WA AFL Draft Watch 2010’s Rewind

Since 2010, over 1000 prospects have been drafted to an AFL Club, with over 150 players coming from Western Australia.

It makes for a successful decade for the West Australian Talent Pathways programs, especially given the number of players who have really flourished at the highest level.

Below are the five best players from WA to be drafted this decade (in alphabetical order).

PATRICK CRIPPS

Draft: 2013 (#13 – National Draft)

AFL Club: Carlton

WAFL Club: East Fremantle

Junior Club: Northampton

The Northampton Junior was the second West Australian and 13th overall pick in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft. Since his arrival at the Blues, Cripps has gone on to become a top-three midfielder in the AFL with his explosiveness, clearance work and contested style of play wowing many AFL fans. He has won three Best & Fairests (2015, 2018, 2019), two All-Australian selections (2018, 2019), the 2019 Leigh Matthews Trophy, three top ten-placings in the Brownlow (2016: 18 votes (8th), 2018: 20 votes (4th), 2019: 26 votes (3rd)) and finished second in the 2015 Rising Star Award. In 101 AFL games, Cripps has kicked 47 goals and is currently averaging 26 possessions (16 contested), 8 clearances, 6 tackles, 4 marks and 3 inside 50s.

JASON JOHANNISEN

Draft: 2010 (#39 – Rookie Draft)

AFL Club: Western Bulldogs

WAFL Club: East Fremantle

Junior Club: Willetton JFC

Since being picked in the 2010 Rookie Draft, the South African has gone on to become a top-ten small-medium defender in the AFL. Johannisen is best known for his starring role in the 2016 AFL Grand Final (33 possessions, 9 inside 50s, 7 rebounding 50s & 7 marks) where he won the Norm Smith Medal as he helped guide the Bulldogs to their first VFL/AFL Premiership since 1954. He was also a member of the Bulldogs’ VFL premiership in 2014, won the 2015 Tony Liberatore Most Improved Award and has five top-ten Best & Fairest placings (2015: 6th, 2016: 10th, 2017: 2nd, 2018: 6th, 2019: 4th). In 126 AFL games, Johannisen has booted 41 goals and is currently averaging 20 possessions, 4 marks, 3 inside 50s, 3 rebounding 50s and 2 tackles.

JEREMY McGOVERN

Draft: 2010 (#44 – Rookie Draft)

AFL Club: West Coast Eagles

WAFL Club: Claremont

Junior Club: North Albany

Originally recruited as a forward-ruck, McGovern has gone on to arguably be the best key defender in the AFL, due to the way he reads the play, often intercepting the opposition’s attacking entry, and his ability to take contested overhead marks. What’s even more remarkable about McGovern’s rise is that it took him four years to make his debut (Round 6 of the 2014 AFL season at age 22) and that in 2013 he was banished from the club for turning up to pre-season significantly overweight. Since his debut, McGovern has played 126 AFL games, won All-Australian selection on four occasions (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), won the 2014 WCE Rookie of the Year and has four top 10-placings in West Coast’s Best and Fairest (2016: 6th, 2017: 2nd, 2018: 6th, 2019: 6th). He has booted 36 goals and averages 15 possessions (7 contested), 7 marks and 3 rebounding 50s.

TIM KELLY

Draft: 2017 (#24 – National Draft)

AFL Clubs: Geelong Cats (2018 – 2019), West Coast Eagles (2020 -)

WAFL Club: South Fremantle

Junior Club: Palmyra JFC

After a stunning WAFL campaign for South Fremantle in 2017, including a runner-up placing in the Sandover Medal, Kelly was drafted to the Geelong Cats with pick #24 in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft. In his two years of AFL football, Kelly has rapidly become one of the absolute premier midfielders of the competition. In 48 games for Geelong, he has kicked 48 goals and averaged 24 possessions (11 contested), 5 clearances, 4 inside 50s, 4 tackles and 3 marks. He finished second in Geelong’s Best and Fairest in both 2018 and 2019, fourth in the 2019 Brownlow Medal, 10th in the 2018 Brownlow Medal, won All-Australian selection on the wing in 2019, won the 2019 AFLCA Best Young Player Award and the 2018 AFLPA Best First Year Player.

TOM MITCHELL

Draft: 2011 (#21 – Father/Son Selection – National Draft)

AFL Clubs: Sydney (2012 – 2016), Hawthorn (2017 – )

WAFL Club: Claremont

Junior Clubs: Hale School (WA), Carey Grammar (Victoria), Ashburton JFC (Victoria)

Despite not playing a game in 2019 due to a broken leg, Mitchell is still considered to be one of the best midfielders in the AFL. He won the 2018 Brownlow Medal, finished second in the 2017 Brownlow Medal, won the 2018 Leigh Matthews Trophy, two Hawthorn Best & Fairests (2017, 2018), two All-Australian selections (2017, 2018), the 2018 Lou Richards Medal and the Andrew Ireland Medal. He also had two top-ten placings in Sydney’s Best and Fairest (2015: 9th, 2016: 8th). In 111 games (Sydney: 65, Hawthorn: 46), Mitchell has booted 61 goals and is currently averaging 29 possessions (13 contested), 6 tackles, 5 clearances, 4 marks, and 4 inside 50s. Originally from Melbourne, Mitchell made the move to Western Australia in 2009 as a 15-year-old after his father, Barry, became an Assistant Coach with Fremantle.

THE BEST OF THE REST – DRAFT ORDER

PLAYER

DRAFT SELECTION

AFL CLUB/S

WAFL CLUB

JUNIOR CLUB

David Swallow

#1 – 2010 National

Gold Coast

East Fremantle

Rossmoyne JFC

Harley Bennell

#2 – 2010 National

Gold Coast

Fremantle

Peel Thunder

Pinjarra FC

Reece Conca

#6 – 2010 National

Richmond

Fremantle

Perth

Victoria Park JFC

Jamie Cripps

#24 – 2010 National

St Kilda

West Coast

East Fremantle

Northampton

Jack Darling

#26 – 2010 National

West Coast

West Perth

Sorrento-Duncraig JFC

Jaegar O’Meara

#1 – 2011 Mini Draft

Gold Coast

Hawthorn

Perth

Railways FC (GNFL)

Stephen Coniglio

#2 – 2011 National

GWS Giants

Swan Districts

Upper Swan JFC

Elliot Yeo

#30 – 2011 National

Brisbane

West Coast

East Fremantle

Attadale JFC

Joel Hamling

#32 – 2011 National

Geelong

Western Bulldogs

Fremantle

Claremont

Cable Beach FC (WKFL)

Brad Hill

#33 – 2011 National

Hawthorn

Fremantle

St Kilda

West Perth

Quinns JFC

Jesse Hogan

#2 – 2012 Mini Draft

Melbourne

Fremantle

Claremont

Marist JFC

Kamdyn McIntosh

#31 – 2012 National

Richmond

Peel Thunder

Pinjarra FC

Dean Kent

#48 – 2012 National

Melbourne

St Kilda

Perth

Federals (Northam)

Mark Hutchings

#60 – 2012 National

#20 – 2010 Rookie

St Kilda

West Coast

West Perth

Coolbinia JFC

Callum Sinclair

#12 – 2012 Rookie

West Coast

Sydney

Subiaco

Beaumaris FC (Vic)

Dom Sheed

#11 – 2013 National

West Coast

Subiaco

Mines Rovers (Kalgoorlie)

Cam McCarthy

#14 – 2013 National

GWS

Fremantle

South Fremantle

South Coogee JFC

Blake Acres

#19 – 2013 National

St Kilda

Fremantle

West Perth

Edgewater-Woodvale JFC

Tom Barrass

#43 – 2013 National

West Coast

Claremont

Scarborough JFC

Aliir Aliir

#44 – 2013 National

Sydney

East Fremantle

Aspley Hornets (QLD)

Jonathon Marsh

#77 – 2013 National

2018 Pre-Season Supplemental Pick

Collingwood

St Kilda

East Fremantle

Augusta-Margaret River FC

Charlie Cameron

#7 – 2013 Rookie

Adelaide

Brisbane

Swan Districts

Newman Saints FC

Connor Blakely

#34 – 2014 National

Fremantle

Swan Districts

Bunbury FC

Mitch McGovern

#43 – 2014 National

Adelaide

Carlton

Claremont

North Albany FC

Josh Deluca

#68 – 2014 National

#1 – 2019 Mid-Season

Fremantle

Carlton

Subiaco

Sorrento-Duncraig JFC

Billy Frampton

#84 – 2014 National

Port Adelaide

Adelaide

South Fremantle

East Fremantle Power JFC

Marcus Adams

#35 – 2015 National

Western Bulldogs Brisbane

West Perth

Upper Swan JFC

Sam Menegola

#66 – 2015 National

#44 – 2012 Rookie

#19 – 2011 Rookie

Geelong

Fremantle

Hawthorn

Subiaco

East Fremantle

Attadale JFC

Nathan Broad

#67 – 2015 National

Richmond

Swan Districts

Upper Swan JFC

Sam Petrevski-Seton

#6 – 2016 National

Carlton

Claremont

Halls Creek/Clontarf

Sam Powell-Pepper

#18 – 2016 National

Port Adelaide

East Perth

Mount Hawthorn JFC

Tim English

#19 – 2016 National

Western Bulldogs

South Fremantle

Brookton-Pingelly FC

Dalkeith Nedlands JFC

Zac Fisher

#27 – 2016 National

Carlton

Perth

York Roos

Shai Bolton

#29 – 2016 National

Richmond

South Fremantle

Forrestdale JFC

Cameron Zurhaar

#11 – 2016 Rookie

North Melbourne

East Fremantle

Melville JFC

Aaron Naughton

#9 – 2017 National

Western Bulldogs

Peel Thunder

Rockingham JFC

Oscar Allen

#21 – 2017 National

West Coast

West Perth

Whitford JFC

Liam Ryan

#26 – 2017 National

West Coast

Subiaco

Rover FC (Geraldton)

Sam Taylor

#28 – 2017 National

GWS Giants

Swan Districts

Upper Swan JFC

Liam Baker

#18 – 2017 Rookie

Richmond

Subiaco

West Perth

Lake Grace-Pingrup FC

Jordan Clark

#15 – 2018 National

Geelong

Claremont

Railways FC (Albany)

Ian “Bobby” Hill

#24 – 2018 National

GWS Giants

Perth

Northam Barons JFC

South Perth JFC

Jarrod Cameron

#39 – 2018 National

West Coast

Swan Districts

Centrals FC (Newman)

Matthew Parker

#47 – 2018 National

St Kilda

South Fremantle

Perth

Melville (WAAFL)

Jason Carter

2018 Category B Rookie

Fremantle

Peel Thunder

Claremont

Port Wyndham Crocs

Sydney Stack

2019 Pre-Season Supplemental Selection

Richmond

Perth

Federals (Northam)

Marlion Pickett

#13 – 2019 Mid-Season

Richmond

South Fremantle

York Roos

Manjimup Tigers