Hawks take punt on party-boy Garlett
It is the dice-roll of the AFL draft. Passed over last year, and looking a lot like he would miss out again this year, Hawthorn took a massive punt in drafting West Australian 19-year-old Dayle Garlett. With 48 goals in the WAFL this year and elite skills he can play. He can also play up, with boozing, late-night benders, and importantly, missed interviews with club recruiters threatening to scuttle his chances. Eventually the Hawks pounced with pick 38. The Hawks are one of few clubs capable of making the call and keeping Garlett's head together. They have a wonderful indigenous role model in Shaun Burgoyne, and a strong culture. It will be fascinating to see how they develop Garlett, and what he eventually becomes.
Move over Majak Daw
For so long the poster boy of all that can be multi-cultural about the Australian game, Majak Daw now has company. Sydney's decision to draft another Sudanese, Aliir Aliir, has the potential to be one of the game's feel-good stories. Born in a refugee camp in Kenya as his family fled the war in Sudan, the 19-year-old grew up in Queensland but was passed over in last year's draft. He moved to WA to reunite with his family, who had moved there. At new club East Fremantle, he was converted from an undersized ruckman into a defender. It has won him an AFL contract. Importantly, he'll get time to develop further at the Swans.
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
Ah, we love a family reunion. And we got two in the draft. First Adelaide plucked the heart-strings by grabbing Matt Crouch with pick 23 to join brother Brad in the Crows midfield. The younger Crouch is a ball magnet and their combination promises to thrill Adelaide fans for years to come. Then at pick 26, Essendon drafted Zach Merrett to join older brother Jackson. Not so lucky in that regard were Tassie twins Kade and Jake Kolodjashnij. Both were tipped to be drafted by Gold Coast. Kade went as expected at pick five. Jake took longer to find a home, eventually falling to pick 41 and Geelong.
They really are the GWS Giants
Clearly the falafel-munching side of Sydney's AFL divide are living up to their name. The Giants drafted exactly that. Three of their four picks are huge units, especially 201cm man mountain Tom Boyd who went at No.1. Throw in Cameron McCarthy at pick 14 (193cm forward) and ruckman Rory Lobb (205cm) at pick 29, and that is some tall timber. Imagine a four-pronged forward attack of Jeremy Cameron, Jon Patton, Boyd and McCarthy in years to come? Power forward pairings have been around since the days of Dunstall and Brereton. Anyone ever remember seeing a team play with four?
AFL draft 2013: Notes from the Gold Coast
