Canberra-born Josh Fahey is a step closer to playing in the AFL after being selected by the GWS Giants on the second night of the AFL draft.

Fahey, a Giants Academy product, was taken with pick 42 last night after GWS matched a bid from the Bulldogs.

The 18-year-old is a medium defender/wingman with a scintillating left boot who likes to takes the game on with his speed.

Getting picked up by the Giants is a dream come true to Fahey, who has been in the expansion club’s system since under 13s.

He met with Leon Cameron prior to the draft, who told him he was in the club’s plans; and he’s trained with the squad in Sydney a handful of times over the past two years. Not surprisingly, he “loved every second of it”.

“It feels like home and there’s nowhere I’d rather be than here,” he said.

Considered a top prospect from outside AFL heartland, Fahey played games across multiple levels of competition in 2021: he represented the AFL Academy against the Geelong VFL side in April, winning the MCC President’s medal for best on ground; played five games for for the Giants’ VFL side; and, of course, donned the yellow and black for his beloved Queanbeyan Tigers.

Having come through the Tigers system, he’s appreciative of everything the club has done to help him make an AFL list.

“They’ve done a lot for me over my career and they’re probably the main reason I am where I am today,” he said.

A high-achieving junior, Fahey is an embodiment of the leaps and bounds junior footy has taken over the past decade since the establishment of the Giants Academy.

Despite this, Fahey said it is still tougher trying to make it in the AFL from Canberra versus the footy dominated states south of the Barassi-line.

“You don’t get noticed as much but some people I’d say don’t get the same opportunity as others would in the bigger states, so it’s very humbling to be able to receive this opportunity,” he said.

“There’s definitely some good talent coming through the Academy in Canberra and the Riverina area, so I won’t be surprised if I see a lot more draftees come out of the region.

And now that his name has been called, things will move quickly for the spritely rebounding defender.

Fahey will relocate to Sydney by Sunday before reporting to Giants HQ Monday to commence a three-week training block of training before the Christmas break.

He will live with fellow Giants draftees Finn Callaghan and Leek Aleer for the first three weeks before considering more permanent living arrangements once he returns in January.

His goal for pre-season is to get a solid block of training under his belt working toward an AFL debut next season.

“Hopefully I get that opportunity next year, it would be nice to debut here actually in front of my home crowd and family,” he said.

Giants National Recruiting Manager Adrian Caruso said the club has tracked Fahey through his time at the Academy, and was “delighted to finally welcome him into the club”.

“He is a hard-running half-back who really breaks lines with his speed and his kicking ability.

“He has really worked hard on his game in tough circumstances in the last two years without many opportunities to play and we see enormous upside in him as he enters a full-time program.”

Giants draft wrap

Fahey was one of three youngsters picked up by the Giants over the two nights of the draft (25 and 26 November), with Finn Callaghan and Leek Aleer taken on the opening night.

Callaghan was taken third overall after the Giants bid on Bulldogs’ father-son prospect Sam Darcy with the second pick of the draft.

Callaghan is a midfielder who burst onto the scene with dominant performances for the Sandringham Dragons, showcasing his natural talent and athleticism. 

He can play inside and outside with a terrific ball-hunting ability at stoppages as well as a piercing left boot.

“It’s rare to find a player with a set of attributes like Finn, he’s pretty special,” said Caruso.

“The combination of speed and agility with good running power gives some flexibility to the roles that he can play for us and the point of difference he adds to our current midfield mix. 

With the club’s second pick in the draft, GWS selected key defender Aleer with the 15th overall selection.

Born in Kenya to Sudanese parents, Aleer possesses rare athletic ability with the 20-year-old breaking the all-time record at the National Draft Combine for the running vertical jump with an extraordinary leap of 107cm.

“Leek is going to provide something unique to our backline with his rare athletic package,” Caruso said.

“Finding a young key back who we can develop was something we prioritised, and Leek’s resilience and character give us confidence that he will give himself the best chance possible to nail a spot alongside Sam Taylor down the track. 

In Friday’s Rookie Draft, the GIANTS selected versatile defender Cooper Hamilton.

Drafted from the Bendigo Pioneers, Hamilton is a medium defender/midfielder with elite endurance which enables him to get to multiple contests as well as outnumber the opposition.

A very strong contested mark, he also uses the ball effectively by hand and foot.

“Cooper is a player we think adds some flexibility to our list in the roles he can play,” Caruso said.

The club also re-listed 2020 draftee Jacob Wehr.

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