Top-10 choose Daniel Curtin says he entered the primary evening of the AFL draft with “absolutely no clue” the place he can be chosen however was rapt with a transfer interstate to Adelaide.
The key defender mentioned he had been left at nighttime after minimal contact with golf equipment within the days main as much as the draft however wasn’t shocked to have joined the Crows after they engineered a choose swap to safe the No.8 choose.
Adelaide handed over picks 11, 15 and a future second-round choice for picks 8 and 17 from the Giants, with the 197cm backman poised to fill an instantaneous want for the Crows.
First-choice key defender Nick Murray won’t return till late within the 2024 season after rupturing his ACL in July, whereas Jordon Butts missed the ultimate month of the marketing campaign after present process surgical procedure on his injured foot.
Curtin, 18, mentioned he was able to take a chance on the senior stage as early as potential.
“Yeah, 100 per cent … I’ll try to put my best foot forward and crack into the side, but if not, I’ll just train hard and see how it unfolds,” he mentioned.
The left-footer mentioned he was excited to work underneath Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks and had appreciated the outpouring of assist from his new teammates – who he would finally get again to after a frenetic 24 hours.
“It was really nice, I got quite a few messages, so when I get to the (Melbourne) airport I’ll go through them and start getting back to people,” he mentioned.
“(Nicks) sounds great, he’s really welcoming and a great person, so I’m keen to get to know him more.”
Curtin was projected to go as excessive because the No.3 choose to North Melbourne on Monday evening and was the largest variable in an in any other case ordered top-10 checklist of prospects.
“I spoke to (the Kangaroos) a little bit, but to be honest, I hadn’t really had a lot of contact from any club,” he mentioned.
“I had absolutely no clue going into it where I was going to end up. I was on the edge of my seat all night.
“When (Adelaide) swapped the pick, I was well and truly aware I could be ending up there, and when my name got called out I was stoked.”
Curtin was named Western Australia’s MVP on the nationwide championships, the place he averaged 23 disposals and 6 marks per sport, together with some spectacular stints as an inside midfielder.
Draft skilled Mick Ablett mentioned he nonetheless thought-about Curtin “a steal” regardless of being taken within the high 10.
“He’s a remarkable type that can play back, mid, forward,” Ablett informed Fox Footy.
“He’s very composed in his ability to switch his decision … he’s a beast. It might sound ridiculous to say at pick 8 that he’s a steal, but he is a steal in this draft.”
https://thewest.com.au/news/afl-2024-adelaide-top-10-pick-daniel-curtin-eager-for-early-opportunity-c-12627019
