DOB: 25 March 1991
Height: 180cm
Weight: 82kg
Recruited: St Kilda
State: WA
A bit about Hutchings: The midfielder spent 2010 on St Kilda's rookie list, but didn't play a game and was delisted after one year. He revived his chances of playing at the elite level with two outstanding seasons with WAFL club West Perth, finishing runner-up in the 2012 Sandover Medal and winning the Falcons' best and fairest.
West Coast Eagles List Manager Craig Vozzo says: "He's 21 years old. He had a year at St Kilda, and has played the last two seasons in the WAFL. He's a former Western Australia under-18 state captain, and a really good young man who has gone back and done a hell of a lot of work at West Perth.
"He's an elite midfielder in the WAFL. He polled over 50 votes in the Sandover Medal this year. We're thrilled to have him on our list and thrilled to give him another chance. Hopefully some good things lie ahead for him because he's done it the hard way. He's a physically mature body, so I'm sure he'll do everything he possibly can to get a shot early on in the NAB Cup."
Hutchings on moving to West Coast: “I was pretty stoked with the news [on Thursday], I’ve been working hard for it; to be able to have second chance is great. I’m really eager to make the most of it this time. I didn’t expect to get picked up but I didn’t rule myself out. Not getting picked up last year didn’t deter me though, I just wanted to keep banging on the door.
"I think at the Saints, I didn’t have as much confidence in my ability. I didn’t perform how I would have liked in the VFL in the year that I was over there, my performance wasn’t up to the standard that I set myself, so that’s probably the reason why it didn’t work out at the time. But I took a lot of out the time I did have at St Kilda, the professionalism, the work ethic. Then I obviously came back and joined West Perth and tried to implement some of the things the elite players at St Kilda did there. So really tried to take the positives out of my time there."
Hutchings on his own game: "I’ll definitely try to back myself in to the West Coast midfield, I’m just looking forward to going hard at training and hopefully that’s good enough to crack a game. I’m more of an inside midfielder, so definitely look up to the Selwoods, Priddis, they’re the type of players I look at and try to get myself to their level."
