AFL Draft: Bunbury’s Connor Blakely given AFL lifeline with Fremantle while Watson, Greaves & more miss out

Connor Blakely has received his Fremantle Dockers lifeline — the club fulfilling its commitment to redraft the midfielder in Friday’s AFL Rookie Draft. Blakely was the only South West player to be selected across the rookie and pre-season drafts, meaning dumped pair Tobe Watson and Damon Greaves are left waiting on their second chance at senior level. The 25-year-old midfielder from Bunbury was delisted by the Dockers in October alongside Mitch Crowden. The midfield pair will now both be added to the club’s rookie list for next season. At the time, Fremantle’s executive general manager of football Peter Bell said the decision was for administration purposes and would give the club “flexibility as we approach the draft”. Blakely was the Dockers’ third and final selection in the Rookie Draft, with the club first taking 19-year-old wingman Karl Worner from the Oakleigh Chargers and re-listing Crowden. For Greaves and Watson, another chance at a lifeline awaits with the pre-season supplementary selection period. The period allows clubs to invite players to train with them right up until round one next season before they choose whether or not to add them to the list. Greaves has signed with his former WAFL club East Perth for the 2022 season, but would be relieved of that arrangement to pursue a second AFL opportunity. Margaret River midfield bull and son of Port Adelaide SANFL premiership player Mark Dittmar, Kade, was the only South West player invited to the Draft Combine to not be taken across the three-day long draft process. An opportunity could also be afforded to him, and other players such as Bunbury-born Sandover medalist Bailey Rogers during the supplementary selection period. Busselton’s Jye Amiss was the first player from the region taken, heading to Fremantle with pick eight, the highest pick used on a South West player in more than a decade. Harvey’s Brady Hough said he was “over the moon” to be taken by the West Coast Eagles with pick 31, while Busselton’s James Tunstill will head to Brisbane after being taken by the Lions with pick 41.