• 10 things we learned from the draft

THEY might not have had first crack at this year's NAB AFL Draft, but Greater Western Sydney got the man they wanted in Tim Taranto.

In the lead-up to the draft, players like Andrew McGrath, Hugh McCluggage and Will Setterfield were touted as No.1 picks, but the Giants were somewhat hamstrung when they went in with pick No.2. 

When Essendon elected to make McGrath the first name called out in Sydney, GWS were happy to pass on McCluggage to pounce on Taranto, and national recruiting manager Adrian Caruso told AFL.com.au that his team had settled on taking the midfielder weeks ago. 

"As the year went on we narrowed our focus to three or four players, and Tim, Andy (McGrath), and Hugh (McCluggage) were the ones we really honed in on," he said.

"But we just liked Tim's ability to back up week after week, and in the big games we saw at school footy, the national championships, and the TAC Cup finals, and he just kept standing up. 

"Once we got to know him as an individual, we just thought as a whole package, in terms of what we want to bring in to the footy club, he was the best fit for us." 

As expected, the Giants picked up academy products Will Setterfield (taken with pick five after matching Carlton's bid), Harry Perryman (No.14, matched Adelaide's bid), and Isaac Cumming (No.20, matched Sydney's bid), while they also grabbed Lachlan Tiziani (No.54) from their academy after passing on him last year. 

GWS sprung one of the biggest surprises of the draft when they threw a lifeline to delisted Fremantle midfielder Matt de Boer with selection 58. 

Selection No.2 – Tim Taranto
Adrian Caruso says: "We like his versatility, we think early in his career he can make his way as a forward, but we know eventually he has all the attributes to be a big-bodied midfielder. His endurance is top end so we know he can run games out, but also love the fact that he's shown he can play forward."

Selection No.5 – Will Setterfield (matched Carlton's bid)
Adrian Caruso says: "He didn't have the greatest of years because he just couldn't get his body right, but when he did, he really showed what he's got. The club is pretty confident we've got a good player there who is still yet to show exactly what he's got." 

Selection No.12 – Harry Perryman (matched Adelaide's bid)
Adrian Caruso says: "In terms of testing there's nothing there to suggest he's got great athleticism, but get him on a footy field, and he knows how to win the ball, and he's got the skills to distribute by hand or foot. He's a really good decision maker who is versatile enough to play back or forward." 

Selection No.20 – Isaac Cumming (matched Sydney's bid)
Adrian Caruso says: "There's not too many players who have elite speed, as well as foot skills, but we think he can add some outside run for us as a half-back or on the wing."

Selection No.54 – Lachlan Tiziani
Adrian Caruso says: "He was overlooked by every club last year, but we thought he really came on in the second half of the year. We identified that we didn't have many natural forwards on our list so he definitely adds that because he's got plenty of footy smarts."

Selection No.58 – Matt de Boer
Adrian Caruso says: "We lost a lot of players over the trade period so we looked for a player who was ready-made, who adds character, work ethic and leadership for our younger guys. Leon (Cameron) was really impressed with him as a man who understands what he's coming across for."