Hardisty And Abbott Drafted

Claremont teenagers Jared Hardisty and Brenden Abbott have been snapped up in the AFL rookie draft and they leave the club with the best wishes with all associated with the Tigers.

They have much in common. They are powerfully-built left-footers and fearless competitors.

The 18-year-old Hardisty was chosen as pick No. 18 by Hawthorn in today’s rookie draft and Abbott (19) was taken at No. 26 by Collingwood.

Hardisty, a product of the Marist Junior Football Club in Claremont’s metropolitan zone, is a robust, tough and uncompromising in-and-under midfielder who performed strongly in the West Australian under-18 side in the national competition this year.

He is a hard-nosed character with great reserves of stamina. He is a ferocious tackler and excels at clearances.  He was a member of Claremont’s 2013 colts premiership side which came out on top of South Fremantle in an epic battle at Subiaco Oval.

Hardisty also had a taste of senior football when he played for Claremont in a Foxtel Cup match against Southport in Queensland last year. Over the past three seasons he has played in 36 colts matches and this year he made three appearances in the club’s reserves side.

The 19-year-old Abbott is a product of the Royals Football Club in Albany in Claremont’s Great Southern zone. A powerful 92kg ball of energy, he was most impressive in his 15 league appearances for the Tigers this year, playing mainly at full-forward after being a wonderful half-back flanker in much of his junior career.   

He played in two matches for the Claremont colts in 2012 and added another seven appearances in 2013 (when he also was a member of the State under-18 academy).

Not only does Abbott have imposing brawn and is noted for his fierce attack on the ball, he is extremely agile and is particularly fast for a young man of his physical proportions. His marvellous vertical leap has seen him pull down many spectacular high marks and he kicks the ball a long way with his trusty left boot.

A highlight of his career this year was when he kicked 5.4 in a league match against Swan Districts at the Showgrounds in July when his opponent was the vastly-experienced Tallan Ames.

He joins Collingwood which has received such great service in recent years from former Claremont colts players in Harry O’Brien, Alan Toovey and Marley Williams.