East Fremantle Football Club defender Kyle Hardingham has been drafted to the Essendon Football Club at pick number 7 in the AFL pre-season draft, capping off a stellar year in which he played state football and won the Lynn Medal. Hardingham joins the Bombers as a mature age recruit after playing 48 League games with the Sharks. East Fremantle League Coach Shane Woewodin paid tribute to Kyle’s work ethic.
“It’s terrific for ‘Hards’ to get picked up. He has put in an enormous amount of work and effort this year and it’s great to see all that hard work being rewarded by Essendon giving him the opportunity”.
Woewodin went onto say “It’s also tremendous for the WAFL competition with a number of mature age guys being selected ... it goes to show the strength of the competition”.
Hardingham becomes the 11th player to be drafted from the 2005 East Fremantle Colts team that narrowly lost to Peel Thunder in the Grand Final that year. He joins Sharks players Paddy Ryder (Essendon), Liam Anthony (North Melbourne), Brad Dick (Collingwood), Bradd Dalziell (Brisbane/West Coast), Mitchell Clark (Brisbane), Josh Kennedy (Carlton/West Coast), Garrick Ibbotson (Fremantle), Jamie McNamara (West Coast), Shane Thorne (Western Bulldogs) and Andrew Swallow (North Melbourne).
Ex Sharks Football Manager Kim Barrett has always said that the 2005 group was one of the most talented groups to come through the East Fremantle programs.
“This group was one of the most promising colts groups that we had, and it is a real credit to our development staff, coaching staff and football staff, that so many have taken the next step to AFL level”.
Barrett also paid tribute to Hardingham once again praising his work ethic, “Kyle has worked tirelessly in improving his fitness and skills and it is great to see him rewarded”.
The West Coast Eagles had the “Magnificent Seven” in the late 1980’s, for Sharks supporters this group may well be known as the “Ocean’s Eleven”.
The East Fremantle Football Club wish Kyle all the very best.