Four Northern Knights players have found their way onto AFL lists for next season after Tuesday night’s AFL National Draft.
Jade Gresham, Brayden Firoini, Brayden Sier and Tyrone Leonardis were among 70 draft hopefuls to realise their dreams.
Gresham was the first Knights’ players drafted, with St Kilda taking him at pick 18. He was quickly followed by Fiorini who was selected by the Gold Coast two picks later.
Knights’ talent manager Peter Kennedy said the two boys had been selected around where the club had been expecting.
“We knew they would be somewhere around the 18-30 picks,” Kennedy said from Adelaide at the draft.
“There had been a fair bit of interest in Jade, including from the Saints.
“Brayden was a bolter and had moved up the order since the season finished. He can win 40 plus possessions and it’s the type of player the Suns wanted.”
Collingwood’s selection of Sier at pick 32 was the biggest shock of the night, with the midfielder’s name not on many people’s draft radar.
He played only two games for the Knights after spending the year playing with his school, Marcellin College.
“We thought at best he would be rookie listed,” Kennedy said.
“He trained with Essendon and the Western Bulldogs in the last couple of weeks and Melbourne had showed interest. He had met with Collingwood.
“He has trimmed down in the last 12 months and worked really hard. He wasn’t regularly in his school team last year, but he won their best and fairest this year and dominated.”
Kennedy said he was absolutely stoked for Leonardis to be given an opportunity with Sydney.
The Swans selected Leonardis with pick 51.
For Kennedy having four players drafted reinforces the program that the club is running, despite the results not necessarily coming.
The Knights won four games this year.
“The competition is there to help players get drafted or rookie listed,” Kennedy said.
“The coaches work hard in developing the top end players and the challenge now is to make it a more even team.
“If we can develop a lot of the middle run players we can play finals. “
Kennedy said there were still three Knights players who could be picked in Friday’s rookie draft.
He said Matthew Perry, Darcy MacPherson and James El Moussalliall were all good chances to add to the four Knights players already selected.
Meanwhile it was a quiet night for the Calder Cannons and Western Jets ,with neither club having any players selected.
