Darcy Lang – pick 16
Geelong Falcons
“We liked a number of players that we could have picked at that spot but Darcy was just one that stood out to us. It didn’t hurt that he was a locally based player from Colac. We just liked Darcy’s ability to play both inside and outside. He’s a midfielder and spreads really well from contests and he’s terrific at creating opportunities for his teammates and getting first hands on the ball. He’s got beautiful skills, he can go either way, kick left foot, right foot no problems at all. He’s a good tough kid and a very creative player; he kicked a few goals from the midfield.”
Jarrad Jansen – pick 36
East Fremantle
“Jarrad complimented Darcy in that he was a big strong midfielder. Darcy is a little bit smaller at 184cm whereas Jarrad is a 192cm midfielder. He just had that drive and personality that we think gives him a chance, he’s got a long way to go in terms of improving aspects of his game but we know he’s going to give it everything he can. “
Jake Kolodjashnij – pick 41
Launceston
“Jake’s a versatile player, like James Toohey, he can play at both ends of the ground which we think is important with the big fellas, they might end up playing most of their career at one end or the other but it’s good that they’ve got that versatility while they’re developing as a player. He’s a good young man who is well driven. The thing that impressed us the most was the fact that he was able to do well against the Division 1 teams in the under-18 Championship but also play good senior football down in Tasmania, play in finals against men and have an impact in close games against men in the tough conditions.”
James Toohey – pick 15 2013 AFL rookie draft
Oakleigh Chargers
“He’s a big strong fella and certainly when he’s going for the ball in the air he’s got a presence. He’s been able to play at both ends of the ground so he’s got that versatility. He’s certainly able to spoil well, he marks well, he reads the play well within the air and when he goes for the ball the pack does spread. James is a good kick (at goal). He had his first training session here yesterday; he came down the day after we called his name out at the rookie draft. He fitted right in at training, he’s got a long way to go of course but he won the best and fairest at the Oakleigh Chargers this year as a 19 year old and showed a bit of versatility which pleased us.”
Nick Bourke – pick 31 2013 AFL rookie draft
Geelong Falcons
“Nick realises he’s got to get more to his game than just being an outsider but he did hurt his shoulder earlier in the year when he was in the AIS AFL Academy so we will give him a little bit of leeway there for a while. Nick turned up to training yesterday and in training he showed that he’s got all the skills and the running ability that’s required to be an AFL player. It’s up to him now to develop his game with the coaches helping him along the way. He’s from a dairy farm out at Noorat so played with the Geelong Falcons these last couple of years. He is clean with his hands and he knows what to do with the ball once you get it in there so that’s a good combination.”
Zac Bates – pick 46 2013 AFL rookie draft
West Adelaide
“Zac’s a young fella from the West Adelaide Football Club, he played with the South Australian under-18’s in the National Championships, in the early parts of the Championships before he got a sore leg. Zac offers something a little bit different to the other players we rookied in that he’s a very dynamic player, he’s a compact little fella, carries the ball through and has got that great evasive skill that people like watching and is effective for the coaches. He gets the ball from one end of the ground to the other pretty quickly when he’s got it in his hands.”
Michael Luxford – pick 56 2012 AFL rookie draft (Category B rookie)
“Michael was a name that was given to us by a supporter who thought that if Michael ever wanted to move away from basketball that he might be able to make the transition. We went and watched him play basketball and obviously he was a very skilful young man and a talented player. We did a bit of research which showed he could turn his hand to any sport. He’s never really player footy so we’re taking a bit of a guess there. We were lucky enough to have Michael do some trials with us. He’s a very talented young player, he’s played basketball for Australia and done well at that level and we’re confident that he’s got some ability that can convert over the next couple of years. “
