2019 Simply Energy AFL Draft WrapFriday, November 29, 2019 - 1:20 PM

A total of 25 West Australians made their way onto an AFL list in 2019 culminating in a successful year for the WA Talent Pathways programs.

Fourteen Sandgropers went in the National Draft, three went as Rookies, two were signed up as Category B Rookies, four were selected in the mid-season draft and two as SSP signings. 

It culminates in 186 West Australians being drafted this decade.

On the back of a successful NAB AFL U18s National Championships campaign that saw WA win the Championships, 16 Simply Energy WA State U18s Academy members were selected.

Similarly, 23 was the number of West Australians who were drafted onto a list in 2009, when WA last won the AFL U18s Championships.

In that year, Peel Thunder’s Anthony Morabito (pick #4 – Fremantle), East Fremantle’s Brad Sheppard (pick #7 – West Coast Eagles) and Kane Lucas (pick #12 – Carlton), and Swan Districts’ Lewis Jetta (pick #14 – Sydney Swans) were all selected within the first round.

The likes of Claremont’s Nathan Fyfe (pick #20 – Fremantle), and East Perth’s Mitch Duncan (pick #28 – Geelong) and Ben Stratton (pick #46 – Hawthorn) went on to become great players at the AFL level despite being taken later in the draft.

In 2019, WA produced three first round picks in East Fremantle’s Luke Jackson (pick #3 – Melbourne), Claremont’s Liam Henry (pick #9 – Fremantle) and Subiaco’s Mitchell Georgiades (pick #18 – Port Adelaide).

In the second round of the National Draft, six Sandgropers made their way onto a list – Claremont’s Ronin O’Connor (pick #42 – Adelaide), East Fremantle’s Jeremy Sharp (pick #27 – Gold Coast), Trent Rivers (pick #32 – Melbourne) and Chad Warner (pick #39 – Sydney), and Perth’s Deven Robertson (pick #22 – Brisbane) and Elijah Taylor (pick #36 – Sydney).

Claremont’s Callum Jamieson was the sole West Australian to be drafted in the third round when the West Coast Eagles selected him with pick #49.

However, in the fourth round, four Sandgropers found new AFL homes with East Fremantle’s Trey Ruscoe (pick #55 – Collingwood), West Perth duo Ben Johnson (pick #58 – West Coast) and Jaxon Prior (pick #59 – Brisbane), and Swan Districts’ Riley Garcia (pick #62 – Western Bulldogs) all having their names called out.

Three West Australians were selected in the Rookie Draft – Peel Thunder’s Jarvis Pina (pick #6 – Fremantle), Swan Districts’ Jake Pasini (pick #8 – Port Adelaide) and Claremont’s Anthony Treacy (pick #11 – West Coast Eagles).

While Claremont duo Isaiah Butters and Leno Thomas were selected as Category B Rookies to the Fremantle Dockers as members of their Next-Generation Academy.

Anthony Treacy was the only mature aged prospect from Western Australia to be selected in the recent drafts, but the Optus WAFL League is still considered to be one of the strongest state leagues in the country.

In the mid-season draft, four West Australians were drafted including AFL Grand Final hero Marlion Pickett.

With a draft pool to this extent it is clear that the WA Talent pathway is producing exciting and talented players for the AFL.

WEST AUSTRALIAN DRAFTEES 2019