West Coast added another promising young talent via the Mid-Season Rookie Draft on Wednesday
The West Coast Eagles will be hoping their latest recruit, Jack Hutchinson, will mirror the club’s recent success in the Mid-Season Rookie Draft.
After securing hard working midfielder Jai Culley and half-forward Ryan Maric in the last two mid-season ballots, the Eagles this evening added the versatile and athletic Collingwood VFL star Hutchinson with their only selection.
“I’m bloody excited,” Hutchinson told westcoasteagles.com.au moments after his name was called.
“I can’t really believe it but it’s finally happened so I can’t wait to get over there and get to work.”
While the Eagles had first access to Culley and Maric, they sat behind North Melbourne and Richmond in tonight’s draft and landed Hutchinson, who has shone as a forward for the Magpies, but club recruiting staff believe he has several strings to his bow.
Hutchinson, 22, had been playing country football with Wonthaggi but was encouraged by his coach, former Pies small forward Jarryd Blair, to play VFL this year at Collingwood.
“He encouraged me. It was something I always wanted to do and I thought the time was right,” Hutchinson said.
“I wasn’t really sure where it was going to take me but obviously it has gone in the right direction.
“Six months ago if someone told me (I would be drafted), I probably wouldn’t have believed it, but you get in the VFL system and feel like you belong playing alongside AFL players.
“I felt like I was still playing good footy so you feel like you should be there now.”
While Hutchinson did not travel the customary talent pathways, he is not unfamiliar to Perth, having attended Trinity College in year nine while his father worked in WA. He also enjoys surfing and should enjoy an early connection with Archer Reid, whose family is from the same district.
“I lived in South Perth right on the Swan River there just with Dad. I played footy with Trinity and then on the weekends would head down south with the old boy,” Hutchinson said.
“My family are super stoked. It will obviously be a big move at the start but I’m sure they will get used to it and they are super excited for me.”
Eagles coach Adam Simpson wasted no time calling Hutchinson and he will have a crash course in learning his new teammates’ names when he arrives in Perth on Friday.
The logistical exercise of moving across the country and preparing to play for the WAFL Eagles on Sunday in Northam will quickly sink in.
“‘Simmo’ just said get over and get to work, that the opportunity is there so take it,” Hutchinson said.
“I do watch a fair bit of footy, I’ve watched a fair bit of West Coast. I’m sure I’ll get over the top of that (all the players in the squad) the next few days that’s for sure.”
National Recruiting Manager Duane Massey said Hutchinson represented an untapped talent.
“Jack is playing as a 190cm forward, can really mark it, has got really good speed and is very compliant in the Collingwood system,” he said.
“We feel he’s got some real upside with his athleticism and aerial ability and that he could play other roles.
“He could possibly play wing or across half-back, so we think he’s got flexibility in his game to play a few different roles. We really like his talent.”
The Eagles were able to access Hutchinson after North Melbourne drafted Tasmanian Geordie Payne with pick one and Richmond nominated Peel key defender Jacob Blight with the second selection.