Watch Sam Dwyer's highlights on CTV in the video above.
Kyle Martin
Selection No. 13; H: 182cm; W: 81kg, DOB: 17/9/90
On getting rookied by the Magpies
It was a really good thrill watching over the draft tracker and seeing my name pop up. It was, I don't know, just a feeling that I'd been hoping for and waiting for for a long time. It's good that it's finally happened. I was just at work with the apprentice. I was doing plumbing for four years, I just qualified last week. It's been good timing and now it's out of the way.
On spending his past four years in the Eastern and Victorian Football Leagues
Sandy was my Under-18s club and I did a state screening but nothing eventuated from it. I moved on from that and ended up at my local club Noble Park after that for a couple of years. We played in a few premierships and I was lucky enough to win a couple of Best and Fairests (for Noble Park).
On making the jump from suburban football to state football
It was definitely something that I had to get used to over the preseason training and just the first couple of practice matches to get into the pace of it, and just the structure and stuff so it was a good transition. It happened quite quickly so I was able to get the hang of it. Goosey had been calling me for a couple of years previous so I finally gave it a chance and…yeah, it's all paid off. I probably just didn't think I was ready at the time. I'd had a couple of really good years at Noble Park and thought that I was ready to move into the VFL and give it a crack and see how far I could take my footy. When you look back on the season I had, it was definitely a very big surprise to think that last year I was playing local footy. No one could have predicted how lucky I was this year, really, to get the opportunities that I had and half succeed.
On his pre-draft hopes
I went to the state screening and a couple of clubs showed interest, and Collingwood was one of those.
On the sort of footballer the Magpie Army can expect to watch next year
Probably just an inside and outside midfielder who can push forward, always competes and tries my best for the team. It's definitely aided me over the last couple of years of footy, so it's not too bad.
Sam Dwyer
Selection No. 28; H: 177cm; W: 74kg, DOB: 29/8/86
On his draft prospects
I didn't actually, I had no idea. I've been in contact with the club a couple of times but they haven't given any indication as to whether I'd be taken or not, it was just sort of a wait and hope, I guess. This has been the first year that I've really had a chat to Collingwood. It's obviously something that I had aimed for, but I guess with the mature age players of previous years going so well it opened a few more doors but obviously with each year the window gets smaller and smaller. I knew that time was running out, but hopefully I've still got a few good years left in me and I can prove that.
On how close he came to being drafted when playing for the Geelong Under-18s in 2004
I'm not too sure whether I was close or not. I did the screening process and all that but never had too much contact with any clubs or that kind of thing. In terms of the players that I came through with, there was Jordan Lewis (Hawthorn), John Meesen (Adelaide and Melbourne) and Tim Sheringham (Geelong). Nathan Foley (Richmond) was there as well, he was a year older but I played with him in my first year at the Falcons.
On where he was on the day of the Rookie Draft
I actually wasn't even watching. I'm still at work at the minute actually. We've had a tough morning actually, so I'm just finishing up a job as we speak. I work for Car Electrical. Port Melbourne's team manager owns an electrical company so I work with him. I've been there for a bit over a year.
On what sort of player Collingwood fans can expect to see
I guess the role that I've been playing at Port Melbourne is that midfield-forward, go through the wings as well. I'm sort of a run-and-carry type of player.
On his 2012 season with Port Melbourne
I came back for the first week of finals, couldn't get up for the Prelim but got up for the Grand Final with a last minute fitness test. I thought I had a pretty consistent year. It was tough going through the finals coming back with a broken leg, but apart from that, yeah, I think it was pretty consistent.
Adam Oxley
Selection No. 39; H: 190; W: 75kg, Age: 19
On his draft day experience
I was just actually lying in bed watching TV. I'd had a bit of breakfast and had a mate that just called me up and I thought he wanted a game of golf but it turns out that he was congratulating me, so I found out from a good mate of mine at the footy club. I was pretty surprised at the time and it still hasn't sunk in, I guess.
I was actually watching Fox Sports News and I saw down the bottom it had some light coverage on the draft and I actually thought it was tonight, so I though, 'oh s***, it could get pretty serious pretty soon if the penny drops my way'.
I called Derek about 20 minutes ago and had a chat to him. The plan is to come down tomorrow morning and take it all in from there. Other than that I'm a bit unsure as to what's going to happen but as far as I know I'll come down tomorrow.
On his pre-draft expectations
I had my wits about myself and I had a meeting with Derek and I thought it went well, but other than that, it's all just a learning experience. I didn't expect too much and anything else was a bonus. I thought about it here and there but I never really thought I'd make the dream come true!
On returning to the NEAFL after missing out in the 2010 and 2011 National Drafts
It probably took a lot of stress off me. I sort of thought the last two years of playing state footy you're under a lot of scrutiny to perform and deliver what you're meant to do in getting picked up as Queenslanders like to say, you want to get as many as they can drafted each year, but knowing that I'd talked to a few clubs a couple of years ago, I went back and enjoyed my footy a lot more. Played with a lot of good mates at the club and just wanted to be successful as a club and I didn't really think about playing individual roles so, yeah, I just really enjoyed my footy and sort f went in leaps and bounds from there and started getting a bit more of the footy and playing a lot better because I was just enjoying it, I guess.
On bagging seven goals in a match for Redlands early in the 2012 season
That was in round two out of Mt.Gravatt. I just found the ball pretty easily and I think I took a good mark early in that game and I just grew in confidence and from there, you know, I just kicked a bag, which I don't do very often. I was injured the next week and then a few things went down with a couple of backmen and I got shafted down back. It was probably a lot better than I went down back, I enjoyed it down there a lot more and I'd probably be lost if I went up forward at the moment. It was a good move, it was for the best.
On how he describes himself as a footballer
A creative half back who pushes forward and delivers into the forward line with a nice, penetrating kick and doesn't mind to take a few contested marks, so a silky smooth user of the footy, I guess. I don't have a big frame or anything so I have to work around to my advantages. I modelled myself a bit on Michael Barlow, I suppose, because I really liked the way he went about his footy and where he came from was also the way that I'd gone through in my pathway in footy. Not getting picked up as an 18-year-old I just had to work harder once I missed the opportunity.
Jack Frost
Selection No. 46; H: 194; W: 82kg, DOB: 25/2/92
On his Rookie Draft experience
I guess over the last three years I've been a bit disappointed at times. The last couple of weeks have been pretty exciting. I had a meeting with Collingwood and then a medical. There was a bit of interest but until your name's read out you don't really know for sure. Right now it's mixed emotions, really. Three years of hard work comes down to one day and, yeah, I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. A lot of emotions going around.
On his immediate emotions
I was just sitting around, I had my best mate and my mum sitting at a laptop, just watching the live feed and it was sort of getting late in the draft and then my name popped up and it was sort of a bit surreal, but it was very exciting. Mum's obviously been there the last three years watching with me so I think when it popped up the main thing was probably relief. It's exciting times.. Derek's called me and explained what will be happening over the next few years, and I'll be pretty much straight into it.
On his pre-draft expectations
Derek showed interest and he's obviously very happy with my progress, especially over the last year, so he was happy with me and I knew there was interest.
On the trials and tribulations of 2012
This year was pretty tough. I missed the first six games because of the surgery I had late last year. It was tough finding my feet. I played most of the year in the reserves and was a bit rusty. I wasn't really up to the standard I was the year before that, but then I played well in one reserves game and then cracked into the seniors and from then on kept improving and finished off the year pretty well. I only got three goals kicked on me in the last four games. I played against some pretty strong opponents so I was pretty happy with myself.
On how he would describe himself as a footballer
Very athletic. Quick off the mark. Defensive acts have always been a key for me. Just the willingness to keep getting better. The main aim is to eventually crack into the senior side and play good footy.
