Pick me! We take a look at the WAFL's best Mid-Season Draft hopefulsThursday, May 22, 2025 - 9:36 AM - by Denholm Melrose and Jordan McArdle

Ahead of the 2025 AFL Mid-Season Draft on Wednesday 28 May, there are a multitude of Western Australians dominating the WAFL competition who have given themselves every chance to realise their dreams of being drafted.

Let’s take a look at WA’s best chances to be selected.

Michael Sellwood (Peel Thunder), General Defender

Sellwood has emerged as WA's strongest Mid-Season Draft hope after an eye-catching start to 2025 down back for reigning WAFL premiers Peel Thunder.

The 21-year-old has put together an impressive resume over the last few years, having played in three consecutive Grand Finals, winning a Colts premiership in 2022 and a League premiership in 2024.

He's spent time with the Dockers in the past and has enjoyed a breakout year, averaging nearly 24 disposals per game to earn selection in the Kia WAFL State team that took on South Australia and won for the first time in seven years.

Sellwood performed well in that game, gathering 19 disposals and eight marks to put himself firmly in the forefront of AFL clubs' minds.

Archer May (Subiaco), Key Forward

Recruited from Richmond VFL over the off-season, 198cm key forward Archer May has quickly stamped his authority as one of the best spearheads in the WAFL.

The 20-year-old has booted 12 goals through six games, including two for Western Australia in the State Game against South Australia and four in his most recent WAFL appearance against Swan Districts.

May is athletically gifted and poses a problem for any defender who dares match up on him and would be a handy addition in the AFL, with several east-coast clubs keeping tabs on him.

Archie Caldow (Peel Thunder), Utility

Former 3000m national champion for Australia, Caldow is a 192cm big-bodied utility, who moved to Western Australia in 2025 after spending his Under-18s football with the Greater Western Victoria Rebels, alongside AFL No.1 draft pick Sam Lalor.

Averaging nearly 19 disposals and five marks per game, Caldow has made a great start to his AFL League career and played in the WAFL Under-18s v Under-21s trial game to put his name forth as a mid-season draft candidate.

Milan Murdock (East Fremantle), Midfielder

The East Fremantle star, who boasts one of the best resumes in the WAFL, couldn't have done much more to put his name in lights ahead of the mid-season draft.

Back-to-back state game Simpson medallist Murdock has achieved about all that you can in a WAFL career at just 24 years old, and every year keeps improving.

In 2022 he won East Fremantle’s best-and-fairest award at just 21 years, and he proceeded to win a premiership with the club in 2023, winning the medal for being awarded best on ground.

Last year he won the Simpson Medal for the State game after collecting 25 disposals to go with seven tackles, seven marks and two goals in a dominant effort on the big stage and this year he did the same after amassing 27 disposals, six marks and five tackles.

Murdock, who revealed on the WAFL's official podcast Seven Point Play that he hired a sprint coach during the off-season to take his game to another level in a bid to realise his AFL dreams, has highlighted himself as a big-game player and deserves to be in the mix to get picked up.

Brandan Parfitt (Perth), Midfielder

Arguably the best-performed player in the entire WAFL through the opening six rounds, ex-Geelong Cat Brandan Parfitt has done his Mid-Season Draft chances no hard with a move out west.

Parfitt is averaging 30 touches per game, leading Perth to one of their best starts to a season in recent memory, while combining with fellow inside midfielder and ex-Gold Coast Sun Charlie Constable.

Parfitt, still only 27 years old and with 130 games of AFL experience, has a proven ability to play at the top level, having been an AFL Rising Star nominee in 2017 and winning an AFL premiership in 2022 with the Cats.

Jaxon Artemis (South Fremantle), General Defender/Wing

Western Australia’s 2024 Under-18s MVP Jaxon Artemis was unlucky not to be drafted last year, and the 18-year-old is still well and truly in recruiters' minds.

Artemis has played three League games to begin the 2025 season and was selected in the WAFL Under-21s State side, where he was able to display his talents once again ahead of the Mid-Season Draft.

Artemis is a dashing distributor that would provide value for AFL clubs this year and into the future.

See who else impressed in the WAFL under-21s side's victory over the State 18s here, led by a best-on-ground performance from West Perth midfielder Kane Bevan.

Oliver Eastland (Claremont), Ruck

One of the premier ruckmen in the WAFL for a very long time, Eastland has emerged late as a Mid-Season Draft hopeful given the ruck shortages faced by multiple AFL clubs.

The 27-year-old has 123 games of senior WAFL experience to go with two appearances for the Kia WAFL State side.

Eastland is not only an excellent tap ruckman, but has proven to be one of the best runners among the competition's big men, with his follow-up work around the ground impressive.

He racks up a lot of the footy for a ruckman, averaging 19 disposals this season to go with 32.1 hit-outs.

- Denholm Melrose is a WAFL writer for Perth is OK! You can read his other articles here