Dockers go for stamina, Eagles speed
Fremantle have added significant running power to their squad, focusing on midfielders with endurance at yesterday's AFL draft.
West Coast also predominantly chose on-ballers, addressing their need for speed.
On a night where nine West Australians were selected, including two mature-aged players, Victorian key forward Patrick McCartin joined St Kilda as the coveted No.1 pick.
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The Saints didn't tell McCartin he would be chosen, preferring to maintain the suspense of the occasion. Melbourne swooped on midfielders Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw, the son of former Claremont star Mark Brayshaw, with picks two and three.
South Fremantle's Jarrod Pickett was the first West Australian drafted. He joined Greater Western Sydney at No.4.
Jarrod Garlett (Gold Coast, pick 15), Blaine Boekhorst (Carlton, 19), Connor Blakely (Fremantle, 34), Mitch McGovern (Adelaide, 43), Clem Smith (Carlton, 60), Josh Deluca (Fremantle, 68) and Billy Frampton (Port Adelaide, 84) joined the previously announced father-son selection of Alec Waterman (West Coast) as WA names on AFL lists.
Fremantle chose Queensland's Lachlan Weller with their first pick and also selected Victorian Ed Langdon, the brother of Collingwood defender Tom.
After drafting two key-position players last year and also upgrading Matt Taberner to the senior list, Fremantle needed midfielders who could keep up with the athletic demands of the game, according to the club's recruiting manager Brad Lloyd.
"It's a really important part of the game now, the run," Lloyd said. "We would have taken talls if they were available but there's been a lot of talls come into the club over the last few years and we'd gone out of our way to a degree."
West Coast chose Victorian on-baller Liam Duggan at pick 11, tall forward Tom Lamb at 32, then midfielders Jackson Nelson (51) and Damien Cavka (66), before Waterman, also an on-baller, was officially added to the list at 76.
West Coast recruiting manager Rohan O'Brien said he selected versatile players who could run.
"The main thing is to try and stick to getting some quality and the fact it worked out that way and you're putting round pegs in round holes is a bit of a bonus," he said.
