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The selection means the Dockers bring in a trio of highly touted local prospects after drafting Jye Amiss with their initial pick and Neil Erasmus at choice 10. Johnson and Erasmus are both tall midfielders but play in a different style, with the latter known for his work in the clinches. The pair will help fill the midfield void left by Adam Cerra.
The Hawks swooped on Sam Butler at pick 23, who found himself in the second round after many thought the Giants would select him at 15. A clever midfielder-forward and the brother of St Kilda’s Dan, he is likely to start his career on the flank of the attacking 50.
Geelong snared local pair Toby Conway and Mitch Knevitt with pick 24 and 25 respectively.
Coming into draft night, the Cats were always keen on Conway and he will land at Kardinia Park as a long-term solution to the club’s ruck woes. The best pure ruckman in the draft, Conway uses soft hands around the ground to give his followers first use at the coalface.
At 193cm, Knevitt’s height as a midfielder is appealing but he also proved prolific in a limited season, particularly through a 36-disposal game in the NAB League. He was a strong performer in a recent two-kilometre time trial and is another prospect whose athletic makeup provides him with the tools to develop into an imposing player.
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Hawthorn then selected ball-hunting midfielder Connor MacDonald with pick 26, before the Blues bolstered their small forward stocks with Jesse Motlop.
Motlop narrowly missed father-son qualification for Port Adelaide — father, Daniel, played 83 games for the Power and 47 for North Melbourne before that — but the South Fremantle talent often shows his pedigree with the same x-factor and flair.
The small forward’s skillset is well documented, but his leadership knack is a lesser-known factor. He was renowned within the WA setup as a player who spoke up in team meetings and recently told The Age he was raised to be a leader.
Richmond used their three consecutive picks between 28 and 30 to draft Tyler Sonsie, Sam Banks, and Judson Clarke respectively.
Sonsie played a senior VFL match for Box Hill earlier this year and impressed with 21 touches and two goals, but was troubled by injury for much of the season’s remainder. Banks, a Tasmanian, is a damaging half-back flanker, while Clarke is a fleet-footed small forward with innate goal sense. The trio joins Josh Gibcus and Tom Brown in the Tigers’ impressive draft haul.
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Dream come true for new Kangaroo; Cats claim local pair
Source: Philippines Alive
