By Lance Jenkinson
It was double delight for Darley at the 2018 AFL National Draft.
Two former Devils have realised their dreams of becoming professional footballers after hearing their names called out at last week’s draft meeting.
Mature aged recruit Brett Bewley and talented teenager Zak Butters have taken different routes to the AFL, but what they have in common is both got their starts at Darley.
The pair will move to interstate clubs after Butters was selected by Port Adelaide with pick 12 and Bewley was taken by Fremantle with pick 59.
Andrew Collins, the three-time Hawthorn premiership player and coach of Bewley’s VFL team Williamstown, paid tribute to Darley and the community for producing not only outstanding players, but great people.
“I think they’ve got a really good junior program and a really strong footy program in that community,” Collins said.
“It’s a great little town and I know Brett is really proud of where he comes from.”
Torin Baker, outgoing coach of Butters’ TAC Cup side Western Jets, concurred.
“It’s great for Darley,” Baker said.
“It’s a strong footy town and a well-run footy club, so they should be rapt to have two players drafted from the one club.”
Bewley got his reward for years of persistence.
At 23 years old and five years removed from the TAC Cup, a lesser-willed player could have thrown in the towel, but he remained determined to make it to the top level.
“He’s been incredibly resilient,” Collins said.
“A lot of kids [out of the TAC Cup] are immature physically and Brett just needed to develop into a young man and he has and now he’s got his chance.”
Bewley should immediately catch the eye at training with his elite ball use.
His ability to cover the ground will also be valuable for his new club.
At Williamstown last season he averaged 25 disposals, five inside 50s and three rebounds 50s, so he is hard to pin down.
“Physically, he’s one of the best athletes now probably in any level of footy,” Collins said.
“He’s a very confident young man and I expect him to play some great AFL footy next year.”
Butters was taken high up in the draft despite missing the second half of the season with a shoulder injury.
The 18-year-old with speed to burn and elusiveness like no other in this year’s draft showed enough in the early rounds with the Jets and Vic Metro in the under-18 national championships to convince the Power to take him.
Baker said the move to the Power would be a great fit for Butters.
“He goes to a club where they’ve had a couple of players leaving like Chad Wingard and Jake Neade, so they’re looking for a player of his [Butters] type to play that role [across half-forward],” Baker said.
“It’s a good fit for Zak and he was really excited.”
Two other Jets players were taken in the draft.
Jets’ captain Xavier O’Halloran landed at the GWS Giants at pick 22, while Buku Khamis was a pre-selected academy player and went to the Western Bulldogs.
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