The Sydney Swans have taken Joel Hamling, Aaron Francis, Ben Paton and Blake Leidler in the 2024 Telstra AFL Rookie Draft which took place on Friday afternoon and concluded the three-day draft period.

Paton and Leidler join four other new faces to the Swans after Jesse Dattoli, Ned Bowman, Riley Bice and Riak Andrew were all drafted to Sydney over the last three days in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft.

As noted last month in a Swans list update, Sydney were committed to re-listing Francis and Hamling as rookies. Francis joined Sydney from Essendon in 2023 and has provided depth in the defensive stocks, playing 20 senior games in total for the Swans. Hamling arrived at the Swans from Fremantle in the 2024 off-season and while yet to play senior football has played 17 VFL games in the red and white.

The Swans first rookie selection of the afternoon went to dashing defender Blake Leidler from the Oakleigh Chargers who was selected at pick 14.

This was followed by 26-year old Ben Paton who joined the Swans with a second round selection at pick 25. Paton has played 71 games for St Kilda over the past six seasons. The small defender was originally taken at pick 46 in the 2017 draft from the Murray Bushrangers. 

Sydney Swans Head of List Strategy and Player Personnel, Chris Keane, said the quartet will all add to the Swans depth. 

“Ben comes to the club having been delisted by St Kilda, but we believe he has some traits to help us as a small lockdown defender”

"He has played six seasons at the top level already, so it's pleasing to add some AFL level depth to our squad"

"Blake is a small lockdown defender from Oakleigh Chargers who has the ability to defend strongly or use his speed and athleticism to attack with ball in hand.

"Both Joel and Aaron have been solid contributors to the club since arriving, and we feel they really do provide great depth in our key position stocks," Keane said.