2018 AFL draft

As a result, a total of 29 selections for the 2018 draft were traded during the 2017 trade period, and the selection order for each of these picks is tied to the original club's finishing position in the 2018 season.

[3] Prior to the draft, the two bottom teams Carlton and Gold Coast applied for Priority Picks in the National Draft, which the AFL denied.

[159] However, Gold Coast were granted pre-draft access to up to three and Carlton up to two mature-aged State League players each, these selections could be traded to other clubs.

Shortly before the National draft, the AFL introduced a new mechanism to allow clubs to sign certain eligible players direct to their Rookie List, rather than through the draft, provided the club had vacancies on their rookie list.

Eligible players could be listed between December and March.

Ty Vickery
Ty Vickery retired prior to the start of the season after playing 125 games for Richmond and Hawthorn.
Kurt Tippett
Kurt Tippett retired prior to the start of the season after playing 178 games for Adelaide and Sydney.
A male athlete with dark hair wearing a sleeveless jersey and shorts runs on the grass surface of the playing arena.
Cyril Rioli retired in July after playing 189 games for Hawthorn. [ 82 ]
A male athlete with light hair wearing a sleeveless jersey and shorts runs on the grass surface of the playing arena.
Brendon Goddard was delisted by Essendon at the end of the season, after playing 334 games for St Kilda and Essendon. [ 83 ]
Jarrad Waite
Jarrad Waite retired at the end of the season after playing 244 games for Carlton and North Melbourne .
Bernie Vince
Bernie Vince retired at the end of the season after playing 229 for Adelaide and Melbourne .