Fremantle will be looking to ‘get the best combination possible’ with its two top 10 picks in next week’s NAB AFL National Draft.
Freo hold picks six and eight, followed by picks 19, 60, 68 and 80.
See the final draft order here for every club
The Club has recently seen success with multiple top 10 picks in the same year, securing the talents of Hayden Young (pick no.7), Caleb Serong (pick no.8) and Liam Henry (pick no.9) in the 2019 draft.
Fremantle’s head of player personnel David Walls said the Club’s recruiting team have put in plenty of work to, hopefully, secure the right talent to add to its playing list.
“We’re excited by the talent that is there, particularly with our first two picks,” Walls said.
“We are fortunate enough this year that there are very different types and sizes in the mix, so we will be looking to get the best combination that we can for our list.
“The hope is that we walk away with the best pairing we can get at picks six and eight, that we think will complement our list as best as possible.
“The recruiting team have put so much work in over the past couple of years, spending hours and hours conducting interviews and watching players…we’re ready to go.”
Walls added that while WA-based players received a favourable weighting in Freo’s rankings, the best available talent from across the country will be looked at.
With varying Covid impacts in Australia in the past two years, it’s also meant WA prospects have had more of an opportunity to showcase their talents over draft hopefuls from other states.
“I think the WA guys have had an advantage where they haven’t been impacted by Covid as much,” Walls said.
“They have basically been able to have a full season and demonstrate their talents and abilities a lot more than players in other states, particularly Victoria.
“The talent that is available in WA is exciting, not just with the early picks but right throughout the draft.
“We have got our eyes on quite a few West Australians, but we are open minded as well if we think they can really play and add to us in the way that Hayden Young and Caleb Serong have.
“We are happy to pick from Victoria, South Australia or anywhere as long as they have got the character where they would re-locate and be able to handle the transition.”
With just days to go until the drafting begins, Walls said that interviews will continue to be held and information sifted through right up until draft day.
“We will keep doing interviews with players right up until the draft,” Walls said.
“We conduct a lot of conversations with player managers and families, and prepare things such as re-location and getting host families ready as well.
“The first-to-four-year players are back at training next week so these guys will go from being drafted to basically training within 24 hours, so just making sure everything is in place for them.
“On Friday we get the final medical recommendation from our strength and conditioning team who scour through scans and medical reports, so there can be a few last minute tweaks based on that.
“We’re also constantly talking with clubs too right up until the draft about the prospect of trading picks and live trading, so a lot of prep work goes into that as well.”
The draft begins on Wednesday 24 November with first round selections, before all other picks are completed the following day.
