Pies, Swans land late steals as Freo, GWS nail top picks: AFL Draft Report Card
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GWS GIANTS
Picks (at start of draft): 4, 40, 59, 60, 80, 94
Selections: Lachlan Ash (4), Tom Green (10), Jake Riccardi (51), Thomas Hutchesson (65)
Thanks to smart trading in the lead up to the national draft, GWS secured two top-five quality prospects on night one of the draft. With their live selection, they picked Vic Country co-captain Lachie Ash. The dashing defender loves to take the game on and take the ball 60m up field. They matched a bid on Patrick Cripps clone Tom Green at Pick 10, with some rival recruiters certain they would’ve taken the midfielder in the top five if he was available in the open draft. The Giants made a sneaky trade back into the draft on night two, selecting VFL young gun Jake Riccardi. The 20-year-old will link up with best mate Xavier O’Halloran - who was drafted to the club last year - after a standout year for Werribee where he booted 38 goals in 20 games. The Giants then selected SANFL midfielder Thomas Hutchesson with their final pick.
All the bolters, sliders, big hauls and curious calls of the 2019 NAB AFL Draft
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GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
Who they picked: 4. Lachlan Ash (Murray Bushrangers), 10. Tom Green (Marist/GWS Academy), 51. Jake Riccardi, 65. Thomas Hutchesson
What the club says: "When you draft a 23, 24-year old, I think you've got to have that mindset that they're going to be competing for a spot early on. Tom's definitely that, we're not drafting him thinking he'll play in two or three years, we want him to be part of our depth next year. If he's good enough to jump our small forwards who are there, fantastic." - GWS national recruiting manager Adrian Caruso on Thomas Hutchesson
Verdict: The Giants have been craving speed off half-back. They weighed up Ash against Hayden Young's kicking and overhead marking and went with the blitz and speed of the Murray Bushrangers star. Ash will be a long-term option in that area of the ground for the Giants, being a replacement for Heath Shaw, who will enter his likely last year with the club. Green isn't what the Giants are crying out for – they have an abundance of inside midfielders – but he's a special talent and they add two more of those to a Grand Final list. The Giants have had success with mature-age picks in recent years, including Daniel Lloyd, Lachie Keeffe and Zac Langdon, and went with another with VFL rising star Riccardi, a marking forward before closing out with 24-year-old Hutchesson. Hutchesson has speed, toughness and agility, and is ready as a back-up in the midfield. - Callum Twomey
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