Norwood Football Club midfielder Cole Gerloff to test at SA state draft combine
He was the breakout talent of the 2019 SANFL season and now this highly-regarded Norwood midfielder will be put to the test in front of AFL recruiters at the state draft combine.
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Norwood coach Jarrod Cotton was quick to label youngster Cole Gerloff as one to watch before the start of season 2019.
He could not have been more right.
Gerloff’s outstanding campaign for the Redlegs led to him winning this year’s breakthrough player award for the best emerging talent in the SANFL.
He will now show his wares in front of AFL scouts at the state draft combine this Saturday.
Gerloff stripped weight, dropped his 2km time trial personal best and upped his professionalism before the start of the season.
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It appears to have paid off with the 20-year-old playing 19 league games as a constant in the Redlegs’ midfield rotation.
Gerloff kicked 21 goals for the season while averaging 19 touches and four marks per game. His six tackles per game led Norwood and was seventh in the league.
An AFL chance would be reward for a lot of work by Gerloff, who grew up on a farm near Darke Peak, a tiny town on the Eyre Peninsula with a population of less than 200 people about 50km from Cleve.
“It’s only got a pub and a couple of silos there really,” Gerloff says.
He moved to Adelaide in 2015 to attend Prince Alfred College and would go on to captain the school’s successful first XVIII in Year 12.
The left-footer broke through for 10 games in the Norwood league side last year, including the grand final loss to North Adelaide.
This season, with injuries opening up opportunity in the midfield, Gerloff capitalised on more time onball and his solid pre-season.
“It’s probably been my most consistent year of footy,” says Gerloff, who wasn’t invited to either national or state combine in his draft year.
“I was riddled with injuries when I was younger, so its been good just to stay on the park for two years straight and show them what I can do.
“With a few experienced guys like Mitch Grigg and Matt Panos going down in the midfield it gave me a chance to get some more time through there.”
Cotton says he knew the “country kid” was set for a good campaign from the very start of pre-season.
“He was doing everything at an elite level and when you start doing those things as a young player you’ll get rewarded for it,” Cotton says.
“In my opinion, I think he does have what it takes (to get drafted), he has all the qualities you would want.
“For his sake I hope he is picked up but if he isn’t we won’t be complaining.
“He’s got the potential to be a 200 game player and a future captain of the footy club.”
As for the draft talk, it doesn’t faze Gerloff.
“For me its about getting in the right headspace to play good footy and not worry about the outside things that can happen,” he says.
“This year that’s probably been the best thing for my footy and the team.
“If not, I’m looking forward to just training at Norwood and 2020 with the Redlegs.”
patrick.keam@news.com.au