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Carlton lands a roughie and selects Hayes in AFL mid-season draft

By Aydin Payne

Jun 2, 2022

Blue day: Euroa product Will Hayes was selected by Carlton with pick 22 in the AFL mid-season rookie draft on Wednesday night. Photo by Rose Zarucky

The Hayes name is one of the biggest in Australian horse racing circles and the family knows a thing or two about unearthing a diamond in the rough.

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And on Wednesday night the roles were reversed when Carlton selected Will, son of legendary horse trainer David, in the AFL mid-season rookie draft.

Hayes, a hard-nosed midfielder who can find the Sherrin like his dad can find winners, was selected with pick 22 in Wednesday night’s draft.

The Euroa product told AFL.com.au he was still in disbelief that he was handed another lifeline after the Western Bulldogs didn’t renew his contract last year.

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His addition to the Blues’ list will delay him joining brothers Ben and JD at Lindsay Park.

"I said to them (Ben and JD) I thought I was 100-1, but be careful because roughies do get up," he said.

"We had it in the back of our minds that it might happen, but for it to actually materialise is something else."

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The Hayes family, and its backers, love it when a roughie gets up, so it was no surprise to see the large outpouring of support online for the talented midfielder.

But to anyone who has followed Hayes’ 2022 season closely, his selection the other night was no surprise.

Hayes, who tallied 11 games for the Bulldogs in three seasons, has averaged 33 diposals and a goal from his six matches in the VFL for Carlton.

Despite his incredible campaign to date, Hayes didn’t give himself much of a chance of reaching the elite level again.

"I can't believe it; lightning has struck twice. I'm in shock," Hayes said.

"I knew there was a little bit of interest. Carlton have been absolutely amazing to me and had been very transparent with their communication. They were very straightforward and said: ‘if you're there when we want to take you and the picks line up, we'll take you.’

"I got a call from Nick Austin (Carlton’s head of list management) probably 15 minutes before pick 22 actually came up and I was in complete disbelief, I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it."

The head of Carlton’s list management praised the hard work and commitment displayed by Hayes.

“The chance to welcome Will to our AFL list is a real reward for effort,” Austin said.

“A number of people inside the four walls of IKON Park have been really impressed with the way Will has applied himself and also taken some of the team’s younger players at VFL level.

“He’s a smart footballer and he knows how to find the Sherrin, as we’ve seen for the Carlton reserves this season. He can play a number of roles and he has been one of our best at the level.

“It’s a testament to not only Will, but also Daniel O’Keefe and all those involved with the VFL program. To welcome another player from the Carlton reserves onto our AFL list is a really exciting thing for our football club and a clear sign of how effective our talent pathway is becoming.

“We’re excited to welcome Sam (Durdin) and Will to our club and have him get to work with his new teammates in the coming days.”