Ollie Hannaford: The tackle-loving forward set to add to GWS Giants’ Orange Tsunami

He’s the son of a rugby player who prides himself on tackling. And, it only took a breakout month to convince GWS Giants it needed Ollie Hannaford to supercharge the Orange Tsunami.

Forwards were the order of the day for the Giants and Swans as they added some impressive front-end talent on night one of the 2024 AFL draft.

Both NSW sides were always bound to have a big say in the first round with five picks between them, but there was a clear desire from the two teams to prioritise attacking talent.

The Giants added forwards with two of their three selections.

Ollie Hannaford was their first at pick 18, and while the GWV Rebels player can play across the lines, he excelled in the second half of the year upfront, including a bag of six goals against the Geelong Falcons in the Coates League qualifying final.

They also added Cody Angrove, the athletic West Australian who relishes playing high half-forward and has won back-to-back Colts premierships with Claremont.

Ollie Hannaford (L) was the Giants’ first draft selection in 2024, with defender Harry Oliver (R) following the very next pick. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

However, it is Hannaford who looms as the most intriguing prospect given that he is still a relative unknown in the forward line. Motivated by a disappointing snub earlier in the year, he made the most of his chances to grab a spot on the Giants’ list.

“I missed out on the National Combine invite,” Hannaford said.

“So I think that was a bit of a kick in the bum that sort of fuelled the fire for me.

“You go back to square one with your mentors and get back at what you’re good at. We went back to the drawing board. One of the coaches, Eamonn Gill, was the forward coach and I hadn’t really played there much so he helped me out.

“Early on I wasn’t kicking goals but was learning off him. Then I started playing some good footy and kicking a few goals as well.”

💬 "It's a dream come true."

We speak with GIANTS draftee Ollie Hannaford 📲 https://t.co/ZUsoqgi6RVpic.twitter.com/CcSw2gs3dT

— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) November 21, 2024

Hannaford was a name on the radar of several clubs, including the Swans, but the Giants have always shown they’re one to disregard phantom drafts and use their first pick on the player they believe is the best talent.

It was a surprise for Hannaford who had a small gathering with friends, and even his mum wasn’t in attendance because they thought he would slip to the second night of the draft.

“Ollie shifted forward in the second half of the season and became a genuine threat with his athletic package mixed with a genuine desire to compete,” Giants’ head of talent Adrian Caruso said.

“He suits the way we want to play with his aggressive and attacking nature coupled with strong speed and power traits.”

An ability to balance out his attacking and defensive work is what set Hannaford apart in 2024. Picture: Chris Hyde/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

The Giants also took the impressive Harry Oliver with their other first-round selection, a silky left-footed defender who is an elegant user of the ball. He finished the season in the under-18 All-Australian side and the Coates League team of the year thanks to his speed and line-breaking ability.

But it’s hard not to be drawn to the two forward additions for the Giants. They join a list that already includes superstars such as Toby Greene and Brent Daniels, while will be competing with other exciting youngsters such as Darcy Jones, Harvey Thomas, Conor Stone and Phoenix Gothard.

Ollie Hannaford is a certified draft bolter ⚡️

The GWV Rebels forward saved his best until last with this freakish dribbler in a six-goal haul.

Watch our top @TalentLeague#AFLDraft moments: https://t.co/qiKkOwRzgrpic.twitter.com/WnYKOhJRbB

— KommunityTV (@KommunityTV) November 20, 2024

In a sense, it’s doubling down of their orange tsunami game plan. Where other teams might have felt a need to add depth in other positions, Adam Kingsley and his team clearly want forward pressure to be at the front of their plans.

And Hannaford’s words, stemming from a background in rugby, will be music to his ears.

Hannaford and Angrove join a forward line that already boasts the likes of Greene, Daniels and Jones. Picture: Brett Costello

“(Making tackles) is something I pride myself on,” he said.

“Dad was a rugby player back in the day and learned a thing or two from him, so I just love the contest. It’s something I’ve thrived off.

“The Giants are a great team and they’ve played some good footy this year. So, if I can get into that forward line hopefully I can have that defensive presence as a small forward as well as a goal threat.

“I think that will help them, hopefully, to what they’re trying to achieve, which is obviously to win a premiership. So yeah, I can’t wait.”

The Swans also pulled a surprise on night one, reaching with their second pick to select Ned Bowman, the young forward out of South Australia.

Whether it was his high-flying mark that went viral in an under-18s game that got Sydney’s attention, most considered Bowman a second-round prospect at best.

However, he clearly adds to a position the Swans are relatively short on, with the 187cm forward playing in a very similar mould to Will Hayward. If he can add his X-factor, his strong marking ability and solid set shot into Sydney’s forward line, there’s no doubt he will be a handy addition.

“I am not sure where they get their rankings from,” Sydney’s head of list strategy Chris Keane said. “We go off our order for all the work we have done across the year so that’s all we can go off.

“We really love his attributes. He is a really good athlete who is going to add some speed and power to the front half of our game.

“We wanted to address that part of the ground if we could but also align with the talent that we had in order, I think that ticked both boxes which is really pleasing.”

Originally published as Ollie Hannaford: The tackle-loving forward set to add to GWS Giants’ Orange Tsunami