Fremantle have turned to an athletic forward to open their second night of draft selections, giving Charlie Nicholls a “big shock” after snaring him with Pick 34.
The Central District 18-year-old showed his wares as a key forward who can provide ruck support with an impressive showing for South Australia at the National Championships.
He also got a taste of football against more mature bodies in the SANFL reserves, to complement his output of 22 goals in 11 games at SANFL under-18 level.
Having drawn comparisons to Geelong star Jeremy Cameron, Nicholls said earlier this month he had been in contact with 15 of the 18 AFL clubs.
Nicholls told The West Australian he was watching the draft at home with friends and family and was “over the moon” to hear his name called out on the broadcast.
“I didn’t get a heads-up. I sort of knew Freo had a little bit of interest in me, but it definitely was still a big shock when it came up on the on TV,” he said.
“I had all my mates jump on top of me. I was at the bottom of the pack, but I couldn’t be happier.”
The South Australian hails from Tarlee, an hour north of Adelaide, but he already has a few friendly faces waiting for him out west.
“I’ve only been to Perth when I was about one or two years old, so I can’t remember much, but my brother’s been working over there all year, in Merredin,” he said.
“I actually got a text from Caleb Serong just before, which sort of caught me off guard, and I was absolutely amazed to see that.”
The Dockers locked in the son of former Freo midfielder Matthew Carr, Jaren, with a father-son pick at No.63.
Carr, a forward out of South Fremantle, finished the WAFL season with nine league games and averaging 12 disposals after making his debut for the Bulldogs in round five.
Fremantle on Wednesday snapped up Sandringham midfielder Murphy Reid with Pick 18 for their opening selection.
