WITH the 2021 AFL Draft done and dusted, Rookie Me Central takes a look through each clubs’ hauls to assess the areas they bolstered and what each fresh face promises to bring to their new side. Next under the microscope is Greater Western Sydney (GWS), who picked up a mixed back with three National Draft picks, and a fresh face in the rookie intake.

National Draft selections:

#3 Finn Callaghan (Sandringham Dragons)
#15 Leek Aleer (Central District)
#42 Josh Fahey (Giants Academy)

Rookie Draft selections:

#10 Cooper Hamilton (Bendigo Pioneers/Vic Country)
#21 Jacob Wehr (re-listed)

Plenty of attention surrounded pick two, tied to Greater Western Sydney (GWS), and the Giants stuck to their guns with a selection of the best available talent. Of course, that only came after a bid on Western Bulldogs father-son candidate Sam Darcy, which was duly matched and only came on a needs basis.

The Giants ended up with Finn Callaghan at pick three though, opting against back-to-back bids with Nick Daicos also in the pipeline. At 191cm and seemingly still growing, the Sandringham Dragons product brings a rare mix of size and speed, able to cover plenty of ground and gain serious meterage with his clean left-foot kicking.

With Darcy out of reach and Josh Gibcus overlooked, the Giants then fulfilled their need for long-term key defensive cover and nabbed Leek Aleer with pick 15 – one of the surprises of the first round. With plenty of time to develop and some great mentors present, the mature-age South Australian has great upside as an athletic, but very raw intercept marker.

Rounding out GWS’ National Draft haul was the official acquisition of academy graduate, Josh Fahey. The dashing defender yielded a bid later than expected at pick 42, proving great value for the Giants given his talent. Already accustomed to donning the charcoal and orange, Fahey will allow other youngsters to transition into midfield as he develops off half-back.

After action on both nights of the National Draft, GWS rounded out its overall intake by re-listing defender Jacob Wehr and selecting Cooper Hamilton via the Rookie Draft. An elite runner who thrives in contested situations, Hamilton is a versatile addition who promises to add a hard edge on each line.