AFL dreams realised in draft

ONLY one up-and-coming player from Fremantle’s two WAFL clubs was selected last week’s 2015 AFL Draft.

South Fremantle Football Club’s Callum Ah Chee will wear the red and yellow of the Gold Coast Suns next year after being snapped up with pick 8.

It completes a recent run of good form for the Bulldogs, with a number of players in the last three years selected in the first 15 picks.

Last year saw Jarrod Pickett taken at pick 4 to Greater Western Sydney while Jarrod Garlett went at pick 15 to the Gold Coast.

In 2013, GWS took Cameron McCarthy at pick 14.

The Fremantle Dockers bolstered their playing squad with four new players, including prolific Subiaco goal kicker Shane Yarran at pick 61, who won the Bernie Naylor Medal for most goals kicked in the 2015 WAFL season, excluding finals, with 46.

Yarran said wearing the purple “feels right”.

“I suppose everyone that wants to play football, you keep that hunger there and keep thinking you may always get the opportunity,” he said.

“I kept the hunger and kept my head down and hoped for the best and I have got the reward.”

Also recruited were defenders Darcy Tucker from the North Ballarat Rebels at pick 27 and Harley Balic from the Sandringham Dragons at pick 38, as well as fullback Samuel Collins from the Box Hill Hawks at pick 55.

Dockers player management general manager Brad Lloyd said the club was pleased with the result.

“We’ve secured two high-end young talents with our early picks in Darcy and Harley, then secured two really high-level mature-age players in Sam and Shane,” he said.

In Friday’s pre-season and rookie draft selections, East Fremantle Football Club’s Jordan Snadden will stay in WA after being picked up by the West Coast Eagles, while South Fremantle’s Kade Stewart and Cameron Loersch made it onto the Hawthorn and Gold Coast lists respectively.

The Fremantle Dockers picked up Matthew Uebergang and Ryan Nyhuis, while also relisting Anthony Morabito and Josh Deluca.