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TWO YEARS after being freed from jail, Shane Yarran is an AFL-listed footballer.

Yarran was released from jail in March 2013 after being sentenced to six years for burglary. On Tuesday night, he was picked by Fremantle with pick No.61 in the NAB AFL Draft.

"We did our background on Shane and spent a significant amount of time with him," Fremantle's recruiting manager Brad Lloyd said.

"We thought ... how he has applied himself in recent years, he deserved an opportunity.

"He is really driven and wants to make it and we see someone there who has got a burning ambition to be a good AFL player."

Yarran was with his partner and his baby daughter when he heard the news, saying he had hoped to get an opportunity via the rookie draft but was shocked when the phone rang on Tuesday night.

"I kept the hunger and kept my head down and hoped for the best and I have got the reward," Yarran told fremantlefc.com.au.

"To get to stay home and play football with the support of family is awesome."

The 26-year-old, a cousin of ex-Carlton and now Richmond player Chris Yarran, has made a staggering rise to AFL football. He was incarcerated at 18 and despite playing football regularly during his time at Hakea Prison, he played his first formal season of senior football in 2013 with South Mandurah in the Peel Football League.

In 2014 he was convinced to join Subiaco in the WAFL and play under coach Jarrad Schofield, who played 206 AFL games with West Coast, Port Adelaide and Fremantle including the 2004 premiership with the Power.

In two seasons in the WAFL Yarran has played 39 games, kicked 93 goals and won two premierships. He won the Bernie Naylor Medal as the WAFL's leading goalkicker in 2015 and bagged five goals in the Grand Final.

Schofield said Yarran's achievements were a testament to how hard he has worked since joining the Lions.

"For someone like him who has only really been in the WAFL system for two years, to be already on an AFL list is a credit to the young man," Schofield told AFL.com.au.

"His maturity over the last couple of years has been second to none. He committed to the program.

"When you talk about maturity, he was able to play and commit to our football program, also hold down a job from Monday to Friday and became a father for the first time as well.

"He's got a very supportive partner and he's had a lot of support from our footy club. He's appreciated that and hasn't wanted to let anyone down, and that's why we've seen a rapid rise in his transformation as a person and as a footballer in the last couple of years."

Yarran has worked as a plumbers' assistant for two years and has also done some youth mentoring through Subiaco's community programs.

He also played in the Indigenous All Stars match against West Coast in February this year as a late fill-in for the All Stars and acquitted himself well.

Schofield said he could see Yarran succeeding at AFL level.

"I think with his leg speed and his ability to play as a tall or small, he's going to be a hard match-up (at AFL level). He can take a contested mark, he's very quick on the lead and he's good at ground level," he said.

Schofield added he was very confident that Yarran could cope with the demands of life as an AFL footballer.

Selection No.27, Darcy Tucker

Brad Lloyd says: "A really good, strong runner off half-back and can go through the midfield … (he is) really good athletically."



Selection No.38, Harley Balic

Brad Lloyd says: "For him to get through to that second round, we were pleasantly surprised … he’s that modern, taller type but he also has some ability to go forward and kick goals."



Selection No.55, Sam Collins

Brad Lloyd says: "We wanted to get that key defender in just to help our defensive stocks. He's got a really good spoiling ability but another one who's a really good quality competitor."



Selection No.61, Shane Yarran

Brad Llyod says: "We've watched him over the last couple of years with some really strong WAFL form for Subiaco … he's very good overhead, he's 186cm so he's a bit of a marking medium forward. He's got good speed, good agility."