With their first rookie selection, the Lions drafted key defender Justin Clarke (Pick No.4) from Booleroo in country South Australia.
Clarke was among four rookie hopefuls who have been training with the Lions’ main group for the past two weeks, after showing plenty of promise in the Northern Areas Football Association.
The Lions used their second selection (Pick No.22) on accomplished Labrador defender Steve Wrigley.
Wrigley - a mature-age rookie at 24 years of age - is the Labrador’s reigning Best & Fairest winner, having finished Runner-Up for the honour in 2010. He has also been named in the NEAFL Team of the Year in each of the past two seasons.
The Lions then used Pick No.40 to recruit versatile utility Jack Crisp from the Murray Bushrangers in Victoria.
Crisp was considered unlucky to miss selection at last month's AFL National Draft having won the Bushrangers' Best & Fairest award.
The Lions had earlier used a Queensland Priority Selection on Redland big man Sam Michael - who was also invited to train with the Lions over the past week.
Michael is a versatile tall who can play up forward and also pinch-hit in the ruck. He was a member of the 2010 AIS-AFL Academy squad, represented Queensland at the U18 National Championships in each of the past two years, and received an NEAFL Rising Star nomination in Round 19 last season.
The Club also formalised Richard Newell’s elevation onto the Rookie List by selecting the former NWS/ACT Scholarship Player with Pick No.57.
Newell was first signed to the Lions as a 15 year-old back in 2008 as part of the NSW/ACT Scholarship program, before moving to Brisbane at the end of 2010 to play with the Lions Reserves side in the local NEAFL competition.
He received a Rising Star nomination in just his fourth match, and went on to represent Queensland in the 2011 U18 National Championships.
Newell was regularly listed among Queensland’s best players throughout the championships, making a name for himself as a tough and courageous tagger who could also find plenty of the ball.
The Lions now boast an eight-man rookie list, which includes existing rookies Josh Dyson, Brad Harvey and Niall McKeever who have been retained from last season.
Lions National Talent Manager Rob Kerr said the Club was pleased with the outcome from the Rookie Draft.
“Justin Clarke is still pretty raw, but has great potential as a second or third tall defender. For a guy that’s 195cm, he adds good pace and run.”
“Steve Wrigley has had two very good years in the QAFL/NEAFL, winning Labrador’s Best & Fairest this year after finishing Runner-Up in 2010. He has good skills and is a clean user of the ball. He is a relatively late-bloomer, who has only recently decided to really focus on becoming an AFL footballer. Since moving to Queensland a couple of years ago, he has really elevated his standing.”
“We thought Jack Crisp was a chance of being drafted in the National Draft. He is a 190cm midfield/utility who takes a good mark and is strong in the clearances. Our coaches will no doubt help tidy up his rough edges, but we feel there is enough improvement there to make him a worthwhile investment.”
”Richard Newell is a hard-running midfielder who goes hard at the ball. He was good for Queensland at the 2011 U18 National Championships. Chad Wingard (who was recruited with Pick No.6 in the National Draft) even rated him as his hardest opponent. Richard also performed strong run-with roles with the Lions Reserves in the NEAFL, and only recently broke the Club record for the 3km time trial.”
“We pre-selected Sam Michael because you don’t find too many 200cm players who can run 3km in 10 and half minutes. His U17 year was very good and he got the added benefit of being in the AIS-AFL Academy squad. He is a powerful big man who has never really settled down in one position.”
NEW LIONS ROOKIES - AT A GLANCE
PICK NO.4 - JUSTIN CLARKE
Recruited From: Booleroo Melrose Wilmington, SA
Position: Tall Defender
Height: 195cm
Weight: 86cm
DOB: 18/11/1993
PICK NO.22 - STEVE WRIGLEY
Recruited From: Labrador, QLD
Position: Medium Defender
Height: 187cm
Weight: 73kg
DOB: 18/4/1987
PICK NO.40 - JACK CRISP
Recruited From: Murray Bushrangers, VIC
Position: Utility
Height: 190cm
Weight: 83kg
DOB: 2/10/1993
PICK NO.57 - RICHARD NEWELL*
Recruited From: North Shore, NSW / Brisbane Lions Reserves, QLD
Position: Midfielder
Height: 186cm
Weight: 82kg
DOB: 23/3/1993
PICK NO.96 - SAM MICHAEL^
Recruited From: Redland, QLD
Position: Tall Forward / Ruckman
Height: 199cm
Weight: 93kg
DOB: 5/7/1993
*NSW/ACT Scholarship Selection
^Queensland Priority Selection
