Fremantle added a further two top 10 picks to their list through Jye Amiss and Neil Erasmus at the 2021 NAB AFL Draft and Executive General Manager of Football Peter Bell is thrilled with what the pair will bring to the Club.
Excluding Adam Cerra, they are Fremantle’s sixth and seventh top 10 picks since 2016, joining Griffin Logue, Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong, Hayden Young and Liam Henry.
Bell said the WA duo ticked all the important boxes as talented players with great character who filled specific needs.
“We’re really excited to bring in two young talented players of really high character. The added bonus is that they’re both West Australian, so they don’t have to move away from home and can stay here and have their support network around them,” Bell said.
“We’re excited about the upside on both players. Jye drove up from Busselton a couple of times a week over the course of the year to kick over 50 goals.
“Neil previously played a lot of elite level cricket and then applied himself to football recently at Hale and with Subiaco. Add to the fact that Neil’s quite a young draftee as well, I think he turns 18 in December, so he’s one of the youngest players in the draft pool but physically very strong and aggressive.
“We’re excited to bring them in and let them get to work and support them to be the best players they can be.”
Taken at no.8, Amiss adds to Fremantle’s tall forward stocks alongside the likes of Matt Taberner, Rory Lobb and Josh Treacy.
“What also attracted us to Jye is his natural forward craft. It’s a really difficult skill that doesn’t come naturally to a lot of players but he’s demonstrated quite a lot,” Bell said.
“I’m sure under Jaymie Graham’s tutelage he will continue to build on that. His teammates like Matt Taberner will certainly be there to guide him as well.”
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Bell said Erasmus, taken at pick 10, had the potential to be a suitable replacement for Cerra, who was traded to Carlton for the pick that saw Amiss arrive at Freo.
“Obviously with losing Adam Cerra over the off-season, Neil will bring in some further depth into our midfield stocks along with Will Brodie and others we’ve introduced into the Club,” Bell said.
“Neil also has some really good forward skills. He’s a very good overhead mark, he started out as a forward, he can hit the scoreboard and we think we can potentially use him up forward as well at 190cm.”
