HARRY Schoenberg might have had to wait until the second night of the draft to know his fate, but Adelaide's No.24 selection at the NAB AFL Draft is no stranger to biding his time.
The medium-sized midfielder, lauded for his exceptional movement through traffic and elite ball use, was overlooked for the South Australian Under-18 side at the beginning of the year.
He not only bounced back to force his way into the squad, but went on to average 27 disposals, 4.8 tackles and 5.8 clearances at the Under-18 carnival and win All-Australian honours.
"His contested ball and his ball take's really clean, he's a great country lad from a good family, so to get South Australia's best mid was a really big win for us," said Crows recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie.
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With Josh Jenkins, Alex Keath, Hugh Greenwood and Sam Jacobs exiting West Lakes during the Trade Period, the Crows were left severely lacking in height.
Replenishing those stocks was a clear priority at the draft, opting for 195cm defender Josh Worrell (pick No.28), 191cm inside mid Ronin O'Connor (pick No.42) and 191cm wingman Lachlan Gollant (pick No.48) to join their first-round selection, 197cm key position player Fischer McAsey (pick No.6).
"It's a nice balanced group, we were able to get some height and size in the midfield which was something we needed to address," Ogilvie said.
With impressive closing speed, intercept marking and a booming left foot, Worrell will bolster the backline at West Lakes.
His versatility will also have Adelaide excited, hauls of four against Western Australia and three against South Australia placing him top of the goalkicking list for Vic Metro at this year's Under-18 Championships. Not bad for a key defender.
"Josh was the one that was just too good to refuse, he was one of Vic Metro's best players," Ogilvie said.
"The industry probably says he's the most versatile tall athlete in the draft, so we were stoked to get him."
West Australian O'Connor has leadership potential to accompany his height. The contested ball machine captained Claremont to the 2019 WAFL Colts flag and played a key role in WA's Under-18 championship win.
Calder Cannons bolter Gollant is lightly built for his 191cm frame but will bring fierce defensive pressure and remarkable game sense to Adelaide's midfield.
"He's very athletic, gets up in the air and on the ground, but he's probably one more for the future," said Ogilvie.
