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CONGRATULATIONS to the four Eastern Ranges players who were selected by AFL clubs in last night’s AFL National Draft:
Selection 1 – Tom Boyd (Norwood) to GWS Giants
Selection 17 – Michael Apeness (Donvale) to Fremantle
Selection 25 – Daniel McStay (East Ringwood/Vermont) to Brisbane
Selection 60 – Mitch Honeychurch (Vermont) to Western Bulldogs
Boyd’s selection at No. 1 had been a long time coming. The big forward will join the likes of Jeremy Cameron and fellow Ranges big man Jonathon Patton inside the forward 50.
‘I’m super excited to get started and really humbled to be picked before some of these guys I respect so much,’ Boyd said.
Apeness was maybe taken a little ahead of schedule, with the Dockers snapping him up in the first round.
Fremantle General Manager of Player Management Brad Lloyd says Apeness’ selection was a deliberate move to bolster the club’s tall stocks.
‘To get Michael in as a real strong, power forward was really exciting for the football club,’ Lloyd told fremantlefc.com.au.
‘He’s someone that we can really develop. He would have been the biggest contested mark in the TAC Cup program, if not the country this year.’
McStay’s dream of playing AFL became reality on Thursday night, selected by the Lions with pick 25.
He will give his new club plenty of agility, mobility and accuracy off half-back, using his attacking instincts and damaging left-boot.
The athletic defender had already spoken to the Lions twice in the lead-up to the draft.
Honeychurch had to wait until the fourth round to be selected – but it was worth it!
After originally being overlooked at pick 42 by the Bulldogs then pick 46 by Adelaide, Brendan McCartney’s team selected the exciting utility at pick 60.
Honeychurch is a fiercely competitive midfielder/forward who wins plenty of contested ball and is also proficient on the outside. He boasts clean hands and has no trouble racking up possessions, while also possessing the ability to shift forward and kick goals.