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By Luke Sheehan

1st December 2009 11:05:09 AM

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Adelaide recruit Daniel Talia was wearing the navy blue for Victoria this year, but will now add a red and yellow flavour to that colour scheme at the Crows. 32981 Picture: TIM DOUTRE

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FORMER Calder Cannon Daniel Talia is ready to make the step into AFL ranks and a step over the state border after being drafted by Adelaide with pick 13 at the AFL’s National draft on Thursday.

Talia said he was thrilled to be selected onto an AFL list.

“Obviously I’m really honoured and excited to be picked by such a great club as Adelaide, just over the moon I guess,” he said.

The 18-year-old said he was looking forward to the pressure and physicality of pre-season with the Crows.

“I’ve heard Adelaide is one of the hardest working clubs and I know Neil (Craig) likes to work the guys hard, so I can’t wait to get in there and put the hard yards in.”

Talia, an Assumption College student, said he never thought it was a certainty that he would be selected, due to the unpredictability of the draft.

“Not so much confident, I didn’t play the second half of the year due to a hamstring injury, so I guess I had an OK year in the first half, really worked hard over the pre-season,” he said.

“I guess just take it (the selection) as it comes, you can’t expect it too much (prior to the draft). But as long as your name gets called out, I’m sure there’s a smile on every boy’s name that got called out and that’s the main thing.”

The Crows were more than happy to snap up the flexible player who can play anywhere on the ground, according to Adelaide’s eastern recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie.

“The people at Calder rate him extremely highly and he’s so versatile, he’s six foot three, but played in the midfield, so we’re really pleased,” he said.

Ogilvie said the club was impressed with Talia’s ability to overcome serious injury to play football.

Overall, Ogilvie was glowing over the complete package that Talia would bring to Adelaide, both as a footballer and a person.

Talia joins a large group of footballers to have come through Assumption College to make it to the AFL, including Geelong legend Billy Brownless, Hawthorn premiership player Shane Crawford and AFL player and coach Neale Daniher.

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