AFL Draft 2021: Demons thrilled as they secure their two main targets

The Demons are rejoicing a job well done after remarkably securing their two prime draft targets, including one described as possibly this year’s best value pick.

Melbourne has enjoyed a rare win at the national draft when it secured two of its top first-round targets exactly 20 picks apart across two nights.

Rival recruiters have lauded the reigning premier’s draft haul after snaring versatile 193cm tall Jacob Van Rooyen at No. 19 and tall wingman Blake Howes at 39.

The Demons had Howes right in the mix with their first selection and then, after opting for Van Rooyen as part of a close call, tried to strike a trade with Adelaide when Howes was still available at pick 36.

When the AFL rejected the trade (because those picks were traded in the October trade period) the Dees thought Howes would be gone before their call at 39.

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Blake Howes will head to the Demons as a wingman who can play at either end. Picture: AFL Photos via Getty Images

But the cameras showed the Demons were delighted when he was still on the shelf and moved quickly to call out Howes name at pick 39, ensuring Melbourne landed two of its prime targets one round apart.

One respected talent identification expert told News Corp Howes was the best value pick of the draft, continuing the club’s brilliant run of second and third-round choices in recent years.

Howes has the flexibility and size at 190cm to become a damaging forward, but Melbourne will begin training the Sandringham product as a wingman who can play at either end.

News Corp understands Melbourne’s recruiting chief Jason Taylor, who recently signed a four-year contract extension in reward for his outstanding record, saw every one of Howes’ games for Sandringham Dragons and St Bedes this year.

West Australian Van Rooyen will help replenish the Demons’ key position stocks as part of long-term plans to provide coverage and replacement options for veterans Tom McDonald and Ben Brown.

The Demons didn’t expect Howes to be still available at pick 39.

Jacob Van Rooyen heads to the Dees as a versatile 193cm tall.

Forward Sam Weideman will also try to cement a regular spot in the Demons’ AFL side this year while former Saint and ball magnet Luke Dunstan will vie for a midfield berth.

Howes said it was a nerve-wracking wait to hear his name called out but was excited to begin work when the Demons started preseason training this Monday.

“I feel like I’m a pretty versatile player but I probably prefer the wing out of all the positions and using my speed and endurance to (the best) of my ability,” Howes said.

“I’m bloody stoked to be joining the Dees and looking forward to it.”

The Demons have bolstered their list for a back-to-back premiership assault but do not have any spare spots to add more players in the supplemental selection period.

Howes, who was picked in the NAB League team of the year, said he was grateful for Melbourne’s show of faith off a premiership campaign.

“It is pretty exciting just to be able to join such an elite group of players and staff, and I can’t wait to meet them all and learn as much as I can off them all, it is a really exciting time,” Howes said.

The Demons rounded out their draft haul snaring father-son Taj Woewodin, rookie and classy defender Judd McVee and next generation academy prospect and small forward Andy Moniz-Wakefield, from the Northern Territory.

Inside Essendon’s pursuit of 25-year-old draft shock

New Bomber Garrett McDonagh sold up his things and had given up on his AFL dream at the end of 2018.

The dashing half-back with the rocket left foot had played in a flag at West Preston-Lakeside that year and wanted to pursue a punting career in the United States with Nathan Chapman’s ProKick.

AFL recruiters, McDonagh thought, weren’t interested after overlooking him at the national draft a few years earlier.

But when things fell through with the punting overseas, and his local footy club started the next season in 2019 losing its first six games, the call to McDonagh was made.

It was a phone call that would ignite an extraordinary footy comeback that led to the 25-year-old plumber getting taken by the Bombers at pick No. 50 in one of the most joyous storylines to come out of Thursday night’s national draft.

McDonagh steered West Preston to back-to-back flags upon his return in 2019, and then caught the Bombers’ eye rebounding the ball with deadly accuracy in Richmond’s VFL team this year.

He spent his days getting up at 4.30am to go to the gym, and get treatment on his body to get on top of some injury issues, before starting work at his full-time plumbing job every day. Then he’d train at night.

Even though he had effectively given up on his AFL ambitions after breaking his wrist in 2018, McDonagh’s persistence and resilience has most certainly paid off.

New Essendon recruit Garrett McDonagh during his time with West Preston.

“I had broken my scaphoid and there was a period where I was really weighing up what I wanted to do with my life,” McDonagh said.

“An opportunity came up in punting (American football) and I always had it in the back of my mind that at some stage I wanted to give the punting a crack.

“But I kept training with West Preston and then really focused on getting my body right and doing the yoga and pilates and spending money on that, rather than buying new clothes.

“So I really knuckled down, and yeah, as a plumber they were definitely long days to get to the gym or get treatment before work.

“But it has all paid off and I’m just so grateful for Essendon for giving me this opportunity and Richmond for helping me get there.”

McDonagh didn’t have a manager when he wrote to club list managers a few weeks ago, saying how much he was prepared to make the most of any opportunity. Just like he is on the field, McDonagh got proactive.

And Essendon was one of the clubs to respond, having watched him closely throughout the season, noting the link man’s damaging rebound game.

The Bombers will be hoping they can strike gold again like they did with Nick Hind.

The Bombers think they’ve found another gem, after striking gold with Nick Hind in last year’s trade period.

It is a club on the up.

“We thought he (McDonagh) was the best player outside the AFL,” list boss Adrian Dodoro said.

“He is an elite kick, he has high endurance, and we feel he was ready to play league footy.

“He is a ripper kid, and he is going to play.”

The Bombers want to see the ready-to-go linebreaker push for early selection next season, using his weaving run and precise foots kills to capitalise on the ‘stand’ rule in 2022.

For West Preston, McDonagh’s overlapping run and long goals are legendary.

On the big stage, he was best on ground in the 2019 preliminary final (kicking the match winning goal) and then got the votes in the grand final the following week.

Vice president Gino Nardella said the popular playmaker deserved the chance to play at the top level.

“We had given up on him (playing at West Preston in 2019) because he had sold his car and everything and was off to do the punting thing in America,” Nardella said.

“But it didn’t work out and he pulled the pin on it and ended up coming back to us and helped us win that flag coming back from 0-6.

“He changed the whole dynamic of the side.

“He has a booming left foot kick, it is next level. It’s graceful, it looks easy and it is as good as anything out there.

Essendon list boss Adrian Dodoro believes McDonagh is ready made to play AFL.

“Anytime he has the ball, you just knew you were going to get out of trouble.”

At Tullamarine, the man who started out at Northern Knights and enjoyed stints at Northern Blues and Coburg, will form a damaging partnership across half back with new teammates Hind, former Crow Jake Kelly and Jordan Ridley.

But on Friday night, he stepped behind the bar at West Preston to honour a volunteering commitment to pour drinks at a teammate’s 18th birthday.

Come Monday, it’s time to begin pre-season training for an opportunity he’s worked at for more than seven years.

Understandably, he’s over the moon.

“I’m still trying to get back to all the messages,” McDonagh said.

“I thought maybe I might get a chance in the rookie draft or even just as a train-on player.

“To go in the national draft, and have this chance, it is just an absolute honour.”

Originally published as AFL Draft 2021: Demons thrilled as they secure their two main targets