THE West Australian Football Commission congratulates the nine WAFL players selected in the 2014 NAB AFL National Draft on the Gold Coast today, which included three first round selections.
Four AFL rookies drafted from WA were also elevated to senior lists as part of the National Draft, including Charlie Cameron (Swan Districts/Adelaide Crows); Neville Jetta (Swan Districts/Melbourne), Kane Mitchell (Claremont/Port Adelaide) and Callum Sinclair (Subiaco/West Coast).
WAFC General Manager of Pathways and Competitions Steve Hargrave said this was a pleasing result for WA football and congratulated the players, community clubs and WAFL clubs involved in each player’s development.
“We are very proud of the players who have received the opportunity to fulfil their AFL dream and everyone else involved in the WAFL talent pathway,” Mr Hargrave said.
“We have a strong development system in Western Australia lead by our WAFL clubs and highlighted not only by the drafting of nine players tonight, but also the fact that the WAFL has contributed almost a quarter of the draftees to the AFL system over the past three years.
“The WAFL Competition has also continued to set a standard for producing elite mature age players for the AFL Clubs with another two mature age WAFL players selected in this year’s draft in Blaine Boekhorst and Mitchell McGovern.
“These players now have an opportunity similar to recent WAFL mature age draft picks Matt Priddis (Subiaco/West Coast), Hayden Ballantyne (Peel/Fremantle), Nick Kommer (East Perth/Essendon) and Kane Mitchell ( Claremont/Port Adelaide).”
WAFL Players – 2014 NAB AFL National Draft
No. 4 – Jarrod Pickett (South Fremantle) – Greater Western Sydney
No. 15 – Jarrod Garlett (South Fremantle) – Gold Coast
No. 19 – Blaine Boekhorst (Swan Districts) – Carlton
No. 34 – Connor Blakely (Swan Districts) – Fremantle
No. 43 – Mitch McGovern (Claremont) – Adelaide
No. 60 – Clem Smith (Perth) – Carlton
No. 68 – Josh Deluca-Cardillo (Subiaco) – Fremantle
No. 76 – Alec Waterman (Claremont) – West Coast
No. 84 – William Frampton (South Fremantle) – Port Adelaide