Victorian key position prospect Tanner Smith, who is 196cm tall, was taken at pick 36, while East Fremantle small forward Max Duffy was the club’s final selection (No.39).
Senior coach Ross Lyon said the outcome of the draft was a positive one for the club.
“We went in with a view that we wanted some height on our list and a young tall defender or forward with some real speed and line-breaking ability,” he said.
“We got two players with speed, like-breaking ability and real goal-sense in Josh and Max.
“With Tanner, we’ve got a 196cm tall defender, so we walk away achieving some of the aims we set out for.”
Freo’s draft team, headed by general manager of player management Brad Lloyd, took its time in selecting pick 36.
“We had some running players, so we really had to go for some height,” Lyon said.
“We moved Tanner forward a little bit and backed in that we would get Max at the next pick, which is what happened.”
Brad Lloyd shared his thoughts on Fremantle’s three selections in the draft.
Josh Simpson - “Josh is an exciting talent, with a really strong running capacity and skill level. He has all the skills that are required we are looking forward to getting him and making the most of that talent.”
Tanner Smith - “Tanner is a key defender and a great athlete with good endurance and speed. He comes with some real competitiveness and good character and we are looking forward to getting him in.”
Max Duffy - “Max is a half-forward with really good speed. He played really well at senior level for East Fremantle this year and kicked plenty of goals. He had a lot of impact. He’s a dangerous player and will fit in really well at Freo.”
