Essendon have begun the post-Brad Scott era by picking running defender Jaxon Artemis at No.1 in the 2026 mid-season rookie draft.
Artemis has been a standout with the Tasmania Devils in the VFL after joining them this season from South Fremantle, where he played in the WAFL premiership in 2025.
He has played at the Devils alongside former Bomber Jye Menzie, who was chosen in the 2022 mid-season draft. Artemis also becomes a teammate to Sam Durham and Archer May, who are both shaping as mid-season draft success stories.
The 19-year-old has been using his damaging left foot to carve up the opposition this season and was expected to go to the Tigers before the Bombers’ upset loss in Friday night’s Dreamtime at the ’G match saw them slump to bottom of the ladder.
Artemis, who was overlooked in two drafts despite being named WA’s MVP in the under-18 championships in his draft year, could play AFL as early as this week after he was managed during last week’s VFL round.
Geelong’s VFL team have a good record of producing AFL players and Richmond had little hesitation in pivoting to 200cm defender Kye Annand with the second selection in the draft.
Annand, an Ocean Grove Football Club product, has knuckled down this season to get the best out of himself and it has landed the 22-year-old a spot on the Tigers’ list after 10 clubs spoke to him ahead of the draft.
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