The talent pool in the west appears to be deep after five West Australians were selected in the first round of the AFL national draft last night.

6PR sports presenter Mark Readings said one of the romantic stories of the draft, Ed Allan, the son of Ben who played for Fremantle and Hawthorn, was selected by Collingwood at pick 19, while West Coast took advantage of early picks to bolster its midfield.

“They’re very much keen on building their midfield,” he told Breakfast hosts Millsy & Karl.

Press PLAY to hear Ben Allan on his son’s move to Collingwood

The Eagles decided to trade pick two in the ballot for selections eight and 12 and it proved a master stroke as the club shored up their midfield stocks when they landed two outstanding West Australian prospects.

First the Eagles locked in tough East Perth inside midfielder Reuben Ginbey and then they followed up with another high calibre, strong-bodied midfielder Elijah Hewett.

Ginbey and Hewett had both been strong on the Eagles’ radar for much of the season and will add further grunt to a developing midfield that includes last year’s first selection Campbell Chesser and No.1 mid-season draftee Jai Culley.

After playing his junior football with Dunsborough Sharks, Ginbey has flourished and was one of the stars for WA as the State’s most valuable player in the national 18s championships. He has played both half-back and midfield, so offers some flexibility.