Discarded North Melbourne veteran Drew Petrie joined West Coast at Monday's AFL rookie draft, but Sydney forward Xavier Richards is out of a job.
After playing in their losing grand final side, the 23-year-old turned down a two-year deal to stay with the Swans to seek an opportunity in his home state of Victoria.
But he went through the trade period, delisted free agency and both drafts without attracting a suitor to see his AFL career stall on 12 games.
Eagles defender Mitch Brown also turned down a contract in the hope of moving back to Victoria but the 94-game veteran's career appears over after he went undrafted.
Former Western Bulldogs ruckman Will Minson had been linked with a move to Collingwood but that didn't eventuate.
Former Melbourne co-captain Jack Grimes, Demons and Collingwood forward Chris Dawes, Adelaide onballer Mitch Grigg, Geelong forward Mitch Clark and North Melbourne defender Brad McKenzie were among other notable experienced players not to find new AFL homes.
With 316 games under his belt, 34-year-old Petrie shapes as a short-term fix for the Eagles with star ruckman Nic Naitanui out for the season with a knee injury and Scott Lycett set for an interrupted preseason.
"Drew is a different type of selection at his age ... he comes in to fill a specific need for us," list manager Craig Vozzo told the AFL's website.
"We spoke prior to the trade period about Nic's injury and Scott's injury that we needed to be creative in our mindset and our strategy going into trade and drafting.
"Drew gives us another player who is a forward-ruck and that gives the match committee plenty of options."
The rookie draft provided some surprise lifelines with delisted Fremantle midfielder Tendai Mzungu joining teammate Matt de Boer, who was selected at Friday's national draft, at Greater Western Sydney.
Carlton selected ex-Docker Alex Silvagni and after being delisted by Essendon Shaun Edwards - who started his career at GWS - was picked up by Sydney.
A host of players were re-drafted by the clubs that cut them just a few weeks ago, including Shaun McKernan (Essendon), Jack Fitzpatrick (Hawthorn), Josh Prudden (Western Bulldogs) and Fraser McInnes (West Coast).
Adelaide's Sam Shaw and the Giants' Joel Patfull were also re-drafted by their respective clubs but the retired pair still won't play next year, with the move purely administrative for salary cap purposes.
After missing out on selection at the national draft, Ben Jarman, the son of Crows and Hawthorn great Darren, and Sam Simpson, the son of 114-game Cat Sean, joined Adelaide and Geelong respectively.
The Bombers used the first pick of the rookie draft on South Adelaide ruckman Sam Draper.
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