Deadline looms for Bruce, Anthony and HouliBy Jennifer Witham
Mon 29 Nov, 2010CAMERON Bruce, John Anthony and Bachar Houli have until 2pm on Tuesday to officially nominate for next week's NAB AFL Pre-season Draft.
All three are thought to have secured new homes with Hawthorn, Fremantle and Richmond respectively, but are yet to lodge paperwork with the AFL indicating their desire to enter the draft.
The trio walked out on their clubs last month.
Bruce left Melbourne after failing to secure a two-year deal, Anthony left Collingwood owing to a lack of opportunities and Houli left Essendon after a frustrating season spent largely in the VFL.
They have all commenced pre-season training with the clubs they are believed to be heading to.
Delisted Bulldog Mitch Hahn, who has been offered the chance to continue his career as a mature-aged rookie at Whitten Oval, is also yet to nominate.
Hahn was last week weighing up whether to accept the Dogs' offer or pursue a full-time coaching role.
Meanwhile, discarded Hawthorn ruckman Simon Taylor hopes to be thrown an AFL lifeline after nominating for the pre-season and NAB AFL Rookie Drafts.
The 28-yeear-old, who chose not to nominate for the recent NAB AFL Draft where just three former AFL-listed players - Ryan Gamble, Matt Spangher and Dean Polo - found new homes, is one of seven players to put their hand up for next week's intake.
Scott Harding, Nathan O'Keefe, Albert Proud, Tony Notte, Bart McCulloch and Tom Hislop are other delisted players who have also nominated.
Proud is training with the Brisbane Lions and Hislop is at Richmond.
If a player has nominated for the national draft, they remain eligible for selection in either of the December drafts.
This means players such as Travis Johnstone, Jay Neagle, Ed Barlow, Travis Tuck and Paul Johnson could still find new homes either as mature-aged rookies or on the primary list for the clubs with pre-season selections.
Neagle has continued training with Essendon but has strict fitness conditions he must meet to be rookied while Barlow is at the Bulldogs, Tuck is at Hawthorn and Johnson at Melbourne.
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