{"id":286678,"date":"2025-11-15T18:29:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T18:29:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/286678\/"},"modified":"2025-11-15T18:29:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T18:29:13","slug":"young-footballers-from-across-australia-are-about-to-have-their-draft-dreams-realised-heres-how-you-can-join-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/286678\/","title":{"rendered":"Young footballers from across Australia are about to have their draft dreams realised. Here\u2019s how you can join them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recruiters typically pay little attention until a prospect (how the media will refer to a player down the track) turns 16 years old, unless that player is specifically tied to a club academy or is father-son eligible.<\/p>\n

This is important because kids develop at different rates, in part but not solely due to varying growth spurts, which is why a long-term focus is almost always a better approach. Ensuring your child has a positive experience and wants to keep playing is one of the recipes to success.<\/p>\n

\"Harry<\/p>\n

Harry Dean is just days away from joining Carlton and following in the footsteps of his father, Peter (left).Credit: Jason Robins<\/p>\n

The parents\u2019 role<\/p>\n

There are parents who double as their child\u2019s junior coach, while others prefer to be an unofficial coach as a vocal presence on the sidelines and some stay silent. Then there are those who sit somewhere in between.<\/p>\n

Parents perform a crucial role in an athlete\u2019s journey to the elite level \u2013 but how they behave can be detrimental to their child\u2019s development and ongoing involvement in sport.<\/p>\n

One national recruiting manager at an AFL club, who agreed to contribute to this story on the condition of anonymity, said parents needed to be self-aware of their behaviour for their child\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n

\"Levi<\/p>\n

Levi Ashcroft (centre) celebrates Sandringham\u2019s 2024 Talent League flag win with coach Rob Harding (left) and fellow co-captain Brodie Findlay (right).Credit: AFL Photos<\/p>\n

\u201cBe a parent, enjoy the ride, and don\u2019t be a pain in the arse,\u201d the recruiter told this masthead.<\/p>\n

\u201cParents can\u2019t get a kid drafted, but they can get them undrafted. You get some who try to live through their kid. Being a dickhead at the footy is never going to be good for your kid. I sat behind a dad the other week, and listened to him talk, and you can tell he\u2019s going to be a pain in the arse.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Sandringham Dragons coach Rob Harding, who has extensive AFL experience as an assistant coach and analyst, agreed with the recruiter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important as kids get older that the parents are more the shoulder to cry on than the coach,\u201d Harding said. \u201cRecruiters see the parents who hang around the huddle and give their kids instructions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leading draft prospect Harry Dean\u2019s father Peter<\/a> is a dual Carlton premiership player and coached his son during his junior days, but stepped back more recently.<\/p>\n

Harry has appreciated that from his dad, who is more qualified than most.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t want the helicopter parent,\u201d Harry said. \u201cHe\u2019s been pretty good like that. But we always talk about football \u2013 and the Blues as well \u2013 so we have a pretty special connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Private school<\/p>\n

This is one of the hottest topics.<\/p>\n

Do kids really have a better chance of getting drafted if they attend a private school? The truth is that most draftees from private schools are on scholarships because they were already high-tier talents and in elite pathways.<\/p>\n

What is indisputable is that private schools have outstanding facilities, some of which are superior to Talent League clubs, and often employ current or ex-AFL footballers to coach, which is valuable for various reasons.<\/p>\n

\u2018Be a parent, enjoy the ride, and don\u2019t be a pain in the arse\u2019<\/p>\n

An AFL club recruiting manager on the role of parents<\/p>\n

However, all recruiters will tell you that the standard in private school football is inferior to the Talent League, and scholarships mean the private school team must be prioritised.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re any good, you will get drafted [without having to attend a private school],\u201d one AFL recruiter said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEighty to 90 per cent who are drafted from an APS school are on scholarships, but a scholarship doesn\u2019t guarantee you anything.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I will say is that it means more to kids to play for their school \u2013 or at least the genuine schoolboys, if they\u2019ve been there the whole way through.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Draft<\/p>\n

Draft prospect Josh Lindsay\u2019s kicking sets him apart.Credit: AFL Photos<\/p>\n

Which skills should be prioritised?<\/p>\n

There is not one answer to this question.<\/p>\n

But both recruiters who spoke to this masthead said it frustrated them when players could not kick with both feet, or handball on each side, so that is a good starting point. In general, talent scouts want to see good technique and fundamentals, then they are looking for athleticism and AFL \u201ctraits\u201d.<\/p>\n

Josh Lindsay, one of the best kicks in this year\u2019s draft, has a morning kicking routine that he completes daily in his home garage \u2013 complete with rebound net \u2013 while he also has several pre-training drills to keep him sharp.<\/p>\n

That is an indication of the dedication required to reach the elite level.<\/p>\n

David Loader, another with significant AFL experience, coaches Greater Western Victoria Rebels in the Talent League. He quickly figures out which kids are committed because many country boys have to travel far further than their city counterparts.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome boys have to travel three hours to a training session,\u201d Loader said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made it to the grand final last year, and our boys spent, from memory, about 360 hours in a bus or a car getting to training and games for the year. We played Sandringham that day, and they spent about 14 hours, if you don\u2019t count the 10 minutes to training in a car, or the walk from school.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhat it does for us \u2013 without sounding crass \u2013 is it eliminates the dickheads because they can\u2019t stick at it \u2026 the positive is you\u2019re dealing with boys who are pretty driven.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loader said it was vital that players developed a point of difference that became a \u201cweapon\u201d, while Harding said the Dragons encouraged their footballers to strike a good balance between social life, sport and school. He also warned against comparing your journey and progress to others.<\/p>\n

Nutrition and gym<\/p>\n

AFL prospects no longer endure skinfold tests and weights are not on the public record, but don\u2019t be fooled into thinking fitness is not every bit as important as it has always been.<\/p>\n

Talent League clubs offer education from pre-season onwards about everything from game style to wellbeing, nutrition and gym programs.<\/p>\n

Players at these clubs are not lifting heavy weights in their teenage years \u2013 it is more about learning proper technique. Recruiters also do not expect them to be muscle-bound on their arrival in the AFL, but a strong core is something they recommend.<\/p>\n

\"Sullivan<\/p>\n

Sullivan Robey\u2019s gruelling gym routine helped him emerge as a top AFL draft prospect.Credit: Eddie Jim<\/p>\n

Developing good eating habits and learning how to appropriately fuel your body is something every young athlete should prioritise. Be aware that scouts are still viewing footballers\u2019 conditioning and could be watching at any time, which may impact how a player is perceived.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember being on an AFL Academy trip, and watching two players eating a massive fried fish and dim sims,\u201d one recruiter said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFrom about 16 onwards, you should be eating foods to help you perform your best.\u201d<\/p>\n

All aspiring AFL players of a certain age should familiarise themselves with macronutrients, or macros \u2013 protein, carbohydrates and fats \u2013 to understand how to properly meet their body\u2019s needs, which is particularly important for people who are active.<\/p>\n

Finding an agent<\/p>\n

Player agents, also known as managers, are often part of an AFL prospect\u2019s journey, even before the player is drafted.<\/p>\n

Accredited agents cannot approach a player, or their parent or guardian, before October 1 of the year the player turns 16 years old, and the first approach must be a letter of introduction submitted via the AFL Players\u2019 Association player agent portal.<\/p>\n

\"Prominent<\/p>\n

Prominent player agent Paul Connors at the 2023 national draft with his client, and now Hawthorn star, Nick Watson.Credit: AFL Photos<\/p>\n

The process starts from there, but players can also indicate beforehand whether they are open to communication.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost kids choose an agent based on who they connect with because everyone has different personalities and offerings,\u201d a player agent from a leading company told this masthead.<\/p>\n

\u201cSigning an agent doesn\u2019t get them drafted, but an agent supports them in navigating the lead-up to the draft via catch-ups, sharing experiences of past players in similar situations, and with communication with schools and clubs, to make sure they\u2019re on the same page. They will also get feedback on how they\u2019re performing.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo your research, and make sure you pick someone who\u2019s got experience, and has been through some stuff. Ultimately, players need someone they feel can support them on their journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Recruiters typically pay little attention until a prospect (how the media will refer to a player down the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":286679,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-286678","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-afl","8":"tag-afl","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-australian-football-league","12":"tag-australianfootballleague","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=286678"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286678\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/286679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=286678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=286678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=286678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}