Peel Thunder defender Michael Sellwood was one of four West Australian-based players to be taken in tonight’s mid-season draft.

The football dreams of Sellwood, East Fremantle’s Lachie Blakiston and Victorian WAFL recruits Roan Steele and Archer May all came true on Wednesday.

And some of them could be playing sooner rather than later.

SEE EVERY PLAYER SELECTED IN THE AFL’S MID-SEASON DRAFT

Sellwood is a Thunder premiership player who has developed into one of the top defenders in the State League competition. He was the first West Aussie taken in the draft and landed at the Western Bulldogs with pick five.

Subiaco key forward May was then taken by Essendon with pick six and the Bombers also took East Fremantle ruckman Lachie Blakiston — a 26-year-old who was playing reserves as recently as last year — among four selections.

The injury crisis that has ripped through the Bombers’ tall stocks means that both players could be in the mix to debut in coming weeks.

Roan Steele, a former gun VFL wingman who joined West Perth this season, became a Collingwood player this evening with pick eight.

Sellwood had also met with Port Adelaide as recently as their trip to Perth to play Fremantle at the weekend, but he was never getting past the Western Bulldogs’ first selection.

The 21-year-old has played in a Thunder backline that has often included experienced Dockers players like Ethan Hughes, Oscar McDonald and James Aish.

He said that has been the “massive” change in his career after being overlooked in a series of drafts.

“Massive. I couldn’t thank Peel enough and the opportunity they’ve given me, that’s probably the reason I’m drafted, because I’m playing with people that are at the AFL level and getting tips and tricks off them,” Sellwood told The West Australian.

“It’s just unbelievable.”

Sellwood’s family broke down in tears and a group of mates were by his side when his name was read out.

“I’m really overwhelmed, as soon as it happened I had the family and stuff around me and it was very overwhelming,” he said.

“I’m so excited and ready to go, it’s bloody unbelievable, that’s for sure.”

The 43-game Thunder player said he wasn’t expecting to play immediately in a high-functioning Bulldogs backline, but was ready if an early opportunity came his way.

“I 100 per cent do. I know Bulldogs are a strong side, they’ve got some really good players, especially in the backline, so my expectations aren’t to play straight away, I’ve just got to earn my stripes and play some good footy, whether that’s in the VFL,” Sellwood said.

“You’ve just got to play your stuff and it sort of goes from there.”

There had been speculation Essendon’s mid-season draft recruits could even be given a special dispensation to play in their clash with Brisbane at the Gabba tonight.

With first-choice ruck Sam Draper and his deputy Nick Bryan both injured, Brad Scott has called on 36-year-old servant Todd Goldstein to ruck in the club’s past five matches.

It means Blakiston is well-positioned to make a debut to relieve the veteran.

Blakiston was playing Perth Football League for Cockburn as recently as 2021. He tried his hand in the WAFL with South Fremantle and played 10 games in the reserves before shifting to East Fremantle.

He made his league debut and played just one game in the seniors in 2023, then 13 last year. In his three games this season he has became one of the WAFL’s most impressive ruckman.

And he even admitted he thought his AFL hopes had come and gone last season.

“I am a bit lost for words to be honest. I cannot believe it’s happened, I’m seriously just speechless,” Blakiston told The West.

“I definitely thought my opportunity to get to the next level is not as likely as it was last year but there’s always hope when I was tracking the way I was.

“At the trajectory I am on there’s no reason I couldn’t conquer AFL. The challenge and opportunity really excited me and I look forward to it.”

At the Cockburn Cobras, he was mentored by West Coast 2006 premiership player Mark Seaby, who came to the bench at the end of a 2019 grand final so that Blakiston could finish the game on the ground.

“I played with Mark in 2019 and in my time at the Cobras he was very supportive and always offering me tips,” Blakiston said.

“One thing that stuck with me was when we played in the premiership he was on the ground and I was on the bench and he ran off to let me be on the ground for the final siren. I will never forget that.”

May was swamped by Subiaco teammates when he became an Essendon player. The key forward was preparing for training with the Lions during the draft and still took to the Leederville Oval track on Wednesday night,

The 20-year-old has Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton — who is his mother’s partner — in his corner.

Steele shifted from the VFL — where he was an established player for the Melbourne-affiliated Casey Demons — for a fresh footy start with West Perth.

Collingwood came knocking after a blistering start to the season.

And the Magpies are another injury-stretched side who could call on the wingman in the back-end of a campaign where are they are likely to feature at the pointy-end.

“In hindsight (the move west) is justified now, the dream has come true. I was pretty happy moving over here for the experience whether it happened or not in terms of being on an AFL list,” Steele said.

“Now that the dream has come true, hindsight shows that it’s justified a little bit for sure.

“It shows that it’s not as far away as you think.”

The WA heartbreak story of the draft was East Fremantle star and three-time Simpson medallist Milan Murdock.

The West Australian revealed on Tuesday the midfielder had an 11th-hour meeting with West Coast after they decided to place Jake Waterman on the inactive list to open up another draft selection.

The Eagles overlooked him for South Australian bolter Jacob Newton.

North Melbourne cashed in on their long-held interest in Zac Banch, who continued Werribee’s strong recent history of turning mature-aged players into AFL talents.

The Kangaroos took the VFL gun with pick two, before South Australian local Harrison Ramm landed at Port Adelaide from Glenelg and Carlton picked another Werribbee product in Flynn Young.

Former St Kilda player Oscar Adams, who shifted to Glenelg and won a SANFL premiership last season, was given a lifeline in the league by Gold Coast.

The Roos also elevated Cooper Trembath from their own VFL side, while the Power stuck local with North Adelaide gun Ewan Mackinlay and Central District’s Mani Liddy, while the Western Bulldogs took Gippsland product Zac Walker.

Essendon were the only side to take a player in the fourth line, drafting Oskar Smartt.