Why Eagles couldn’t look past talented Collingwood VFL product in mid-season draft

West Coast GM of Footy Gavin Bell has explained the club’s decision to pick Collingwood VFL product Jack Hutchinson in the recent mid-season draft.

Hutchinson, an athletic forward, was picked up by the Eagles at pick No.3 less than 12 months after crossing over from Wonthaggi in Victoria’s Gippsland League.

While Hutchinson only played half a season of VFL for the Magpies, the 190cm forward caught the eye of plenty of clubs for his high marking and speed.

Hutchinson’s quick rise hasn’t slowed since joining West Coast either, as he’s now set for his AFL debut less than two weeks after moving to Perth when the Eagles face the Kangaroos at Optus Stadium on Saturday.

The 22-year-old earned his AFL debut after kicking a bag of five in his first WAFL game for the Eagles against Perth last weekend.

Bell says the Eagles went with Hutchinson as he was the most talented player available at the pick.

“With the third pick in the mid-season rookie draft, our philosophy was to get the most talented player we believed we could get, and Jack Hutchinson was that player,” Bell told SEN WA Mornings.

“Our recruiting and list management team thought he was a guy with high character, really high upside and his talent threshold was really high. He has great skill and good athletic ability.

“We don’t see him coming here as a forward and that’s it, we acknowledge that those picks in the mid-season draft are later picks really because it’s on the back of people not getting drafted.

“We wanted to bring him in, and we think he could play a variety of roles in the midfield and even across half-back if we need.

“But we just want to get him settled and get him living in Perth and get his feet under the desk.

“We thought what he did in Northam was just terrific.”

Hutchinson kicked 9.1 across seven games for Collingwood in the VFL before being picked up by the Eagles.

Saturday’s game at Optus Stadium between West Coast and North Melbourne begins at 4:35pm (AEST).