NORTH Ballarat Rebels had a bumper night at the AFL drtaft with three players making it onto club lists.
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They had a tense wait until pick 53 though in the AFL draft call, held on the Gold Coast on Thursday night.
Oscar McDonald (Edenhope Apsley) was the first selected and is set to join Melbourne and brother Tom, who coincidentally was drafted at the same pick in the 2010 AFL national draft.
Dan Butler (Lake Wendouree) became a Tiger with Richmond’s pick 67 and Jesse Palmer (Swan Hill) was the third-last player called when he joined Port Adelaide at pick 78.
All three players graduated from St Patrick’s College, Ballarat – McDonald last year.
They followed St Pat’s first XVIII captain Liam Duggan who was the West Coast Eagles’ first round pick at number 11. Duggan is a Bacchus Marsh junior and played TAC Cup under-18s with Western Jets.
AFL Victoria and Rebels talent manager Phil Partington said the draft quickly became needs-based, as expected.
This made for a particularly nervous night.
“It was interesting, Once we got Oscar over the line, we were a bit relieved. We knew Richmond was fairly interested in Dan. We knew Port Adelaide had a bit of interest in Jesse and we were hoping, hoping, hoping he would go late or as a rookie next week,” Partington said.
“It was a really good night for the Rebels.
“To have three selected is a really good result for the program, for players’ local clubs and for their schools.
“More importantly, it is a good result for the player and their families, who have sacrificed a lot over many years to help make this happen.”
Partington said the TAC Cup remained by far the best source for draftees with 45 players drafted from the elite under-18 competition, including 14 of the 21 round one picks.
In other Ballarat-related draft news, Bacchus Marsh junior Dillon Viojo-Rainbow (Western Jets and Maribyrnong Secondary College) was picked up by Carlton in round two at pick 28 following Duggan, Butler and McDonald (who spent a short time at North Ballarat) from Ballarat Football League junior ranks.
Former Central Highlands regional star cricketer Patrick McKenna’s punt to walk away from cricket has paid off.
He will play with Greater Western Sydney Giants after being picked up at selection 23. McKenna, from Gisborne, captained the Australian under-19 cricket team earlier this year.
melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au