
Meet your new Brisbane Lions recruits
NEW Brisbane Lion Deven Robertson has already learned that 24 hours can be an eternity in football.
The WA junior midfield star was invited to the first night of the AFL draft in Melbourne on Wednesday, considered a near certainty to be picked up in the first round.
He won the Larke Medal for the best-and-fairest player in the national under-18 championships this year when he captained WA to the title and averaged 30 disposals, almost seven tackles and five clearances per game.
He also won the team's MVP award and was selected in the All-Australian side.
But the nephew of former West Coast captain Darren Glass was the only player left sitting in the Victory Room at Marvel Stadium without a team.
His mum had to take the champagne off ice and he received a barrage of supportive text messages, led by dual Brownlow Medal winner Nate Fyfe. He
was also given the option to head home to WA. But he decided to stick around.
Brisbane had traded picks with Port Adelaide to get selection No.22 - the first live pick on night two on Thursday - and wasted no time snapping up the 182cm-tall, 80kg Robertson, who is the final stages of overcoming a shoulder injury.

"It was pretty difficult (on Wednesday). I was the only one sitting there in the room. It was a bit embarrassing … seeing all the other boys walk out on stage and not being up there,'' he said.
"To go back to the hotel and prepare to do it all again today was very hard, but I'm on top of the world now. I can't wipe the smile off my face.
"I didn't want to run away from what had happened. I wanted to go home a drafted man, so I stayed and I couldn't be happier.
"They had a terrific season. I just met Fages (senior coach Chris Fagan) then and he's a terrific fella. It's a good young group. I'll be giving it everything I've got.''
Robertson said he felt like he had a point to prove to the teams that passed on him in the first round.
"Obviously being overlooked by so many clubs, I do feel like I have an opportunity to prove them wrong a little bit, but I don't hold any grudges …I know it's a business," he said.
"Definitely not angry, but I do feel like I have a little bit of a point to prove, absolutely.''
The Lions picked up 188cm-tall defender Brock Smith - a Vic Country representative and Gippsland Power captain - with pick No.33
Gold Coast recruited East Fremantle midfielder Jeremy Sharp with pick No.27.

BRISBANE LIONS PICKS
22. DEVEN ROBERTSON
182cm 80kg, Midfielder, Perth
33. BROCK SMITH
188cm 81kg, Defender, Gippsland Power
37. KEIDEAN COLEMAN
181cm 73kg, Forward, Morningside
59. JAXON PRIOR
188cm 79kg, Defender, West Perth
Like Robertson, Smith will bring courage, grit and solid one-on-one ability.
Keidean Coleman is the splash of sizzle at pick 37 after returning to the Lions in the NEAFL as a 19-year-old. A good user off halfback.
SAM EDMUND'S VERDICT
If the brief was to add muscle, then this was mission accomplished for Chris Fagan's men. Robertson and Smith are strong-over-the-ball types who could make an immediate impression at AFL level.
