FOR every player that achieves his dream of playing AFL from his top-age year of TAC Cup football, there are many more that sadly miss out. For one reason or another, they are not drafted in that year, but could be the next, or the year after that; or perhaps, many years down the track.

There are a number of TAC Cup players who go on to play at VFL level to try and put their best foot forward, add another string to their bow and convince AFL clubs they are worth a shot. In 2017, many VFL spectators might see some familiar names if they attended the TAC Cup in 2016.

Coburg has picked up a whopping 13 TAC Cup players, including league leading goal kicker Karl Brown and tireless inside midfielder from Northern, Luke Bunker. Coburg’s affiliation with Calder Cannons saw them pick up seven players including Hayden Blythe and Jackson McDonald who received state combine invitations last year.

Three Western Jets have moved on to their VFL affiliate in Williamstown, with Brodie Romensky unlucky not to have found an AFL home in the 2016 drafts. Some of the players will already have a good feel around their new club with guys like Campbell Lane (Oakleigh) having played at Collingwood throughout last year. He will be joined by new teammates, former Dragon Kye Beveridge former Stingray Matthew La Fontaine.

The talented Josh Patullo will join Footscray, while former Gippsland Power teammate Kade Renooy will now aim to rove his taps as an opposition player when his new club Port Melbourne meets the Dogs. While this list may not be complete 100 per cent, it was accurate as of January from the AFL Victoria website. If there’s others who have made the transition, let us know and we can add them to the list so everyone can keep tabs on their development.

VFL:

Coburg:

Bendigo: Josh Formosa

Calder: Ben Barton, Hayden Blythe, Karl Brown, Billy Cannolo, Jackson McDonald, Jaidyn Owen, Jack Reaper

GWV Rebels: Connor Byrne

Murray: Lachlan Waite

Northern: Luke Bunker, Corey McKay, Matthew Perry, Chas Roberts

Collingwood:

Dandenong: Matthew La Fontaine

Oakleigh: Campbell Lane

Sandringham: Kye Beveridge

Essendon:

Western: Wilson Berry

Footscray:

Gippsland: Josh Patullo

Northern Blues:

Northern: Jake Bradley

Port Melbourne:

Dandenong: Dylan Atkins

Gippsland: Kade Renooy

Oakleigh: Jono Aujard, Ethan Hanley, Sam Michael, James Pullan

Sandringham: Hugh Johnson, Charlie Kelso, Ash Krakauer, Jesse Smith

Sandringham:

Dandenong: Daniel Hughes

Sandringham: Reuben Hayward, Conor Larkin, Josh Trew

Williamstown:

Calder: Lachlan Bramble

Murray: Fletcher Carroll

Western: Nick Giarrizzo, Max Philpot, Brodie Romensky