Harvey’s Brady Hough completes his first week at the West Coast Eagles after being taken in the AFL Draft

Harvey’s Brady Hough has completed his first week with the West Coast Eagles after being taken with pick 31 of the AFL Draft. The 18-year-old had an introduction to the club and toured the Eagle’s facilities on November 29, alongside fellow local draftees Greg Clark, Rhett Bazzo and Jack Williams, before beginning training. Hough said he was nervous hitting the track with some West Coast superstars but he hadn’t been “thrown in the deep end”. “The first session you are pretty nervous, but it’s a great bunch of boys and they have all been really welcoming and it’s a really united group,” he said. “We are in and out of a few drills just to watch our load and ease into it coming into Christmas. “A bit of the more contested stuff we usually sit out from. “They are looking after us and it’s just been great.” Hough said he was currently focused on learning as much as he could as quickly as possible. “It’s a hard team to break into, so I am just a sponge at the moment, soaking everything up and learning so much,” he said. “It’s a lot more professional, but I’ve just got to keep putting my best foot forward.” The new Eagle is living with 2018 premiership player Liam Duggan who he said had already taught him a lot about the life of an AFL footballer. “He’s been really good, I have been chatting about a lot of things with him and he’s been great,” he said. “Even when we’re just chatting I am learning so much about how he goes about it. “Coming from Harvey into a house with a premiership player I am stoked and very thankful.” Back in Harvey, Brady’s mother Fiona Hough — a teacher at Harvey Primary School — was treated to a “heartwarming” surprise when more than 100 students turned up in blue and gold on Monday. The celebration was organised by deputy principal Simon Philp and year one and two teacher Sam Jacob, and Ms Hough said there was a real buzz around the school after the former student was drafted “Those that didn’t have Eagles gear, and even some Dockers supporters, still turned out in yellow or blue,” she said. “When I saw the students start to arrive in their Eagles gear, I’d be a liar if I didn’t say it most certainly brought a tear to my eye.” Another touching exchange took place between Brady, his brother Mitch Hough and Mel Hernaman — the mother of 20-year-old Lockie Hernaman who died in 2019 after collapsing at a Harvey Bulls training session. Mitch Hough wore a guernsey Lockie had given Brady seven years ago on the night the new Eagle was drafted and sent Ms Hernaman a photo with the caption “Lockie is with us Mel”. Ms Hernaman shared the photo via Facebook, and Brady said it was special to have the guernsey there in Lockie’s memory on draft night. “Mitch was really good friends with Lockie and it was just a horrible time when it all happened,” Hough said. “We were quite close with the family and Lockie himself. “He was a massive influence for me to be honest and I really looked up to him when I was at the Harvey Bulls. “We have stayed in touch because he played a special part in my life and also Mitch’s.”