Freo go for Tasmanians, Eagles stay local
Fremantle turned to Tasmania for two of their three new draft picks at the AFL national draft on the Gold Coast today.
Alex Pearce (Devonport) and Brady Grey (Burnie Dockers) were taken at No.37 and No.58.
The Dockers' first pick, at No.17, was ruckman Michael Apeness, from Victoria.
West Coast chose only one non-West Australian - their second pick at No.31, Malcolm Karpany, a midfielder from South Australian club Woodville-West Torrens.
FREMANTLE'S NEW BOYS
17. MICHAEL APENESS
Position: Ruckman
Height: 199cm
Weight: 101kg
Born: 28/1/95
Home club: Eastern Ranges
Aggressive and competitive ruckman who consistently gets his hand to the ball, providing his midfielders with first use. Has strong hands overhead and can be dangerous playing as a tall forward. Comes from a rugby background.
37. ALEX PEARCE
Position: Tall forward
Height: 199cm
Weight: 87kg
Born: 9/6/95
Home club: Devonport
Mobile tall forward with good agility who marks strongly on the lead and is an effective kick on his preferred right foot. Shows good leg speed with his ability to create space between himself and his opponent while also reading the ball well in flight.
58. BRADY GREY
Position: Midfielder
Height: 179cm
Weight: 82kg
Born: 20/7/95
Home club: Burnie Dockers
Medium midfielder/forward who has represented Tasmania in soccer, cricket and football at under-age level. Has good speed and agility, tackles aggressively and can win his own ball. Played all five matches for Tasmania at under-18 level this year.
WEST COAST'S NEW BOYS
11. DOM SHEED
Position: Midfielder
Height: 184cm
Weight: 83kg
Born: 10/4/95
Home club: Subiaco
Won the Larke Medal for the best division one player in the Under-18 Championships, despite suffering a broken collarbone. Sheed wins his own ball around stoppages; a telling reflector of his strong work ethic. Despite not displaying prolific speed, he has a mature body and is expected to feature in his first year in the AFL system. The left-footer is also catching the eye of recruiters for his decision-making by both hand and foot, especially in and around traffic. Averaged 28 disposals and six clearances in the Championships and was a dominant force against the other top under-18 talent in the country.
31. MALCOLM KARPANY
Position: Small midfielder/defender/forward
Height: 176cm
Weight: 72kg
Born: 1/6/95
Home club: Woodville-West Torrens
Karpany won the Alan Stewart Medal as best player in Woodville-West Torrens' SANFL under-18 grand final triumph last month; the performance entrenching him in many minds as a top-30 pick. He finished with 29 disposals, nine marks, seven inside-50 entries and two goals in a standout display. A classy midfielder who can also push forward, he has a penetrating left foot and elite recovery, plus agility which allows him to side-step through traffic. Good mark for his size and has clean hands.
43. TOM BARRASS
Position: Tall defender
Height: 192cm
Weight: 81kg
Born: 8/10/95
Home club: Claremont
Tall defender with good ability to read the ball in flight. Comes off his opponent at the right time to affect the contest and uses the ball smartly on the counter-attack. Possesses a penetrating and accurate left foot that can carry the lines, complemented with a strong overhead mark.
49. DYLAN MAIN
Position: Medium forward
Height: 189cm
Weight: 77kg
Born: 2/9/95
Home club: South Fremantle
Medium forward who is strong overhead and has excellent hand/foot skills. Makes good decisions under pressure particularly in close. WA under-18s representative in 2013. Progressed to reserves level in WAFL and impressed.
