Essendon excited by draft haul after snaring pizza delivery man, fruit-picker and electrician

BRANDON Zerk-Thatcher’s days of delivering pizza are over after being drafted by Essendon while the man dubbed the next Jeremy Howe is headed to Tullamarine as well.

Essendon draftee Brandon Zerk-Thatcher. Picture: Matt Turner

BRANDON Zerk-Thatcher got drafted to Essendon and then went back to work. As a pizza delivery man.

Essendon’s newest key defender made a promise that whatever happened in Friday night’s national draft, he was always going to front up for work at Murray Bridge Pizza Hut the next day.

“I said I would do that shift and I wanted to stick to my word,” Zerk-Thatcher told the Herald Sun.

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“I was so happy to get drafted and it was nice to be able to say goodbye to my workmates and thank my boss for allowing me to train with Sturt (during the week).”

But the 19-year-old’s days of handing out Hawaiians are over.

Zerk-Thatcher made the two-hour round-trip from his home in Murray Bridge to Sturt and back four days a week, relentlessly pursuing his AFL dream.

From Pizza Hut to Tullamarine for Brandon Zerk-Thatcher. Picture: Matt Turner.

The 195cm Bomber was originally a ruck-forward, but Essendon’s recruiters were the ones who suggested he move into defence early last year, with great success.

List boss Adrian Dodoro said the No.66 pick had shown great potential and was part of the long-term planning for the back half.

“We wanted to bring in another key defender and he clearly has natural defensive craft,” Dodoro said.

“He is really good in the marking contests, he wins one-on-ones and there is a lot of upside there.”

But he isn’t the only Essendon draftee who already knows the value of a hard day’s work.

When Jordan Houlahan wasn’t sitting on top of peoples’ heads like Magpie Jeremy Howe, the 185cm South Australian forward was picking apples on an orchard.

Jordan Houlahan in action for SA. Picture: Roger Wyman

Matt Guelfi in action at the draft combine. Picture: Mark Dadswell

Essendon’s No.49 pick from Friday night’s national draft was regarded as one the most exciting aerialists in this year’s talent pool, but the Bombers have high hopes the spring-heeled sharpshooter, and full-time fruit-picker, will push into the midfield.

“He has got some freakish ability and some real speed and aggression,” Dodoro said.

“And he can jump. There’s a bit of Jeremy Howe the way he flies for the ball, so there’s a lot of talent there.

“But we think he can really push up the ground because he has got a good natural engine.”

Houlahan finished fourth in the running vertical leap test (95cm) and aced the goal kicking challenge, scoring a perfect 30 out of 30 in October.

Completing the Bombers’ trifecta was Claremont mature-age ball-winner Matt Guelfi, 20.

He’s the electrician with a hard-nosed attack on the ball and huge work ethic.

Dodoro said his versatility and team ethos was a “coach’s dream”.

“He is a guy who really deserves an opportunity at AFL level,” Dodoro said.

“He can play mid, back and forward and his statistics probably aren’t a true reflection of his ability because this year they threw him around a lot and he would play as a tagger, then back pocket, then defensive forward.

“But he kicks the ball really well and we felt by losing Ben Howlett, Brent Stanton and Heath Hocking we could do with another competitive midfielder.”