The NAB AFL National Draft held on the weekend saw another three Stingrays players have their names called out to begin their AFL careers.
The first Stingray player called was Tom Gillies at pick 33 to the Geelong Football Club. Gillies, recruited from Narre Warren, is 192cm and 86kg and is a key defender. Gillies is the first player drafted who attended the Hallam SSC football academy. He won the Stingrays 2008 best and fairest and was a member of the TAC Cup team of the year at fullback. Gillies played every game this season and took on and defeated the best key forwards in the TAC Cup. Gilles was very highly ranked in number of key statistics like rebound 50's, marks from opposition kicks, spoils and contested marks. Gillies is a fantastic story as he was never in any state representative teams and is a self made player with a fantastic, no frills attitude and a dedicated hard work ethic.
Next to go was Ashley Smith at pick 36 to the West Coast Eagles. Smith was originally from Berwick but has rarely played there in recent years due to his private school commitments at Haileybury. Smith was always on the radar as a genuine talent, having been a member of the Vic Metro Under 16 and Under 18 teams as well as the AIS AFL Academy program which interestingly is the direct opposite to Gillies. Smith is 186cm and 85kg and ran the 2nd fastest 20m sprint of all time at the AFL Draft camp and is an excellent kick of the ball. The open expanses of Subiaco are ideal for Smith as his run and carry and use of the ball will see him play a lot of AFL football.
The third Stingrays player selected was Shane Savage who went to the reigning premiers Hawthorn at pick 75. Savage, a bottom aged player, was recruited to the Stingrays from Noble Park and at 184cm and 71kg is a mobile outside mid-fielder. Savage is also a student at Hallam SSC in the football Academy and like Gillies has never been in any representative teams. Savage has excellent balance, is a beautiful kick of the ball and has been selected as a long term project player with still a lot of work to do in building up his upper body and improving his endurance base.
Players like the unlucky Steven Gaertner and Aaron Purves, who had been spoken about in the weeks prior to the Draft, will join the likes of Matt Clark, Levi Casboult, Chris Doria and Scott Sienkiewicz and have to hope and wait until the AFL Pre-Season Draft and then the Rookie Draft to see if they will join Gillies, Smith and Savage on an AFL list.
Last Modified on 06/12/2010 15:19