Ted Widmer NSW Scholarship

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Congratulations to Ted Widmer on becoming St Kilda F C latest NSW scholarship holder.

Ted joins Josh Duncan in being eligible for promotion to former NSW scholarship rookie player for season 2010 or even the senior list without going through any drafts.
Kane Murphy and Jackson Ferguson become eligible for season 2011.

Former NSW scholarship rookies, and former International (not Ireland or Australia) scholarship rookies fall into a special category.
Clubs may have up to 3 additional rookies on their rookie list if they were former scholarship holders.

St Kilda already has two of these bonus rookies in Khan Haretuku and Blake McGrath.

A former scholarship holder can be promoted to a clubs rookie list without facing the national and pre season drafts.
After two years as a rookie they can be retained on the rookie list for a third year but only after entering both the national draft and pre season drafts and not being selected by another club.
They do not have to enter the rookie draft.

This means Khan Haretuku must be promoted to the senior list later this year or face the national and pre season but not rookie drafts.

The AFL has quietly changed the rules on numbers of NSW scholarships.
Clubs may now award up to 6 new scholarships per year and up to 18 in total. (Up from 2 and 6 respectively).

My source "AFL Record Season Guide 2009 page 344" does not indicate if the number of bonus rookie places will be increased in future years to accommodate more former scholarship holders.