Fremantle footy boss Peter Bell weighs in on draft trend

Fremantle’s football boss Peter Bell says the Dockers didn’t plan to take only Western Australians in this year’s national draft.

Jye Amiss (L) and Neil Erasmus (R) pose with Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Fremantle’s decision to select Western Australians with all four of its national draft picks for the second-straight year was not by design, football boss Peter Bell says.

The Dockers went all-local this week, starting with tall forward Jye Amiss at No. 8, then midfielders Neil Erasmus (10) and Matthew Johnson (21) and ruck-forward Eric Benning (54).

They drafted homegrown talent Heath Chapman, Nathan O’Driscoll, Brandon Walker and Joel Western last year.

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Four of West Coast’s five draftees this year were also from WA.

“Drafting WA players is the way that it’s turned out,” Bell said.

“The fact that West Australian players have had the ability to play a lot more football certainly helps the case to draft West Australians and also put a weighting on them.

“We have a number of players from all around Australia, but it just turns out (drafting local) is the way we’ve gone in consecutive years.”

Amiss was selected with pick 8. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Fremantle lost new Blue Adam Cerra to the go-home factor in this year’s trade period, but brought in West Australian Jordan Clark from Geelong.

Drafting players from clubs’ home state continues to be a talking point, even for Victorian teams.

Brownlow medallist-turned-commentator Gerard Healy criticised St Kilda for picking South Australian Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera over Victorian Josh Sinn at No. 11.