Ultimately Elijah Swart, Adrienne Gyori and Henry Williams were the lucky trio.

Swart, a 20-year-old from Melbourne who possesses strong social media skills and considerable experience in video production, said becoming a Digital Rookie will further his professional career as well as his strengthen his love for the club. 

“My aspirations are to become part of the media in quite a few forms,” Swart told SAINTS.com.au after a tour of Linen House Centre alongside Gyori on Thursday.

“It was the perfect combination of my passion for St Kilda and my passion for my career path.”

And the outgoing advertising student was never in any doubt whether or not to apply.

“All my friends were telling me I was perfect for it. People that I haven’t really spoken to very much were sending me the link to the article and telling me to go for it.”

The other Melbourne-based winner is Adrienne Gyori, a media student from La Trobe University.

While much of Gyori’s blogging and social media activity revolves around the music scene, she is also a self-confessed Saints tragic and a member for each of the last 10 seasons.

“I absolutely love St Kilda, so applying was a no-brainer for me,” Gyori said.

“The opportunity to meet the number one draft pick and get involved with people from the Saints is really exciting.

“I’m looking forward to gaining more knowledge and experience for my career in journalism and the media… When my friends and family found out, they wanted to buy a ticket to the Gold Coast and come up with me.

“’I’m so excited.”


Tony Elshaug has a chat to Adrienne and Elijah

Joining Gyori and Swart at the National Draft will be Gold Coast applicant Henry Williams, a 23-year-old who is just about to finish his Bachelor of Psychological Science degree. 

Williams plays footy for the Carrara Saints and played junior football for Nick Riewoldt's club as a kid - the Sandy Bay Lions in Tasmania.

Unlike the two Victorian-based Digital Rookies, Williams is interested in becoming an AFL recruiter given his interest in sports psychology. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing who the Saints pick with number one and finding out why they picked that player,” he said.

“Recruitment and list management is definitely something I would like to pursue further down the track.”

While Thursday was a players day off, St Kilda’s recruiting team was hard at work and the Digital Rookies were delighted when Tony Elshaug and List Manager Ameet Bains popped out to say hello.

They will have unprecedented access behind the scenes at the National Draft, writing articles, posting to social media, taking photos and filming videos.