Ararat youngster headed to Essendon in AFL rookie draft

A PHONE call early yesterday morning gave Lauchlan Dalgleish a tip that he should pack his bags.Not long after 11am, Dalgleish became a Bomber, via the AFL rookie draft.By 3pm, he was on a plane to the Gold Coast to join the Essendon playing group on a training camp. He will be in Queensland until Friday.“It’s a bit of a shock,” Dalgleish told The Courier on his way to the airport. “It’s hasn’t sunk in yet and I guess I am just rolling with it at the moment.“The team’s already flown up on Sunday so I’m flying up with another the club has drafted today.”The Ararat youngster was taken by the Bombers at pick 11 in the rookie draft and joins Rebels captain Nick O’Brien, who was drafted to Essendon last month.His selection follows three weeks’ training with the Bombers after being overlooked in the AFL national draft. Essendon player personnel manager Adrian Dodoro said the club was impressed by Dalgleish’s work.“Our first selection in Lauchlan Dalgleish is really pleasing. He is a midfielder with exceptional speed and he uses the ball very well,” Dalgleish told essendonfc.com.au.“Lauchlan has really impressed everyone at the club in the training programs before the draft, so we’re very happy to have him on board.”Dalgleish, a Victorian Athletic League sprinter, reinforced his speed by capturing the Terang Gift 120-metre handicap sash three days after the national draft. It was his first meet of the season.Dalgleish said it was a relief to finally see his name etched alongside an AFL club as the draft unfolded online.“I’m really excited – I suppose it’s better going there (Essendon) where I have more of an idea now of what’s expected in training,” Dalgleish said.“It definitely helps having Nick (O’Brien) there too.”