Gerrick Weedon
Originally from the Kimberley region of Western Australia, Gerrick played for the Claremont Football Club in the WAFL before being recruited by West Coast with the 22nd pick overall in the 2009 Draft. He made his senior debut for the Eagles in round seven last year. A hard tackling forward who is also good in the air, Gerrick plays as a forward pocket or across the half-forward line. After kicking three goals in two NAB Cup matches this pre-season he has placed himself in contention to be a possible replacement for Mark LeCras in the Eagles’ forward line.
Zephaniah Skinner
Western Bulldogs recruit Zeph Skinner may not be Superman, but Coach Rodney Eade has stated the young player from WA has the ability to ‘leap tall buildings’. We also reckon ‘Zeph’ has the deadliest name in Australian football. From the remote community of Nookanbah, located 500km inland between Broome and Fitzroy Crossing, the 21 year-old stands 190cm tall and caught the attention of Bulldog recruiters while playing for the NT Thunder. Selected by the Dogs with the 88th pick in the 2010 Draft, after working hard on his fitness over the pre-season, the Bulldogs handed the lanky forward some game time in the NAB Cup and he looked very impressive.
Koby Stevens
Sheer tenacity and competitive drive will get you a long way in professional sport, so luckily for Koby Stevens they are qualities the 22-year-old possesses in spades. Noted for his ability to win contested balls and strength overhead, as the 23rd pick in the 2009 draft Koby has been earmarked for big things from early on, but for varying reasons has managed only seven AFL games in the past two seasons. A former U18 Victorian County player and captain of the AIS/AFL Academy squad, he plays primarily as a midfielder and will be focused on earning himself a regular spot in the Eagles’ first team this season. Koby enjoyed a strong year with East Fremantle in the WAFL in 2011. It seems only a matter of time before he makes his mark in the AFL and 2012 may well be that year, it’s shaping as a big one.
Amos Frank
Being likened to great players before you’ve even played an AFL match can be daunting, so spare a thought for new Hawthorn recruit Amos Frank, who has already been compared to the mercurial established Hawks super star, Cyril Rioli. The good news for Amos, however, is that many who’ve watched him play consider the 23 year-old to be an even bigger excitement machine than his new Hawthorn teammate. Snapped up by the Hawks with pick No.34 in the Rookie Draft, Amos is the first ever player from Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands, in the far north of South Australia, to make an AFL list. The lightning quick midfielder won the Far North West Sports League Best-and-Fairest for the past two years but really caught the eye of recruiters when he smashed the 20m sprint record at the SANFL draft camp. Amos is sure to be one of the AFL’s most watched stories in 2012, and you can bet the entire APY lands will be proudly following his every move.
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