"First and foremost, we needed talent. There's no doubt that we are rebuilding and that's been identified outside the club now, not just within the club. Second to getting talent was to get a good mix of players – also with good character - and if you look between Billings, Dunstan and Acres, we've actually got three very different players and that's the most pleasing aspect outside of having three very good players." – Chris Pelchen, head of football

"There's no doubt our recruiting staff have been looking at Jack over the course of the year but it was in the last week they came to the decision to select him at No.3. We had on-going meetings with him but didn't give him indication that he was our preferred choice. There's no doubt Boyd and Kelly were considered standouts but all along, those three including Jack were the players that were most preferred by our recruiting staff. For next year, we don't want to set a ceiling on our young players and likewise, they'll basically select themselves to a certain extent. Ultimately, he's got the talent [to play next year], but he's still got physical development and Alan as the new coach will determine when the right time is [to play him]." - Chris Pelchen

 

"He was captain of SA under-18s this year and they won the championships, and he was very impressive in his leadership and the way he played his football. His attack on the ball is equal to any of the under-18s this year. He's fearless and his work rate is extremely high. They certainly had him rated more highly than 18 and while that can sometimes be a familiar story, there's no doubt our guys were delighted with Luke. There's no doubt playing SANFL senior football is an advantage." - Chris Pelchen

 

"We were very surprised he got through. We anticipated one of the West Australian clubs would select Blake. He has had an injured shoulder this year and didn't play all the games in the championships but we think he's the prototype of the modern-day AFL footballer. Blake is 190cm, he's got both speed and endurance and so for us to have a player who can come in and play a number of positions – in a similar mould to Brendon Goddard – I think complemented our three selections nicely. Ideally, we'll have him play between half-back and half-forward, through the midfield." - Chris Pelchen