Other AFL recruiters thought the risk was too great, but West Coast's Trevor Woodhouse saw forward Jack Darling as a bargain draft pick.

The Eagles named the 18-year-old from West Perth with their priority selection at No.26, at the end of the first round.

Darling was one of the more curious stories of this year's draft - a highly-rated junior this time last year who was too young at the time to enter the AFL system.

He was solid this year in the WAFL, without continuing to improve quite so rapidly.

Darling did not star this year at the under-18 national championships - he was named All-Australian centre half-forward last year.

There were also off-field indiscretions, including a scuffle with a nightclub bouncer, and concerns among some clubs about his drinking.

But Woodhouse is confident Darling will prove the Eagles right.

"Obviously I like him, I didn't think he was going to get out that far," he said.

"But it happens, for some reason people went off him - maybe they expected this year for him to improve in a greater sense than he did.

"He didn't have as good an '18s' (under-18 national championships) as he did last year, but that happens.

"He's had a lot of pressure on him and he's still, in his WAFL footy, averaged 17 touches a game, which isn't bad for an 18-year-old kid, so it was interesting.

"He's a super talent, it's really up to Jack now to show people that perhaps he was harshly dealt with in terms of his position, but that shouldn't bother him - he just needs to get on and play good footy."

Woodhouse said Darling would have to behave himself, but he has done his research on the teenager.

"There were a couple of little incidents he was involved in, which he would have preferred not to be involved in, but he's a 17-, 18-year-old kid and sometimes they don't always make the right decisions, as we don't," Woodhouse said.

"I've spoken to him about that and I know Jack's history pretty well - where he went to school, I know a lot of people who teach there, so I know a lot about Jack.

"If he chooses the wrong path then his AFL career will be short, but I'm positive Jack will choose the right path - it's up to him."

The Eagles felt they gained another bargain when they recruited ruckman Scott Lycett at No.29.

There were predictions that Lycett could be snapped up well inside the top 20.

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