Broken leg didn’t deter
2019 AFL DRAFT
GEELONG list manager Stephen Wells says there was never any doubt about selecting local midfielder Cooper Stephens with the club’s first pick at last night’s draft.
Stephens overcame a broken leg at the start of the year to shine at last month’s national combine.
After strong under-16 and under-17 seasons, Wells said it was exciting to be adding a local talent to the Cats’ list.
“He is very much a contested ball player,” Wells said.
“He only played three games this year with the broken leg at the start of the year, but fortunately — as far as breaks go — it wasn’t too bad.
“By the time the combine came around, he was performing exceptionally well.
“It is great to be able to pick a local fella as a strong, running midfielder. He is an outstanding character and coped very, very well with the adversity of breaking his leg in a draft year and did a great job to get himself right.
“We would have taken it into account if he was still injured, but Cooper has been an outstanding player now coming through with the same group of midfielders that got drafted tonight playing in the under-16s championships.
“So he was a good choice for us and the fact he did well at the combine was a bonus.”
After a decision from Fremantle and GWS to match Carlton’s respective bids on Liam Henry at pick nine and Tom Green at pick 10,
Geelong slipped to pick 16 in the draft and was quick to select the Geelong Falcons’ co-captain.
After selecting Vic Country tall Sam De Koning three picks later, it leaves the Cats with two further picks tonight.
Wells said he would again enter the night with an open mind.
“We will have a good look at it, but we don’t have anything locked in for (Thursday),” he said.
“There are five picks before our first pick so we will be open to picking whatever comes our way.
“We may even trade the pick out or in, we just don’t know yet, so we will go away and assess all of that.
“(Recruiters) Troy Selwood and Liam Woodland have done a great job of preparing us and I am sure they will do the same (on Thursday).”