AFL draft guru Kevin Sheehan says Brisbane was one of the big winners from Tuesday night’s national draft in Adelaide.
The Lions recruited four under-18 All-Australians with their five selections – Josh Schache (pick No. 2), Eric Hipwood (14), Ben Keays (24) and Rhys Mathieson (39) – while Sam Skinner (47) was a star at under-16 level and slid down the draft due to a knee injury this year.
Sheehan, the AFL National Talent Manager, said Brisbane had secured some elite young footballers capable of making an impact at the top level.
“I reckon Brisbane have done super well,’’ Sheehan said.
“All of those boys are out of the national academy so they’ve all been considered in the best 25-30 kids in the country at some stage.”
Sheehan said Mathieson, a tough inside midfielder from the Geelong Falcons, was a steal at No.39 and Skinner, a ruckman/defender from Gippsland, was a good long-term option.
Sheehan also believes Schache was an obvious choice given his skill set as a key forward while the Lions Academy duo of Keays and Hipwood were also no-brainer selections.