A “SAINT” became a “Giant” yesterday in Sydney when newly-drafted Millicent footballer Tom Hutchesson was embraced into the fold of the Greater Western Sydney AFL club.
The 2019 runners-up are looking to the obvious drive and skill of the local champion to bring the ultimate team success next season.
Hutchesson was taken with the 65th pick in the AFL pre-season draft on Thursday night.
A carpenter with a Millicent building firm, the tradesman packed away his tools over the weekend and headed to the Harbour City.
His new team began pre-season training yesterday at Tom Wills Oval.
Hutchesson has had an outstanding year with the Crows Reserves in the SANFL and is understood to have attracted attention from other AFL clubs.
He had continued to live and work in Millicent during the week and train with the Saints at McLaughlin Park on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
At season’s end, the 24-year-old was invited to attend the AFL state draft combine.
During his formative football years, Hutchesson spent time in underage and Reserves ranks with SANFL zone club Glenelg.
After returning home to Millicent, Hutchesson achieved numerous representative honours and won multiple Corcoran Medals as the Saints’ best and fairest.
He won the Brian Hennessy Memorial Medal as the Western Border champion player in 2018.
Millicent coach Clint Gallio said the club was “stoked” that Hutchesson was bound for the AFL.
Gallio highlighted his outstanding contribution to Millicent’s drought-breaking premiership in 2018 as both player and captain.
“He is a great player around the contest with his speed and his ability to move backwards and sideways,” Mr Gallio said.
“He had a massive impact in our winning grand final with his work on the ball and in the forward line.
“As the captain, Tom was a great support at trainings and in the games to me and assistant coach Craig Turner.”
Millicent Football Netball Club president Joel Redman said his club welcomed the draft choice by the Giants.
“Tom is a graduate of our successful junior development program and has always remained loyal to the Saints when other clubs have come knocking on his door,” Redman said.
“He has been an outstanding player, has a great work ethic and has given back far more to the club than he has ever received.
“We could not be happier.”
Giants national recruiting manager Adrian Caruso said Hutchesson was the oldest draftee ever taken by his club not to have been on another AFL list.
“We looked at all of our options with that late pick and we knew there were not going to be many options slipping through to there,” Caruso said.
“Tom was really one we targeted; our South Australian scout Tyson Bourke spotted him earlier in the year in Adelaide’s SANFL team.
“He’s a boy from Millicent, he’d had a really good country footy career and we really like his speed and his aggression and just his ability to get out of traffic.
“We feel he’s got a lot to offer us as that small forward who can go into the midfield.”
“We were always confident that Hutchesson was going to be there with our last pick, but you never know what other clubs are going to do.”
Hutchesson is the fourth player to join the Giants in the 2019 draft after Lachlan Ash and Tom Green were selected on Wednesday evening and the Sydney club traded up the draft earlier on Thursday night to secure Jake Riccardi at pick 51.
