New recruit Bradley Walsh says he's 'absolutely stoked' to have been selected by the Blues in the 2014 AFL Rookie Draft. 

The 18-year-old, who was chosen at pick 24, was at home in Perth when he found out the exciting news. 

"My younger brother and sister were at school at the time, so it was just me and my parents ,” Walsh said. 

"We were just watching the computer and luckily enough my name popped up. I was pretty speechless at the time."

It wasn’t long before Walsh was Melbourne bound, but it wasn't until he arrived at Visy Park that reality set in. 

"I'm still trying to figure myself out and realise that, yeah – I have been drafted," Walsh said. 


"It's good being in the hands of Goldsy (Carlton Welfare Manager James Golds) in being able to introduce me to everyone and really trying to make me feel comfortable and settle in.

"You're pretty star-struck at the start, but hopefully I'll get used to it quite quickly."

The big-bodied midfielder brings a wealth of leadership experience to the Blues, having captained WA's under-18s side in 2014. 

Walsh hopes that this skill-set, along with his other attributes, will compliment his new life as a Navy Blue.

"I like to see myself as a consistent player," Walsh said. 


"I really like to try and base my game on winning the contested footy, being clean with my hands and using the footy well."

"It's always been a dream of mine to get drafted…I'm just really excited to get into training, starting this new chapter and hopefully making a nice career out of it."

And what are his goals for 2015?

"I just want to be a sponge and soak up as much as possible,” Walsh said. 

"There are so many experienced senior players here and for me to be able to train alongside them … I just want to get as much as I can out of it and try and learn as much as I can."