South Australia’s under-18 coach Tony Bamford joins calls for AFL to lift draft eligibility age to 19
SA’s under-18 coach believes the age for draft eligibility should be lifted to better prepare young players for the “cutthroat” AFL system – and 2020 could be the perfect year to do it. Is he right?
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SA under-18 coach Tony Bamford says this year is the perfect time to raise the draft age to 19 with AFL hopefuls facing the prospect of not being able to display their talents in 2020.
The state mentor believes lifting the age of eligibility to nominate will not only better prepare young players for the rigours of the AFL system, but also improve their prospects when exiting it.
“I’ve worked in talent pathway and at state and club level for 20 years … and I honestly think lifting the draft age would be a good thing,” Bamford said on SEN SA Breakfast.
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“I think under-19 is a better age.
“They’re just more mature and they’ve got some life skills outside of school before they go into what is an absolutely cutthroat industry and environment.
“And I just feel the guys that don’t make it at AFL level are better equipped on the exit point than the guys who go in straight from school.
“It’s something that I’ve spoken to the AFL and Brenton Phillips about, and everyone has their own opinion, but I feel this is a good time to try and see where it takes our game.”
Under AFL rules, players must be at least 18 years of age on December 31 in the year in which they are drafted to be eligible to be selected by an AFL club.
Bamford also said extending under-18 competitions to under-19 this year should also be considered.
The under-18 national championships, traditionally played in June and July, look unlikely to go ahead, but a modified tournament could be played later in the year.
The three-time Port Adelaide premiership player, who was one of many SANFL employees to be stood down due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, was hopeful SA’s top talents would get the chance to display their abilities on the field at some point.
But he was also realistic that AFL recruiters may be forced to rely on previous seasons to rate prospects for the 2020 draft.
“Most would have started tracking the players at under-16 level, some a year earlier at under-15 level, but things can change so quickly,” Bamford said.
“I look at Will Day who got drafted to Hawthorn last year, when he was 17 he hardly played any football at SANFL level.
“He was just at college trying to find his way because he was so raw, skinny and light.
“So, those kind of players would probably get skipped.
“There is so much footage and so much information available to the recruiting teams at AFL clubs across their under-16 and under-17 years.
“It’s just the late developer, the guy who really blossoms in their under-18 year … they’re the ones who would be flicked from the system.”
SA has a host of strong draft prospects this year including No. 1 pick contender Riley Thilthorpe from West Adelaide, Glenelg pair Luke Edwards and Kaine Baldwin, South Adelaide’s Zac Dumesny, Central District’s Corey Durdin, Woodville-West Torrens trio Lachlan Jones, Taj Schofield and Henry Smith and Sturt’s James Borlase.