The AFL pre-season draft is the drafting of uncontracted players to teams in the Australian Football League (AFL). The draft is conducted after the national draft and before the start of the next AFL season. It is conducted at the same time as the rookie draft. The pre-season draft is a place for any uncontracted players to nominate that missed the national draft or who were delisted after it was held.
The pre-season draft was first held in 1989, and more than 50 selections were made in each of its first five years.[1] However, its importance has gradually diminished over the time, and pre-season drafts are now routinely cancelled due to every club opting against making a selection.[2] It was considered that the pre-season draft only existed to protect the league from writs for restraint-of-trade,[3] but due to the introduction of free agency in 2012, there have been calls to scrap the pre-season draft and extend the free agency period.