Subiaco product Michael Wood will be a Docker next season. Source: News Limited
FREMANTLE has turned to emerging Subiaco forward Michael Wood to head the Dockers' rookie selections in the final recruitment of young talent for this year.
And the Dockers stayed with local talent for their second choice with another developing forward - Thomas Vandeleur from South Fremantle at number 32 overall.
Vandeleur is a 194cm and athletic key defender who could be earmarked as a long-term potential backline replacement for the inevitable retirement of champion Luke McPharlin somewhere into the next few seasons.
Another South Fremantle product and mid-sized forward Blaine Johnson was taken by Carlton at pick 43, while nippy Swan Districts on-baller and goal-shark Charlie Cameron is heading to Adelaide.
The livewire Cameron was WA's first rookie selection conducted early this morning at pick No.7.
He had been linked with a move to Greater Western Sydney but late on Tuesday the exciting on-baller was told by Giants management that he was not in their plans.
Wood, 18, was taken with the Dockers' first pick at number 16 overall after the rangy tall sharp-shooter had trained with Essendon since the weekend ahead of the draft.
He played 10 senior games with Subiaco in the 2013 WAFL season and booted 18 goals with an impressive burst of speed and uncanny ability to sense opportunity to score from packs and on the turn in heavy traffic.
And while Fremantle took two new WA products and another eastern stater with their third pick at 47 with Northern Blues Jacob Ballard, arch rival West Coast pulled a surprise by taking Oakleigh Chargers' Will Maginness at number six.
Maginness, 18, is a nippy midfielder with handy goal-scoring capability and is damaging with his disposal.
He was co-captain with his Victorian-based under-18s team.
As has been widely documented, West Coast threw a lifeline to troubled small forward Murray Newman with a recall through the rookie system after he was dropped from the Eagles senior list last week.
The Eagles also took scrawny Claremont defender Rohan Powell with their second pick at 22 overall.
Surprise omissions from Wednesday's final AFL list additions ahead of the 2014 premiership season include highly promising Claremont ruckman Darcy Cameron and clever East Fremantle opportunist forward Ryan Lester-Smith.
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