Two Bulldogs achieve dream by being drafted into AFL

SOUTH Fremantle has continued its trend of providing talented youngsters to the AFL system with Cameron McCarthy and Dylan Main both picked up at Thursday's National Draft.

McCarthy was the first to be selected with pick No. 14 by the Greater Western Sydney Giants with Main then picked up by the West Coast Eagles with selection No. 49.

The other Bulldogs players hoping to be picked up by AFL clubs this year will have another opportunity at next week's Rookie Draft.

Despite getting injured in the final game of Western Australia's campaign at the National 18s Championships, McCarthy was one of the stars for WA kicking the winning goal against Vic Country.

McCarthy was still named in the All-Australian team from the carnival and the AFL's national talent manager Kevin Sheehan couldn’t have been more impressed with the 195cm key forward over the course of the carnival.

"A key marking target up forward was Cameron McCarthy from Western Australian. He was a boy who ended with an injury but gee he made his mark throughout the championship," Sheehan said.

"He took some great marks and none were better than that one in the dying seconds of the game against the Victorians down at Simonds Stadium. He kicked that goal after the siren to win the game."

The exciting forward also played eight colts matches in 2013 for South Fremantle, kicking 20 goals and now he will join the GWS Giants where he could potentially form an incredible forward-line with No. 1 draft pick Tom Boyd, Jeremy Cameron and Jonathon Patton.

Main was another South Fremantle player to represent WA in the 18s campaign in 2013 and he continued to star in the colts side that made it all the way to a third successive grand final.

He was one of the Bulldogs best in the narrow grand final loss to Claremont and now he will join the West Coast Eagles, but unfortunately won't be able to continue playing with South Fremantle in 2014 when he is in the WAFL.

Under the new alignment system, he will be forced to play with East Perth.

Ever since the AFL instituted a National Draft the South Fremantle Football Club has been one of the very best producers of talent to the top level across the country.

The first National Draft took place in 1986 and ever since over 70 South Fremantle players have made it into the AFL either through the main draft each year or the Rookie Drafts.

Those players include two players to have reached 250 or more AFL games, another three to have played over 200 matches with 11 further getting at least to triple figures having previously plied their trade for South Fremantle.

Peter Sumich, Scott Watters, Peter, Phil and Wally Matera, Glen Jakovich, Brad Hardie, Darren Gaspar, James Clement, Dean Rioli, Ash McGrath, Cory McGrath, Mark Williams, Roger Hayden, Andrew Krakouer are just some of the players to become AFL stars from South Fremantle.

St Kilda's Clint Jones and Fremantle's Paul Duffield are among the experienced AFL players still having successful careers after being premiership players at the Bulldogs, and both are set to notch their 150th matches during 2014.

Small forward Leroy Jetta has also now played 91 matches with Essendon and is on track to reach his 100th game for the Bombers during 2014.

Adam Carter made his AFL debut also with the West Coast Eagles in 2013 while it appears only a matter of time before Shane Kersten and Mason Shaw get to make their first appearances with Geelong and Port Adelaide respectively in 2014.

The dominance of South Fremantle's colts team in recent years has also led to the drafting or rookie-listing of three players in 2010, five in 2011 and another five in 2012 as the Bulldogs development and football programs continue to shine.

South Fremantle's ability to produce and nurture some of the best young talent in all of Australia continued to be showcased on the national stage in 2013 with four players in the State 15s squad, five in the 16s and six in the 18s.

By Chris Pike