LEONGATHA’S Tom Hanily has been taken Pick 14 in the AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft as 19 players earned new spots in the AFL on Wednesday night.
The Gippsland Power small forward has joined the Sydney Swans.
The news has been warmly welcomed by both the Leongatha Football Netball Club and Gippy Power.
“How good is this, congratulations Tom. The Parrots are so excited for you.”
The news went wild on social media with the Sydney Swans posting to all their socials, including a live video on X of the moment Tom and his family saw the selection.
“We welcome Tom to the Swans and look forward to what he can achieve when he arrives in Sydney,” said Swans in welcoming the announcement.
They wrote the following statement:
The Sydney Swans have taken Tom Hanily from the Gippsland Power with pick 14 in tonight’s Mid-Season Rookie Draft.
Eighteen-year-old Hanily is a 179cm midfield/forward who has averaged 25 disposals from his four games with Gippsland in 2024.
The Xavier College graduate was unlucky to be overlooked in last year’s National Draft but has shrugged off that disappointment to star for Gippsland and the ‘Young Guns’ so far this season.
From Inverloch, located 150km south-east of Melbourne, Hanily currently works part-time on his uncle’s dairy farm, but has always wanted to play football at the highest level.
Sydney Swans Head of List Strategy and Player Personnel, Chris Keane, said he was pleased to have drafted a player of Hanily’s quality.
“Tom was in the mix to get drafted last year, and he is one we have continued to watch throughout the start of 2024,” Keane said.
“We see him as a hard-working half forward who can use his endurance to get up and down the ground, but we really like the way he sees the game. His footy IQ allows him to stay involved offensively and defensively.
His selection was not a surprise to those aware of his reduced efforts in the Statewide Under 18 League in 2023.
“Tom Hanily (Gippsland/Leongatha): 2023 was Hanily’s top-aged campaign but it was heavily interrupted by injury so he will remain firmly on recruiters’ radars next year. When he did play, though, he proved he has AFL-attributes, averaging 22 disposals and five tackles in his seven games this year. Is a smaller midfielder who has strong stoppage craft, wins his own footy, has strong endurance and makes sound decisions.”
The rookie draft selections were as follows
1. North Melbourne - Geordie Payne (Tasmania, Coates Talent League)
2. Richmond - Jacob Blight (Peel Thunder, WAFL)
3. West Coast - Jack Hutchinson (Collingwood, VFL)
4. St Kilda - Max Hall (Box Hill, VFL)
5. Hawthorn - Jasper Scaife (West Perth, WAFL)
6. Brisbane - Will McLachlan (Geelong Falcons, Coates Talent League)
7. Adelaide - Toby Murray (Adelaide, SANFL)
8. Western Bulldogs - Kelsey Rypstra (North Adelaide, SANFL)
9. Carlton - Cooper Lord (North Melbourne, VFL)
10. Collingwood - Iliro Smit (Eastern Ranges, Coates Talent League)
11. Melbourne - Luker Kentfield (Subiaco, WAFL)
12. Port Adelaide - Logan Evans (Port Adelaide, SANFL)
13. Essendon - Saad El-Hawli (Northern Bullants, VFL)
14. Sydney - Tom Hanily (Gippsland Power, Coates Talent League)
Second round
15. North Melbourne - Brynn Teakle (East Fremantle, WAFL)
16. Richmond - Campbell Gray (Essendon, VFL)
17. Brisbane - Luke Beecken (Woodville-West Torrens, SANFL)
18. Adelaide - Pass
19. Collingwood - Ned Long (Collingwood, VFL)
Third round
20. Richmond - Pass
21. Brisbane - Darcy Craven (East Perth, WAFL)
22. Adelaide - Pass
Fourth round
23. Brisbane - Pass
