Essendon was favoured to take the Atley with pick 8 after he met with new coach James Hird last week but the Bombers instead took Dyson Heppell, from Gippsland Power, with that pick.

Mature-bodied Atley, 18, joins a long line of players from the region to call Arden St home including current Roos Brayden Norris, Jack Ziebell, Sam Wright and Hamish McIntosh as well as former players John Longmire, John Byrne, Xavier Tanner and Peter Keenan.

Scott couldn’t hide his excitement at securing the Corryong teenager’s services.

“We were delighted that he was still there,” Scott said.

“He adds some real speed to our group. He’s a real game-breaker. We are delighted to have him.”

Atley’s Murray Bushrangers teammate Josh Mellington, from Benalla, will head interstate to start his AFL career after he was selected by Fremantle with pick 56, while Cootamundra wingman Isaac Smith was taken by Hawthorn with pick 19.

Atley told kangaroos.com.au just minutes after being drafted he was delighted to land at Arden St.

“I was stoked to be able to stay at a Victorian club, I’m very happy,” he said.

“I didn’t really have any expectations as to where I was going so to be picked by North, such a good club. I had no idea where I was going and I was just sitting there waiting for my name to be called and when it finally got called out by North I was rapt.”

Murray Bushrangers region manager Andrew Carson watched the draft unfold on a laptop at Bushrangers training in Shepparton and said he was surprised Atley wasn’t selected earlier.

“We think really highly of all the (Bushrangers) players and we thought Shaun might have gone a bit earlier but I think North will be really excited Shaun slipped through to 17,” Carson said.

“We’ve developed a great relationship over the years with North.”