With North Melbourne's first pick in the 2014 National Draft, it selected Sam Durdin, a 197cm key defender from West Adelaide in South Australia.

Height: 197cm
Weight: 87kg
Position: Defender
Recruited from: West Adelaide

Bryce Lewis says: “We feel like we’ve been able to get a quality tall into the club. He’s a good contested mark that can play either forward or back.

“We actually see a future for him forward. So far he’s been the typical swingman type.

“He’s quite athletic and really composed with the ball in his hand. He’s definitely a back or forward at AFL level, and not so much in the ruck.”

AFL.com.au says: Tall defender/ruckman is strong overhead and good below his knees. Aggressive in contests and strong one-on-one. Played important role in South Australia's win in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, averaging 10 touches and three marks in six appearances. His up and down year ended on a high when named best-afield in West Adelaide's Under-18 Grand Final win in the SANFL, amassing 48 hit-outs, 12 touches and nine marks. Member of NAB AFL Academy Level 2 squad and won the AFL Life Membership Scholarship in 2013.

Emma Quayle (The Age): After touring Europe with the AFL's national academy he played reserves for West Adelaide, in the Foxtel Cup with a sort-of senior side, for the under-18 South Australian side and in the under-18 SANFL finals. The club that drafts him will see him, he suspects, as a key defender who can go forward if need be.

PRESS PLAY above to watch highlights of Durdin | YouTube


More to come