By JARROD POTTER
HAILEYBURY College’s football system helped produce another two AFL draft picks on Thursday – with Nathan Freeman and Karl Amon among the college’s alumni going into the top league.
Freeman, 18, from Dingley, will don the black and white stripes next season, deemed one of the best 10 talents in the draft with his selection at pick 10 by Collingwood.
Amon, 18 from Hampton Rovers, will head across the border to join the Power – drafted at pick 68 by Port Adelaide.
Haileybury’s Director of Sport Development Greg Schneiders said it was a boon for the AFL to get these talented young men into the system.
“We’ve certainly impressed – we had an inkling the boys would go,” Schneiders said.
“Both were very dominant through their school years – from year one onwards they were part of our First XVIII Blazer Squad.
“We had a certainly good feeling they would go.”
At the campus for his senior years, Freeman impressed Schneiders and the football coaching staff with his tenacity at the ball and his love of running ahead to snare a bag of goals.
“Nathan came through from year 10,” Schneiders said.
“Nathan is a very strong kid who runs out of the midfield and has a tendency to run forward and kick a lot of goals.
“Really strong kid and really strong leader – well-spoken and you just have to meet the kid to find that out.”
The high-flying Amon also impressed Haileybury with his work-rate and penchant for a high-flying speccy.
“Karl is your really dynamic athlete – incredible athlete – likes to stand on people’s head in the middle of a game – if the ball is in range he’d be anticipated to take a big screamer,” Schneiders said.
“Every game he’d be hanging on someone’s back
“Karl is a great athlete and great kid – I spent a couple of years teaching him and he’s one that I think will go further than a lot of the boys taken higher than him in the draft, because of his work ethic.
“Still reasonably light and lean but he’s all muscle and is an incredible young athlete… dynamic and explosive, he’ll play a lot of AFL footy over a lot of time.”
The pair was heavily involved in school sports throughout their time at the college – featuring in athletics, swimming, triathlon and volleyball on top of their football commitments.
Schneiders also said former Haileybury footballer Alex Spencer could be drafted at Wednesday’s AFL Rookie Draft.
