South Fremantle product Jaxon Artemis moved to Tasmania with dreams of reaching the AFL and they are about to be realised through the mid-season draft.
Now likened to Sydney star Nick Blakey and GWS playmaker Lachie Whitfield, Artemis was Western Australia's MVP at the 2024 Under-18s championships.
He won a WAFL premiership with the Bulldogs last year before joining the Devils for their inaugural VFL season, averaging 18.3 disposals in six games across half-back.
The move is set to pay off for the 19-year-old teaching assistant, with Essendon appearing set to call his name with the first pick on Tuesday.
Artemis would likely have been headed to Richmond if not for their victory over the Bombers in last week's 'Dreamtime At The 'G' clash.
That result lifted the Tigers to 17th on the ladder and handed Essendon the top selection.
Geelong VFL midfielder Marcus Herbert and key position player Kye Annand have both been linked to Richmond.
More than 300 players have nominated for the mid-season draft, which was re-introduced in 2019, and must nominate for six-month or 18-month contracts.
Jaidyn Stephenson, Jack Bytel, Alwyn and Jayden Davey, Kaine Baldwin, Blake Drury, Nathan Kreuger and Alex Mirkov are among the former AFL players who have nominated in the hope of reviving their careers at the top level.
Of the 18 players selected in last year's mid-season draft, 15 have made their AFL debut.
Tom McCarthy, Michael Sellwood, Archie May, Oscar Adams, Roan Steele and Cooper Trembath are all among the success stories.
Hawthorn co-captain Jai Newcombe, Gold Coast dasher John Noble and Essendon's Sam Durham have all become stars after being selected in a mid-season draft.
Marlion Pickett famously debuted in Richmond's 2019 grand final-winning team after being drafted midway through that season.
