“It really annoys me...”: Why Rawlings is so frustrated by the mid-season draft

Norwood coach Jade Rawlings is growing increasingly frustrated with the AFL’s mid-season draft.

The unbeaten Redlegs sit atop the SANFL ladder with a 6-0 record and could have a few players taken from them by AFL clubs later this month.

Rawlings is against the fact that mid-season draftees are only initially given a six-month contract before some are discarded, ravaging state league clubs in the process.

“It really annoys me this time of year,” Rawlings said on SEN’s Sportsday SA.

“We get appointed to try and pull together a team to try and win it (the premiership), and then they want to pick our team apart. I get really frustrated this time of year.

“I’m big on trying to push our players to get as far as they can in their careers. I just disagree with it philosophically that they can go for six months and then not get the full AFL experience.

“I was lucky enough to have quite a number of years in the system and know how much young, inexperienced players need the fullness of two years to get the two pre-seasons, to understand the game, the demands of the competition, possibly move interstate.

“I’m aware that one of our players met with one club, which I thought that club might have given me a call to let us know. That’s a little gripe of mine.

“A few of our guys will probably get interest but I’m not aware of other than just one at the moment.”

Rawlings was asked if state league clubs could approach the AFL to question whether or not this system is worth it for the few players who actually get through and remain on AFL lists.

“I’ve got the philosophy that they’re not going to listen to us,” he added.

“Whether I think that we don’t have a loud enough voice, or the AFL is too powerful, I don’t know, but I don’t feel they’ll listen to us.

“They don’t know the full reality of what it does to your club. Sturt the other year lost Jed McEntee and Ash Johnson in the one draft. Two players emerging for Sturt, which is great for the individuals but bad for the club.”

The South Australian state coach feels young players would only truly feel comfortable in the AFL with more than half a season to assimilate and learn.

He believes it impacts livelihoods and the high-pressure nature of trying to impress in a short amount of time can break an inexperienced player.

“If nothing else in my life, I know very well how to deal with a delisted young AFL player,” he continued.

“I’ve got so many of them at Norwood it’s not funny, I had experience with it at Casey Demons.

“They come to you beaten up, they come to you having lost confidence, deflated, (thinking) that was their chance. There are so many parts to it and they have to rebuild their lives as much as their mindset towards footy. That’s the challenge we accept and I enjoy trying to get them back and feeling good about themselves and footy.

“I believe the AFL is about being a marathon and having a list that is reflective to deal with the marathon. To try and pick holes out of competitions and clubs mid-year is unfair.

“It’s great for the clubs to develop a player to get to that level but it doesn’t help with the win-loss and Boards get a bit shaky when the win-loss isn’t going so well.

“I’m pretty passionate about it, but just not sure where to take the conversation.”

The 2024 Mid-Season Rookie Draft takes place on May 29.

Listen to Rawlings on several topics, including the mid-season draft, below: