Profile
Western Bulldogs Selection: No.15
Position: Defender
DOB: 19/03/91
Height: 184cm
Weight: 81kg
Recruited from: Glenelg (SA)

Nervously watching last night’s Draft from his grandparents home in Adelaide, Christian Howard says he nearly fell off his chair when his name was read out at Pick 15 for the Western Bulldogs.

Howard said while he had an inkling that the Bulldogs may take him, nothing could prepare him for the moment when it came.

“It has not really sunk in yet but I think the sleep overnight has helped.  Everyone was jumping up and down, it went crazy,” Howard said. 

Despite the fact Howard is a South Australian, he says Victoria was his preferred destination prior to the Draft and he cannot wait to walk in the doors at the Whitten Oval and meet some of his idols.

“I am really excited to meet Lindsay Gilbee and Adam Cooney, I am a big fan of the whole on ball unit at the Club,” Howard said.

Howard is seen as a player very much in the mould of Gilbee with his fantastic foot skills and he is sure to provide plenty of run of half back in the coming years.

He played his football with the Glenelg under 18’s in 2009 and showed tremendous improvement in the second half of the SANFL colts season.

“I think it probably started half way through the season.  The fact that I was able to play the whole season with one team without having to switch between school football really helped and it was great to play under the one coach,” Howard said.

Much will be made of the fact that Howard was not invited to either the State Screening Sessions or the Draft Camp and that his name was not on the hand out of potential draftees distributed to the media last night, but those in the know realised that Howard has something special.

Clubs had been circling the youngster for some time and Western Bulldogs Recruiting and Football Partnerships Manager Simon Dalrymple was convinced he had to swoop last night with his first opportunity.

"We certainly rated him in the first round. We're rapt to have him and we see that he'll fit our needs of wanting to get some speed and kicking into the group. We think he'll be an elite kick; he kicks with a firm foot which means the ball travels at a high speed to get from point A to point B very quickly,” Dalrymple said.

Howard who is currently undertaking a Management Marketing degree says his main focus now is to reward the confidence that the Western Bulldogs recruiters have shown in him.

“It’s a massive shock but it is awesome that Simon (Dalrymple) was able to put that faith in me, I just don’t want to let him down,” Howard said.