Ah Chee goes to Suns at No. 8 in AFL Draft

SOUTH Fremantle has again provided the AFL with an excitement machine with Callum Ah Chee being picked at No. 8 in the AFL Draft in Adelaide on Tuesday night by the Gold Coast Suns.

Ah Chee was Gold Coast’s first selection in the AFL Draft and the 18-year-old now joins fellow South Fremantle products Jarrod Garlett and Brandon Matera at the Suns for the 2016 season.

The exciting forward and wingman was the first draft pick from Western Australia continuing South Fremantle’s strong tradition of providing some of the best talent in the country after Jarrod Pickett was taken at No. 4 last year by the GWS Giants and Garlett with selection 15 by the Suns.

Ah Chee has long been earmarked as an AFL player of the future having been involved in the AIS-AFL Academy and in the WA underage programs. Again in 2015, he played with the AIS-AFL team, the WA State 18s and at colts, reserves and league level in the WAFL at South Fremantle.

He was always going to be drafted, but he soared into top 10 calculations once he started playing senior football with the Bulldogs in the back half of the season.

Ah Chee dominated his one reserves game at South Fremantle and then made a stunning league debut in the derby against East Fremantle kicking three goals, including two that proved match-winning in the final quarter while also taking a spectacular mark before one of them.

He finished the season strongly in the league team, further impressed at the National Combine and now on Tuesday night was taken by the Suns to join Gold Coast. He joins his brother Brendon in the AFL now who will remain at Port Adelaide in 2016.

After being picked by the Suns, Ah Chee was excited and even a little surprised to be heading to the Gold Coast but grateful by the chance at the same time.

“I’m over the moon. I can’t be thankful enough for the opportunity, it’s amazing. I guess coming in it was kind of a bit of an uncertain feel but I’m just so thankful for the opportunity and can’t wait to get into training and meet all the boys,” Ah Chee said.

“I met with them a few times but it was really hard because they didn’t really give anything away so it was a massive surprise going to the Suns. But thank you to them and I can’t wait to get over there and work hard.

“Brendon told me how hard work it is once you get into the AFL, but to just think positive and work as hard as you can so that’s what I will do. I’m pretty versatile and can play at both ends of the group but I pride myself on my marking and decision-making. I think I can bring that to the Suns.”

While Ah Chee was South Fremantle’s only player selected in the National Draft on Tuesday night, there is another opportunity for the likes of Kade Stewart, Josh Branchi, Marlion Pickett and Tim Kelly in the Rookie Draft on Friday morning.

In all, there were seven players from the WAFL system in 2015 selected in Tuesday’s draft.

Ah Chee was the first taken at selection No. 8 followed by Peel Thunder’s Josh Schoenfeld (Gold Coast) at 34 and West Perth’s Marcus Adams (Western Bulldogs) at 35.

Claremont’s Declan Mountford (North Melbourne) was the next to be selected from the WAFL at No. 60 followed by Subiaco’s Shane Yarran (Fremantle) at 61 and Sam Menegola (Geelong) at 66, and Swan Districts defender Nathan Broad (Richmond) at 67.