Emerging defender Josh Draper has been rewarded for his efforts at training and for Peel with a two-year contract extension.
The Fremantle Next Generation Academy graduate will remain a Category B rookie for the 2024 and 2025 seasons - allowing the Club to have more flexibility on its Primary and Rookie lists.
Draper has impressed since he was added to the list in November last year. He’s been named as an emergency three times, including travelling with the team to Adelaide.
A 2022 Colts premiership player for Peel, Draper made his WAFL League debut for the Thunder in round 2 against Perth, where he had 15 disposals and six marks.
At 197cm, the 19-year-old boasts significant size for a versatile and athletic defender – a role he is relatively new to after playing mostly as a forward in his junior years.
“I’m extremely grateful that I get to stay here for another two years,” Draper said.
“It means the world to me. I’m from WA and I get to learn off the other boys for an extra two years. I’m just excited to see what I can do.
“I feel I’ve come a long way. I’m playing back, I hadn’t played back much before. I’m learning a lot from the other guys, Brennan Cox, Moose (Alex Pearce), Joel Hamling as well – all the key backs.”
Draper said his transition from Colts to League football had been a smooth one thanks to the guidance of Joel Hamling.
“Playing League is a lot more structured than playing Colts, but having Joel there helping me…he’s putting me in the right spots to make a play at the ball, it’s been pretty easy,” Draper said.
“I watch everyone’s clips - Alex Pearce, Coxy, Hamling as well. I also play small, so I’ll watch Walks (Brandon Walker), Clarky (Jordan Clark), Karl Worner and Wags (Corey Wagner) just to see how they go about it.”
“I aim to be a running interceptor type player, I want to be a bit of a hybrid that can play tall and small."
While an AFL debut is the goal for Draper, he would also love to see Peel continue their run in the WAFL – currently on top of the ladder with a 6-1 record.
“It would be great to go back-to-back (after the 2022 Colts premiership),” Draper said.
“That’s what I’m hoping for. I’m sure we can achieve finals and go from there.
“I see it as an opportunity to get better and execute my role. I know if I’m doing that, my AFL opportunity will come.”
Head of Player Personnel David Walls said Draper’s hard work in the NGA has allowed him to settle in quickly on an AFL list.
“Josh has been in the NGA for a number of years and worked closely with Tendai Mzungu and Roger Hayden,” Walls said.
“He’s acquitted himself really well, put his head down, was humble and worked hard.
“We were really impressed with what we saw over pre-season, he’s played well at Peel, he keeps developing his game and is growing each week.
“He was the travelling emergency to Adelaide. It shows he’s not too far away, and still has a lot of development ahead of him.
“He has a big strong body at 197cm and is really athletic. There’s a lot to work with and develop as he has a great attitude.”
While Draper can have an impact for Fremantle in the short-term, Walls said the 19-year-old fills a significant long-term need on the list.
“He’s got some brilliant role models,” Walls said.
“He has Alex as captain, Coxy who was in the All Australian squad last year. We have a premiership player in Joel Hamling working side by side with him.
“He’s worked with all three of those senior players and has a wealth of knowledge to tap into.
“We know that he can come in and play anytime, but as the years roll by, we need to look to the future and long-term he will be a real player for us down there.”
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