"We were keen to take a couple of talls if we could, but at 28 we thought we'd take the best player there. We were lucky enough that Tim O'Brien was available; we rated him in the top 20. We think Tim and Kaiden Brand can both play at both ends. They've both got really good speed and agility, and they kick the ball well. Key position players are hard to find. These two are going to take a bit of time, but we think they're long-term prospects. Jarryd [Roughead] and Lance [Franklin] turn 26 in January, so we still think they can play for another five or six years, but by the same token we hope we can develop a couple of guys to come underneath them, or to potentially play back. There's no doubt we'll need some players in that area." - Recruiting manager Graham Wright
Pick 28: Tim O'Brien, Glenelg
Watch highlights of Tim O'Brien Wright says: He had two or three really good games during the national championships. He kicked six goals against Tasmania, and the way he moved and kicked the footy that day was outstanding. He's quick and agile, he's got great hands below his knees, he's strong overhead, and he can go into the ruck, which he's done for Glenelg in the under-18s. So he's able to play a number of roles.
Pick 66: Kaiden Brand, West Adelaide
Watch highlights of Kaiden Brand Wright says: He is a little bit of a dark horse. I think there were only two or three clubs that spoke to him. But we just felt, with his athleticism, he really had a chance to be a good key position player. He played a game late in the year as a defender for West Adelaide in a final, and he played really well in that game. He had some games during the year where he was quiet, as happens a lot with key position players. He also had a calf injury early in the year, which put him out for five or six weeks in the pre-season, which meant he had a limited run into the SA academy squad, and didn't make their final team. So that may have seen him drop off the radar a little bit. But he had a few teams speak to him on the back of a couple of games he played late in the year, and also he tested really well [at the combine] for a guy his size. Great agility and great speed.
Pick 70: Michael Osborne, Hawthorn
Watch Michael Osborne kicking a super goal Wright says: It's great to have 'Ossie' back on the list officially. He was very gracious in helping us from a list management point of view. We were able to get Jonathan Simpkin onto the list as a delisted free agent by delisting 'Ossie'. That's not easy for a lot of players in relation to their egos, but he was very good about it. We were always planning to take him back. His recovery from his knee has been very good, he's been very diligent with his rehab, and we feel he's a very valuable member of the club.
