GEELONG’S first selection in the 2015 NAB AFL Draft was Tasmanian key position player Ryan Gardner.

The 18-year-old, who was chosen with pick No. 59, was the focus of an article by AFL Media reporter Ben Guthrie in the lead-up to the draft.

“Closing speed and height are difficult characteristics to find in draft prospects, so that is why Tasmania defender Ryan Gardner has attracted plenty of interest from clubs,” Guthrie wrote.

“Gardner has emerged as a potential draftee after impressing across half-back for the Allies team in the Grand Final day curtain-raiser against the NAB AFL Academy.

“It follows an injury-interrupted year for the Burnie Dockers product who developed a stress fracture in his foot that sidelined him for the first half of this season.

“That he clocked a 2.96-second 20m sprint at last month's combine adds to his appeal for prospective AFL clubs.”

Guthrie spoke to Tasmanian state academy coach Adam Sanders, who was full of praise for Gardner.

”Key defenders don't grow on trees, and with the speed he's shown he's certainly come into calculations as the year's gone on," Sanders said.

"Most clubs have got him on the radar, it just depends where he sits.

"He's behind (Jacob) Weitering and (Kieran) Collins, but late in the draft clubs will be looking for players they need and most clubs could do with another key defender."

Gardner was also featured in a story in Launceston's paper, The Examiner, just a week before the draft.

In that story, Sanders noted that Gardner had initially been named as an emergency for the Allies team that played on AFL Grand Final day.

But Sanders said that Garnder was ‘‘probably the best key defender on the ground’’ after being called up to play at the last minute.