CATS’ AFL DRAFTEES REVEALED
Cats build arsenal of picks with eye to future targets
GEELONG has armed itself with an envious arsenal of first-round picks for the 2020 draft after a stunning trade with Gold Coast last night.
The Cats swapped their second-round selection — which had slipped to number 27 after a matched father-son bid — with the Suns in return for the struggling club’s mid firstround compensation pick.
As it stands, that will sit at number 11, and on the back of Geelong securing a future (2020) first-round pick from West Coast as part of the Tim
Kelly exchange, it means the club will be loaded with three selections inside the first round.
The strong draft hand positions the club perfectly to snare a trio of quality players next year or pursue a bigname target from a rival club.
Geelong has long been linked to GWS forward Jeremy Cameron (pictured right), who comes out of contract at the end of next year.
Despite reports he has agreed to terms with the Giants, he will remain on the Cats’ radar until a deal is finalised, and the Giants would demand something significant in return for him if he was to depart the club.
There is also the possibility recruiting manager Stephen Wells and his list management team will use the picks to work up into the top echelon of the draft, depending on where Geelong and West Coast finish next season.
Wells said the deal had been touted with Gold Coast yesterday before the second round of the draft.
“In the end the deal was compelling and to give us three picks in next year’s first round sets us up for a good couple of years we hope,” Wells said.
“It gives us a good chance to attack the draft next year.
“The picks will become very valuable to us whether we go to the draft or use them in a trade.
“We haven’t given thought too much about trading those picks 12 months out, but we do know those options are available to us … the picks at the draft are very valuable assets.”
Interestingly, the Geelong Falcons have eight players in the Vic Country hub already in 2020 and look set to produce a bumper crop of draftees, led by Tanner Bruhn, Henry Walsh and Ollie Henry.
ON a night full of surprises, perhaps the biggest shock of all came with Geelong’s third pick of the national draft.
After taking a midfield bull and versatile key position player in the opening round on Wednesday night, the Cats shocked the room at Marvel Stadium by selecting littleknown small forward Francis Evans.
The Brunswick product was a star at junior level in the Yarra Junior Football League, winning two premierships, a best-and-fairest and five leading goalkicker awards before graduating to senior football.
It was there in a game early in the year he caught the eye of Geelong recruiters, with one of the club’s spotters alerting Stephen Wells of his eight goals in a best-on-ground performance in Division 2 of the VAFA.
He did enough to earn a call-up to the Calder Cannons, where he managed five goals in two games before a heel injury cut his season short.
But the Cats had seen enough and grabbed their man, who has been likened to a mix of Orazio Fantasia and Adam Treloar.
At just 182cm, that description would suggest Evans has potential to develop into a midfielder in time. But Geelong’s second pick of last night, and fourth overall, looks more likely to spend the majority of his time in attack.
List manager Stephen Wells and his team continued their love affair with South Australians, grabbing Cameron Taheny from Norwood, who has been described as a strong lead-up forward who covers the ground with elite speed.
One of 12 South Australians invited to the AFL Draft Combine, Taheny was selected at pick 50 after a pick swap with Essendon saw Geelong move up the order and hand over future second and third-round picks to the Bombers.
Taheny finished the 2019 season on a strong note when he kicked four goals in the SANFL reserves grand final, guiding Norwood to this year’s premiership.