match for fellow Mid Gippsland club Toora last year in a torrentially wet day against Yinnar.

Gormandale FNC in the North Gippsland FNL secured Hawthorn great and Leongatha’s Jarryd Roughead in the Carlton Draft’s inaugural year (2022), while Glengarry’s Brendon Goddard and Drouin’s Dale Thomas also suited up elsewhere in 2022.

Other clubs selected in 2025 include Beaufort (Central Highlands FL), Heathmere (South West FNL), Coleambally (Farrer FL), and Beverley Redbacks (Avon Football & Netball Association).

It’s the first iteration to venture beyond Victoria into New South Wales and Western Australia.