AFL Draft: West Coast Eagles draftee Hamish Davis out to prove rival clubs wrong after shock slide

West Coast draftee Hamish Davis says he’s determined to prove every club that didn’t pick him wrong after he was a shock slider in the AFL Draft. Despite being touted as a potential second-rounder, the Claremont forward wasn’t snapped up until pick 65, the Eagles’ final selection on Thursday night. Davis, said while it didn’t faze him to be a late selection, he would use it as “motivation” ahead of his first season in blue and gold. “Teams that didn’t pick me and passed on me, I’d like to prove them wrong,” he told The West Australian. “It’s definitely motivation”. With two clubs also passing on selections before his name was read out, the 18-year-old admitted it was a “very stressful” wait surrounded by friends and family. “The anticipation certainly was building up then the room got a bit quieter towards the end,” he told The West Australian. “But it doesn’t really matter when you go, as long as you get picked. Lucky enough that happened to me, so I’m stoked. “It’s been my dream for as long as I can remember. For it to finally happen, it’s a bit surreal. I’m so excited.” Davis had announced himself playing seven WAFL league games for Claremont, including an impressive four-goal haul in an elimination final. He then capped off his breakout year with a dominant performance in the Tigers’ colts premiership, winning the Mel Whinnen Medal for best on ground in the grand final playing as a midfielder. His elite running power was also on show at the national combine, recording the fifth-best 2km time trial - pushing him higher up draft predictions. Slipping to round four, Davis was the eighth West Australian selected with Kayle Gerreyn (pick 37), Hugh Boxshall (45), Will Hayes (56) and Luke Urquhart (57) also taken on Thursday. Bo Allan (16) and Cody Angove (24) were the first WA products selected on Wednesday, with Davis joining his former WA captain at West Coast. “I can’t speak highly enough of Bo,” Davis said. “He’s a great leader and a great person. Somebody I can’t wait to play with in the future and get stuck into training with him.” The Eagles landed another slider in first-round fancy Jobe Shanahan, after the New South Welshman slipped to pick 30. Victorian pair Tom Gross (pick 46) and Lucca Greggo (48) rounded out their draft haul. While Davis admits there are plenty of Eagles he was excited to call teammates, one stood out: “Harley Reid.” “I watched closely how he went about his business last year and how much impact he had in his first year,” he said. “It will be very cool to train with him and hopefully play with him down the track.” Eagles young guns Reuben Ginbey and Clay Hall, as well as premiership captain Shannon Hurn, visited Davis’ home on Thursday night. After being welcomed into the nest, Davis said he was thrilled to be a part of the club’s new era. “It’s been a couple of down years but they’ve been so successful for so long,” he said. “To be drafted by them, it’s so amazing. It’s a really young and exciting list coming through so I’m looking forward to being part of that.”