Stewart, Loersch picked up in AFL Rookie Draft

SOUTH Fremantle’s success of providing talent to the AFL has continued at the Rookie Draft on Friday morning with Kade Stewart and Cameron Loersch selected by Hawthorn and the Gold Coast Suns respectively.

After Callum Ah Chee was selected by the Gold Coast Suns with pick No. 8 at the AFL Draft on Tuesday, South Fremantle now will have two more players into the top level in 2016.

Stewart was the first Bulldogs player taken in Friday’s Rookie Draft with three-time reigning premiers Hawthorn selected him with pick No. 36.

Loersch was then the next South Fremantle product to go with pick 53 when he was taken by the Suns to join his former Bulldogs teammates Ah Chee and Jarrod Garlett.

Stewart became the youngest debutant of 2015 in South Fremantle’s league team with the 18-year-old having played colts and reserves, as well as with the State 18s, prior to breaking in for his first league appearance in Round 22 against West Perth.

He played well with 19 and 18 possessions respectively in the last two games of the season before then going back to the reserves to become a premiership player alongside older brother Tim.

Loersch last played with South Fremantle’s colts in the 2014 season and was tremendous as a key forward target and back up ruckman.

The 203cm big man kicked 57 goals in 21 games in the colts in 2014 for South Fremantle before then continuing to develop in 2015 and now finding himself on an AFL list.

Ah Chee, Stewart Loersch now join Brandon Matera (Gold Coast), Shane Kersten (Geelong), Brendon Ah Chee (Port Adelaide), Cameron McCarthy (GWS Giants), Jarrod Pickett (Giants), Jarrod Garlett (Gold Coast) and Billy Frampton (Port Adelaide) in the AFL in 2015.