FREMANTLE has emerged from Thursday's NAB AFL Draft with not only the elite midfielder it craved, but also a pair of key position prospects the club says it has long admired. 

Anthony Morabito's selection at pick No.4 was considered a formality on draft day, but, in a surprise move, Fremantle didn't hesitate to select Nathan Fyfe with pick No.20 and Joel Houghton with No.36.   

Fremantle national recruiting manager Brad Lloyd said the club had rated Fyfe highly in its player rankings all year, while Houghton was always going to be selected by Fremantle if he was available.

"They were two that we planned to get into the club, so it worked out well," Lloyd told afl.com.au.

"We definitely had Fyfe marked for pick 20, and with Joel we were always going to draft him, it was just a matter of working out which pick we needed to use to get him to the club.

"In the end we decided to use 36, just to make sure we were able to secure him. You're just always hopeful that a player you rank highly will still be there, so we were really happy to secure Joel."

Fyfe played for Claremont's colts side in 2009 and represented WA at the under-18 championships, kicking four goals against Vic Metro in his best outing.

The 18-year-old has developed rapidly in the last two years and Lloyd said the club believed there was still a mountain of improvement in the classy half-forward.

"He's sensational in the air and we just feel that he's got so much more ahead of him," Lloyd said.

Fyfe, who drove five hours from his Lake Grace home to be unveiled at Fremantle Oval on Friday, agreed that his ability in the air was his strength.  

"I like to think I've got a pretty good mark and read the game pretty well," he said. "I like to make the most out of every opportunity."

While Fyfe has the ability to play as a high half-forward and push into the midfield, Houghton was the club's clear-cut key position selection. But even at 194cm, the Perth junior boasts the endurance of a midfielder.

"We really liked his mobility and we wanted to get someone that was mid-190cm," Lloyd said of Houghton, who celebrated his 18th birthday on draft day. 

"He's a big boy and he's got plenty of development in him as well. He just kept improving through the year and running a 15-plus beep [test] for someone his size doesn't hurt either."

Houghton, who also represented WA at the under-18 championships, described being selected by a hometown AFL club as the best birthday present of his life, especially given he went into draft day expecting to be overlooked. 
 
"I didn't think I was going to go anywhere - I didn't think I was going to get drafted," he said. "I had a little bit of faith, but to get drafted and to stay in WA is just overwhelming."

Houghton was playing club football in the midfield two years ago, but he admits he's "a bit too tall for that now". 

As a key forward, he's hoping to build up his 82kg frame to 95kg as quickly as possible, but hasn't set any goals to play senior football next season.

Fremantle also recruited Tassie Mariners midfielder Jesse Crichton (No.48), Dandenong Stingrays defender Dylan Roberton (No.49) and South Adelaide utility Justin Bollenhagen (No.52) on Thursday.

Lloyd said the club was "really comfortable" with how the draft panned out. 

"We targeted speed and also a little bit of size as well, not just with key position players, but with some taller midfielders as well."

"The way it fell was pretty complimentary to the rest of our list."