Eligibility
To be eligible for selection to the rookie list, players must be registered with a club that is affiliated with the AFL, nominate themselves for the AFL Draft and be between 18 and 23 years of age. The vast majority of the players selected are recruited from the major underage leagues (the TAC Cup, WAFL or TSL colts, or SANFL under 18s), or the major state senior leagues (the VFL, WAFL, TSL or SANFL). On rarer occasions, players can be drafted directly from metropolitan or country leagues. Delisted players from other AFL clubs are also often selected and are referred to as recycled players. Re-drafting delisted players from the same club is also common due the requirement to either elevate or delist all rookie listed players after two years on the rookie list.
The rookie list was first established in 1997. Since 2006 each team has been allowed to select one player older than 23, provided that player had not been on an AFL primary or rookie list previously.
One notable exception to the standard eligibility rules was the case of Adam Ramanauskas at Essendon. Special dispensation was granted to allow the club to re-recruit the 26-year-old Ramanauskas, who had played over 100 AFL games for the club, onto the rookie list due to uncertainty over his playing future as he underwent treatment and recovery for cancer.
Read more about this topic: Rookie List