Two more selected in AFL Rookie Draft

By ZAC MILBANK

Glenelg premiership forward Brad Close and Woodville-West Torrens livewire Trent Burgoyne have found new homes after being selected in Friday’s AFL Rookie Draft.

Close, who featured in all 21 of the Bays’ matches this year, joins fellow Croweater Cam Taheny in landing at Geelong.

Selected at Pick No.14, Close – originally from North Gambier FC – is a smooth-moving half-forward who plays a very unselfish brand of football by creating plenty of goal assists.

The 21-year-old is among several Bays juniors to be drafted by the Cats in recent years including Andrew Mackie, Lincoln McCarthy, Cory Gregson and Jordan Murdoch.

Port Adelaide continued its feel-good theme by adding a second father-son selection in Trent Burgoyne at Pick No.22 of the AFL Rookie Draft.

Less than 24 hours after adding Jackson Mead as a father-son pick, the Power included the son of premiership player Peter Burgoyne on its rookie list.

Despite missing the majority of this year due to a series of frustrating hamstring strains, Burgoyne showed enough to Port scouts in 2018 to suggest he should be given a chance to shine with the Magpies in 2020.

Like Mead, Burgoyne was selected from Woodville-West Torrens, ensuring the Eagles would have the most players – six – chosen across both AFL Drafts, with Kysaiah Pickett (Melbourne), Harry Schoenberg (Adelaide), Josh Morris (Hawthorn), Michael Frederick (Fremantle) the others from Oval Avenue.