Jolly 'shattered' by rookie snub

Jon Ralph and Jay Clark name the surprise picks of the rookie draft and the likely winners next season

DUAL premiership ruckman Darren Jolly is "shattered" and "disillusioned with the game" after his decorated AFL career effectively came to an end on Wednesday.

Jolly, 32, was overlooked in Wednesday's rookie draft after initial approaches from Essendon and St Kilda amounted to nothing.

In an incredible fall from favour, Jolly was still Collingwood's first-choice ruckman during the first half of this season before knee issues and the emergence of young ruckman Brodie Grundy cost him his position within the team - and ultimately at the club.

Jolly could not be contacted yesterday, but sources close to him suggested he was devastated he would not get another AFL chance.

He was still dealing with the fallout and has not yet decided whether he would play football at a lower level next season.

ROOKIE DRAFT - WHO DID GET PICKED?

It's believed he would likely have been taken as a rookie at St Kilda if Scott Watters - his former assistant coach at Collingwood - had not been sacked last month.

The appointment of Alan Richardson as Saints coach brought about a change of heart and the Saints looked elsewhere.

The Bomber made a last-minute play to secure the former Magpie, Swan and Demon, and a meeting with the club on Tuesday raised his hopes of a reprieve.

But those hopes were crushed when Essendon opted to bypass the veteran and choose young Queensland ruckman Fraser Thurlow instead.

To add some salt to the wounds, Carlton resurrected the career of 26-year-old Cameron Wood, whom Jolly kept out of the Collingwood side for the best part of three seasons.

THE BEST ROOKIES WE'VE EVER SEEN

Jolly played 237 games for three clubs, including Grand Finals wins with Sydney (2005) and Collingwood (2010).

Only three years ago he was credited as being the difference as the Magpies secured the premiership in his first year at the club.

Jolly endured a tough season on and off the field this year, battling knee issues and courting controversy by criticising former teammate Josh Fraser in a newspaper column.

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