Much of the talk in the lead up to the draft centred on whether Fremantle would take West Perth's Hill or Subiaco's Daniel Rich with its No.3 selection. The club opted for Hill, who had a standout NAB AFL Under-18 carnival for WA.
He played WAFL finals football with West Perth and started on indigenous veteran and dual Sandover medallist Allistair Pickett in the second semi-final against Subiaco.
That was a thrill in itself for players at opposite ends of their careers, and Des Headland and Antoni Grover have already taken Hill under their wing at Fremantle.
Hill was as surprised as anybody when the media rated him as one of the top players in the country, but he took no notice of that and just wanted to get picked up.
"I just had a really good 18s carnival which got a few clubs looking at me, but at the start of the year I was just looking to have a good season with West Perth," he said.
"I try not to read much of it and ignore that sort of stuff. I was just looking to get drafted and would have been happy wherever I went. I'm not thinking of where I was taken, I'm just trying to work hard and develop."
While Ballantyne appeared for WA against Victoria in 2007, this season he kicked 75 goals, again played for the state against Queensland and won the Sandover Medal as the WAFL's best and fairest player.
The small forward now looks a ready-made replacement for Jeff Farmer in the Fremantle forward line, but first he has to give up working with horses with his father and a welding job – something he is only too happy to do.
"I'm still up in the clouds a bit,but it's a great feeling and is a good club to be at. All the boys have welcomed us warmly," Ballantyne said.
"I get a bit more of a sleep in now. I used to get up about 4.30 or 5am to do work at dad's and then I'd go to work and start welding, so it's a bit of a life change. No more track work I've been told though.
"Because I'm 21 I was thinking I only have a short time before teams thought I was too old, so I was getting a bit nervous about that. Luckily I've got my chance now."
Walters stole the show at the draftee's first media appearance on Tuesday when recounting the story of how he got his nickname, Son-Son. While his fellow Midvale and Swan Districts teammates Chris Yarran and Nicholas Naitanui have taken all the headlines, he could be a terrific pick-up for Fremantle.
"When I was little we were on the way to Adelaide on the Indian Pacific and I wouldn’t go to sleep. My dad made up a lullaby and the name has been with me ever since," Walters said when explaining how his nickname came about.
"I played with Chris Yarran, Nicholas Naitanui and Todd Banfield, as well as Clayton Hinkley who is here at Freo, so there were a few boys I played with at Swans this year.
"It's been exciting and hasn’t really hit me yet. I can't wait until I start training."
