| Genre: | Sports Reality |
| Presenter: | Ryan Fitzgerald (S1), (S2 - Finale) |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 20 |
| Runtime: | 60 minutes |
| Company: | McGuire Media The Media Tribe |
| Network: | Fox8 |
The Recruit is an Australian rules football reality television series that aired on Fox8 from 16 July 2014 to 21 September 2016.
The winner of the show was drafted to an Australian Football League (AFL) club's rookie list via a special draft in September at the end of each series.[1] They were listed as a Category B rookie (i.e. the same as an international player or someone who had not played for more than three years).
The first series was hosted by Ryan Fitzgerald and featured Michael Voss as the head coach.[2] [3] Mick Malthouse replaced Voss as head coach for the second series.[4] Other key members of the program are former Hawthorn player Ben Dixon as Assistant Coach, Leigh Russell as the Elite Performance Manager, and Port Adelaide fitness coach Darren Burgess as the High Performance Coach.[3]
Contestants must not have been previously selected to an AFL club list, be over 20 years of age, and have not played in a senior state league in the past two years.[1]
On 18 September 2014, the series was renewed for a second season. Originally scheduled to air in 2015, it was later announced it would air in 2016 due to multiple factors, one of which was the departure of Voss as coach.[5]
On 3 August 2015, it was announced Gary Buckenara would be a scout in the second season, and that Fitzgerald will not return as host (although he did return as host for the live finale).[6] The second and final season began on 20 July 2016.[7]
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | ||||
| 1 | 10[8] | [9] | [10] | ||
| 2 | 10 | ||||
The final squad of 13 players was selected from 50 contestants.
| Name | Club | State/Country | Position | Comments | Status | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SA | Forward | Had signed with Central District[11] | Winner, signed with Port Adelaide[12] | The Recruit, Fox Sports Pulse | |||
| Aspley AFC | Qld | Ruck/forward | Former captain of the AIS volleyball team | Runner-Up | The Recruit, Fox Sports Pulse | ||
| Geelong West St Peters FC | Victoria | Midfield | Delisted in Episode 10 | The Recruit, Geelong Advertiser | |||
| WA | Utility | Played basketball for Gillette College[13] | Delisted in episode 9 | The Recruit | |||
| Ireland | Ruck | Introduced in episode 3, Delisted in episode 9. However he was signed by Geelong. | The Recruit | ||||
| Rye Football Club | Victoria | Midfield/forward | 2013 Cheatley Medalist[14] | Delisted in episode 9 | The Recruit, Fox Sports Pulse | ||
| Old Xaverians | Victoria | Forward | Delisted in episode 8 | The Recruit, Fox Sports Pulse | |||
| Darley FC[15] | Victoria | Midfield | Delisted in episode 7 | The Recruit, Fox Sports Pulse | |||
| USA | Forward/ruck | Introduced in episode 3 Delisted in episode 6 | The Recruit, US combine | ||||
| WA | Ruck/forward | Highly rated 2011 AFL Draft prospect[16] | Delisted in episode 6 | The Recruit, WAFL | |||
| WA | Centre half-forward/Centre half-back | Delisted in episode 5 | The Recruit, Fox Sports Pulse | ||||
| South Launceston FC | Tasmania | Midfield | Delisted in episode 4 | The Recruit, | |||
| Queensland | Backline | Delisted in episode 4 | The Recruit, AFL draft profile | ||||
| Macquarie University AFC | NSW | Centre half-forward | Delisted in episode 3 | The Recruit, Fox Sports Pulse | |||
| NSW | Half-forward/midfield | 2013 Phelan Medalist | Delisted in episode 2 | The Recruit, Fox Sports Pulse |
The final squad of 15 players was selected from 50 contestants.
| Name | Age | Club | League | Hometown | Position | Status | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Yeronga South Brisbane FC | Queensland FA | Morningside, Queensland | Full forward / ruck | Winner, signed with Brisbane Lions[18] | The Recruit | ||
| 21 | Cable Beach FC | West Kimberley FA | Broome, WA | Midfield / half-forward | Runner-Up | The Recruit | ||
| 23 | Heidelberg FC | Northern FL | Macleod, Victoria | Centre half-forward | Delisted in Episode 10 | The Recruit | ||
| 27 | North Broken Hill FC | Broken Hill FL | Broken Hill, NSW | Midfield | Delisted in Episode 9 | The Recruit | ||
| 24 | Noble Park FC | Eastern FL | Melbourne, Victoria | Half-back | Delisted in Episode 9 | The Recruit | ||
| 23 | Sydney AFL | Quakers Hill, NSW | Midfield / half-back | Delisted in Episode 8 | The Recruit | |||
| 21 | Lindenow FC | East Gippsland FL | Lindenow, Victoria | Midfield / half-forward | Relinquished his position in the competition in Episode 7 | The Recruit | ||
| 26 | Mt Eliza FC | Mornington Peninsula Nepean FL | Nunawading, Victoria | Full forward | Delisted in Episode 6 | The Recruit | ||
| 21 | Rye FC | Mornington Peninsula Nepean FL | Rye, Victoria | Wing / half-forward | Delisted in Episode 5 | The Recruit | ||
| 23 | Saints FC | Newman FL | Newman, WA | Forward | Delisted in Episode 5 | The Recruit | ||
| 21 | Rupertswood FC | Riddell District FL | Melbourne, Victoria | Half-back | Delisted in Episode 5 | The Recruit | ||
| 20 | Balwyn FC | Eastern FL | Balwyn, Victoria | Wing | Delisted in Episode 4 | The Recruit | ||
| 25 | Essendon Doutta Stars | Essendon District FL | Point Cook, Victoria | Midfield | Delisted in Episode 3 | The Recruit | ||
| 22 | Diggers Rest FC | Riddell District FL | Sunbury, Victoria | Half-forward / half-back | Delisted in Episode 2 due to injury | The Recruit | ||
| 22 | Pyramid Hill FC | Loddon Valley FL | Kealba, Victoria | Wing / half-forward | Delisted in Episode 1 | The Recruit |