The GIANTS have welcomed a host of promising young talent in the 2024 Telstra AFL draft, featuring three first-round picks and two GIANTS Academy products.
Welcoming six new players in total ahead of the start of pre-season next week, the GIANTS’ class of 2024 was headlined by Western Sydney product, Josaia Delana.
Selected by the club as a Category B Rookie on Friday afternoon, the now GIANTS Academy graduate is a small forward of Fijian descent who plays with flair and energy.
Possessing clean hands, strong decision-making and an explosive sidestep, Delana represented the Allies on four occasions in 2024 while also playing eight games for the GIANTS’ VFL side.
A positive team-first player, his best performance for the Allies came in their National Championships win over Western Australia, where he picked up 19 disposals and laid 14 tackles.
The second Academy graduate of the 2024 Draft was promising ruck, Logan Smith, who was taken with pick 71 on night two, on Thursday evening.
Hailing from Canberra, Smith is a mobile ruckman whose weapons lie in his craft around stoppages and his ability to put the ball to the advantage of his teammates.
The 204cm teenager had a breakout season in 2024 which saw him named in the under 18 All-Australian side after averaging 10.5 disposals (seven contested) and 21.5 hit-outs for the Allies at the National Championships.
As well as his impressive season at underage level, Smith showed his immense talent with strong performances at VFL level throughout the year as he featured in seven games for the GIANTS’ VFL side as well as being named the 2024 GIANTS Academy Player of the Year.
Also selected on night two was powerful midfielder Jack Ough, taken with pick 36.
Standing at 194cm, Ough is a tall midfielder who blossomed in 2024 with impressive performances for Vic Country and the Greater Western Victorian (GWV) Rebels playing as both an inside and outside midfielder.
Possessing clean hands and crisp decision-making, Ough uses his strong frame and power to excel in the contest.
Highlighting his versatility, Ough showed strong form playing predominantly as a winger for Vic Country and as an inside midfielder with the Rebels.
Ough’s selection came off the back of an extremely successful first round on Wednesday night where the GIANTS selected three first-round picks, including Ough’s teammate Oliver Hannaford.
Taken with the club’s first pick of the 2024 Draft at pick 18, Hannaford is a speedy and versatile utility.
The fellow Vic Country product starred as a dynamic forward for the GWV Rebels late this season to be named in the Coates Talent League Team of the Year.
He averaged 17 disposals and four tackles per game for the Rebels, while kicking 21 goals across 17 matches.
With back-to-back picks on the opening night, the GIANTS selected rebounding defender Harrison Oliver with pick 19.
A composed and hard-running defender, the silky left-footer has great decision-making skills and line-breaking speed.
He averaged 16.2 disposals at 83 percent efficiency and 3.2 tackles across four matches at the National Championships.
Rounding out the club’s first-round selections, the GIANTS secured Cody Angove with pick 24.
The skillful West Australian boast a strong athletic profile with speed, endurance and a sharp game sense.
Angove averaged 18.3 disposals and kicked 11 goals in 10 games at Colts level for Claremont, showcasing his ability to impact games through smart ball use and attacking flair.
Rounding out the activity in the 2024 Draft, the GIANTS also re-listed Lachlan Keeffe, Jacob Wehr and Josh Fahey in Friday afternoon's Rookie Draft.
