AFL draft 2025: Collingwood recruit Sam Swadling delighted to move interstate with close friend Jacob Farrow

West Perth product and Collingwood draftee Sam Swadling is delighted to be heading to Melbourne alongside his close friend Jacob Farrow — even if they find themselves on opposing sides of a bitter rivalry. Neither Swadling nor Farrow were part of WA’s elite development program this time last year; 12 months later, they were the first two WA names called in the 2025 AFL draft. And the pair of West Perth products will not be far from each other after Essendon took Farrow on the first night of the draft with the 10th overall pick, before Collingwood followed suit by swooping on Swadling with pick no.37 and the first pick of the third round. Swadling told The West Australian he was overjoyed to see Farrow have his name called in the first round and was ecstatic to follow in his footsteps approximately 24 hours later. “Incredibly special. Him being one of my best mates to see him go first, I was just in awe and then for me to go second, two colts teammates, is just such a surreal feeling,” he said. While moving out of home and interstate is a known challenge for young draftees, Swadling said having Farrow in the same city would significantly help with his adjustment. “He’s my best mate and we’re going to the same state. I’ve got someone right there who I can trust, and who knows me really well,” he said. “It’s going to be unbelievable that we can keep that connection flourishing in Victoria.” The similarities between Swadling and Farrow run deep; both spent time working together in the off-season to fight their way into the WA under-18’s side, and continued to push each other throughout the year as they cemented their draft stock. While there may have been fears this time last year he may not make it to the AFL, Swadling — who averaged an impressive 35.4 disposals at colts level — said he never gave up on his dreams. “The one thing I hold truly to myself is having an optimistic mindset. No matter what happens, your time will come,” he said. “I had some bumps in the road early on, but I just put my head down, worked hard and now I’m getting my name called out on draft night. It’s just unbelievable.” Swadling said he could not believe he had ended up at Collingwood, home of one of his idols Scott Pendlebury. “I’m just overwhelmed with so many different emotions. I’ve got so many of my lifelong friends and family with me, it’s unbelievable to celebrate with them,” he said. “It hasn’t sunk in at all, I’m literally going to work and I’m going to be surrounded by so many blokes that I’ve idolised over the years. I can’t wait to get stuck in, get to know everyone and let everyone get to know me as well.”