By JARROD POTTER
BEACONSFIELD team mates Brandon White (pick 40) and Bailey Rice (father-son pick 49) are off to St Kilda together while Narre Warren midfielder Kurt Mutimer (pick 57) will go to West Coast to cap off a phenomenal night for the Dandenong Stingrays at the AFL National Draft.
It was an incredibly successful outing for the Stingrays with six players drafted – the most of any club in Australia – starting at the top with Jacob Weitering heading to Carlton at pick 1.
After Kieran Collins (pick 26) was picked by the Bulldogs it was an anxious wait for the remaining Stingrays, but the good news from Adelaide filtered through after a tense couple of rounds.
Sitting on the couch with his parents, girlfriend Lily and a huge contingent of cousins, aunts, uncles and friends at his Berwick house, White couldn’t believe it after the good news was read.
“Pick 40, St Kilda Football Club,” AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said. “Brandon White”.
The Dandenong defender had just become an AFL footballer and to the delight of his family, he would also stay in Victoria.
“Unbelievable – you captured the video which I’m happy to share with anyone – it’s so surreal,” White said. “It hasn’t sunk in yet – I was in tears and enjoying it with the family was unbelievable.
“It’s not too far away, so mum and dad will be a bit shattered that I’m still at home – but I’m excited to be going down there and earning my respect from the team mates, coaching staff and all the hard work is ahead really.”
Rice had to wait slightly longer to get his name called as St Kilda matched the pick 49 bid to head off to the same club his father Dean played 116 games at through the 80s and 90s.
“It’s crazy – I was just watching it with family and friends and I’m over the moon,” Rice said. “I’m lost for words… didn’t think the Saints were going to match it (Richmond’s bid) at first – but I was pretty confident they would.”
Rice thought the battles between him and White as junior footballers – two great South East Juniors dynamos wearing number 23 – were fantastic from way back when, but had really enjoyed sharing time in the backline with White in recent times.
“We’ve had our good battles in Endeavour Hills versus Beacy, but then team mates at Stingrays and now going onto the AFL – it’s unbelievable really,” Rice said.
Instead of heading to Schoolies in Queensland later this week Rice would be on a different trip to the sunshine state, as he and White start pre-season with the Saints and get stuck into their careers ahead.
Kurt Mutimer was the other local footballer inducted into the AFL as he became part of the West Coast Eagles with pick 57.
From Narre North Foxes, to Narre Warren and now he’s onto the AFL as Mutimer makes the trip-of-a-lifetime to join West Coast on Sunday.
“It’s a dream come true – you dream about this night ever since you were a little kid and for it to happen I was speechless,” Mutimer said. “The family is stoked for me and I couldn’t be happier.”
Waiting til the lower-end of the draft was a nervous experience for him, but Mutimer, his girlfriend Kim, friends and family erupted once the Eagles’ pick came through.
“I was getting pretty anxious – hearing everyone else’s names getting called out, but it came to West Coast’s pick 57 and I had this funny feeling and lucky enough my name was called out.”
The other Stingray was the biggest shock of the night as Liam Hulett, who had missed most of the season through an ankle injury, managed to earn a place on Melbourne’s list with pick 42.
Stingrays coach Craig Black was thrilled with the club’s efforts – getting six players onto AFL lists in one of the greatest nights for the local TAC Cup organisation.
We’re really happy with six people getting picked, but you still feel disappointed for a couple of boys on the periphery, so hopefully they get their opportunity on Friday at the rookie draft,” Black said. “It’s a fantastic result for us at the Stingrays with six players drafted- if you told me that at the start of the year I’d take it any day of the week.
“It’s great work and recognition for all the hard work of the coaches at the Stingrays – from under-15s, 16s all the way up to 18s and everyone involved in the TAC Cup program at the Stingrays.”
