ADELAIDE'S latest mature-aged recruit Jonathon Beech is hoping to follow the lead of Ian Callinan and James Podsiadly in forging a career at the elite level at a time when many believed them too old. 

Callinan was rookie listed by the Crows in 2010 after a long and successful state league career, making his senior debut with the club in 2011 at 28 years of age.

Club by club: who went where in the rookie draft

Podsiadly also debuted at 28 for Geelong, going on to help the Cats win the 2011 premiership before finishing his career on 104 games following a move to the Crows. 

Beech has been a crucial member of West Adelaide in recent seasons – particularly this year when the Bloods won a drought-breaking premiership. 

Both Callinan and Podsiadly offered their encouragement to the forward this season after he was unlucky to miss out at last year's rookie draft.

The 25-year-old said the pair had been inspirational. 

"I never thought [the dream] was gone because you see guys like 'Pods' and [Ian] Callinan get picked up older than me," Beech said.

"They've been in contact with me after the draft last year and then during the year.

"Crows have proven that they've picked up some mature-aged players that have gone on to have successful AFL careers and I'm definitely hoping to do that.

"I'll be doing everything I can at training and taking all the advice I can from players and coaches to be similar to those boys. 

It was Beech's eighth year of entering the draft, but the first where he refused to watch it unfold. 

Instead he waited for messages and phone calls to signal whether he had finally made it onto an AFL list.

"They started flowing," he said. 

Beech was working as team leader of the grounds and maintenance crew at an Adelaide caravan park when he found out he had been drafted. 

He was obviously elated but had to keep his emotions in check at work.

"I just quietly went up to my boss and said 'I'm going to the Crows'."

West Adelaide's stunning turnaround in 2015, where the club rocketed from finishing second last to premiers, saw six players drafted this week. 

Beech was one of three premiership players selected as rookies, with Tom Keough taken by Gold Coast and Will Snelling by Port Adelaide, while Essendon took Aaron Francis with pick No.5 at the NAB AFL Draft.

Riley Bonner was selected by Port Adelaide with pick No.37 on Tuesday night and Matthew Hayball was taken by Geelong with pick No.70.