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AFLcountryWeekly Times | THIS year’s Vic Country Under-18 representatives dominated the early proceedings of tonight’s AFL draft in Adelaide with four taken within the top 10 selections.

Vic Country captain Jacob Weitering has joined Carlton after becoming the No.1 draft pick of 2015 as was widely expected.

The Dandenong Stingrays defender and Mt Martha junior footballer was one of eight Vic Country teammembers named in the U18 All Australian side after Vic Country’s 6-0 sweep of the U18 National Championships.

He celebrated his 18th birthday on Monday.

Seymour’s Josh Schache from the Murray Bushrangers, whose performance for Vic Country earned him the Larke Medal for the best Division 1 player and All Australian selection, was taken at pick No.2.

The key forward is headed to Brisbane, following in the footsteps of his dad, Laurence, who played for Brisbane Bears.

Geelong Falcons’ Darcy Parish, who The Weekly Times spoke to in the lead up to the draft, is headed to Essendon after the Bombers selected the Wensleydale local and Winchelsea footballer at pick No.5.

It was a nervous wait for Parish, however, until his best mate Rhys Mathieson, another Geelong Falcons player from local club Bell Park, was taken by Brisbane with pick No.39.

Parish, who along with Mathieson was an All Australian last year and this year, said he was “over the moon” to be selected.

“The dream has always been to be on an AFL list. To have my name read out by the Bombers was fantastic,” he said.

“I’m just trying to absorb it all, the dream’s become a reality and I’m really looking forward to going down to the club and learning as much as I can and getting stuck into it.”

Parish was a Collingwood supporter growing up, and joked that the Anzac Day clash between his old and new clubs “will be pretty interesting”.

There were some terrific stories to come out of the draft, including this year’s Morrish Medal winner Clayton Oliver who went to the Melbourne Football Club with the No. 4 selection.

The Mooroopna youngster switched from the Bendigo Pioneers to the Murray Bushrangers this year and was not selected in the Vic Country squad for the national championships.

He stormed home at the end of the season to claim the TAC Cup best-and-fairest award, as well as a spot in its team of the year.

Gippsland Power twins Harry and Ben McKay, from the Warragul Football Club, were both drafted in the first round.

Harry was off to Carlton with pick No.10 and Ben joined North Melbourne with pick No.21.

In all 36 of the 70 selections made by AFL clubs were for TAC Cup players, including six from the Dandenong Stingrays and four from each of the Geelong Falcons and Gippsland Power.

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