The GIANTS have secured three of the draft’s top talents in the first round of the 2020 NAB AFL Draft, as well as landing a future first-round pick. 

At pick 12 the GIANTS secured Tanner Bruhn, a midfielder who starred for Victoria Country in the 2018 Under-16 National Championships averaging 17.3 disposals and winning both its MVP award and All-Australian honours. 

He reads the game exceptionally well and has very good fundamentals with his clean hands, strength overhead along with his ball use by hand and foot. 

GIANTS National Recruiting Manager Adrian Caruso said: 

“Tanner is a top-end talent who was too good to pass up,” he said. 

“While predominantly a midfielder, Tanner has shown before he can play down back or in attack and that versatility will help him as he looks for senior opportunities. 

“He is driven and a super competitor – attributes we place a very high importance on.” 

With the club’s second pick at 15, the GIANTS picked the versatile Conor Stone. 

Stone is a medium forward/defender who showed distinct promise in the back half of last year. He kicked 11 goals for the Oakleigh Chargers in the NAB League in 2019. 

He is also capable of playing in defence and using his decision making, composure and good ball use to set up the play, which was on display in just one trial game this year having 23 disposals against the Knights before the shutdown. 

Caruso said: “When going back through the 2019 vision, Conor was one who stood out for his performances as a bottom ager both at St Kevin’s in the APS and in the Oakleigh Chargers’ premiership team. 

“A powerful and versatile player, we love his competitiveness and running ability and think he will develop into a player who can fill a few different roles.” 

With the club’s third first-round pick, the GIANTS secured a left-footed medium forward/defender with silky skills and a high footy IQ in Ryan Angwin. 

Angwin knows how to find space and is a composed decision maker who is creative with the ball in hand.  

He’s a good athlete with his agility (8.42 seconds - AFL Agility run) and endurance (6 minutes 12 seconds for 2km) both very good in pre-season testing.  

Caruso said: “Ryan is a baby who only turns 18 later this week. 

“We were looking to add a player who can fill some outside roles with elite running ability, and he was the standout in that area of the draft. While he has a slight frame, we believe his footy fundamentals are strong.” 

With three top talents secured, the GIANTS bid on Collingwood NGA prospect Reef McInnes and then sent picks 24 and 30 to the ‘Pies in exchange for a first-round draft pick next year. 

Caruso welcomed the opportunity to add a top draft pick to our future hand. 

“We are always looking to make the best of our situation and when our desired players weren’t available with our picks, we opted to maximise the value of them to add another first-round draft pick,” he said. 

“We’re delighted with our first-round picks this year and already have a strong hand heading into next.” 

With the club’s fourth pick - pick 58 - the GIANTS added defender Cameron Fleeton.  

A medium/tall who reads the play exceptionally well, Fleeton uses his intercept marking and precise left foot kicking to set up play from the back half.  

“Cameron had some really encouraging bottom-age games as a medium defender with an ability to limit some of the better forwards in the NAB League,” Caruso said.  

“He defends with desperation, able to get a fist in when out of position. He cuts angles really well and is a real competitor.”  

The GIANTS then swooped on mature-age South Australian Jacob Wehr with the club’s final pick of the night. 

Wehr, 22 – who labours for a painter as his full-time job – is a humble and mature young defender with a raking left-foot kick who played this season for Woodville-West Torrens in the SANFL. 

“Jacob had a strong year in the SANFL across half-back and was part of the premiership-winning Eagles team,” Caruso said. 

“He is a strong runner and nice left-foot kick and gives some flexibility to push up onto the wing.” 
 
Caruso was thrilled with the club’s work at this year’s national draft. 

"This has been one of the toughest years for recruiters with our ability to watch live football limited and our usual ability to meet and get to know potential draftees severely impacted,” he said. 

“But our team put in the work to put us in a really strong position to bolster our list with some of the best young talent available and we also had the flexibility to turn our fourth and fifth picks into a future first-round pick. 

“We’re really excited to welcome Tanner, Conor, Ryan, Cameron and Jacob to the club.”