Andrew Capel | South Australia’s top AFL draft prospect Sid Draper should be on Crows’ recruiting radar
Adelaide has a need for midfield speed and class – and the player it should target is sitting right under its nose, writes Andrew Capel.
Opinion
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Adelaide should think twice about trading its top pick in this year’s AFL draft.
While the club has publicly stated its prime draft selections, including its prized first-round pick (currently No. 5), are up for grabs as it explores the trade market following its successful raids on two of its best players, captain Jordan Dawson and star goalsneak Izak Rankine, a player it needs is sitting right under its nose.
And he just happens to be a homegrown difference maker who could be available when the Crows are on the draft clock in November.
South Adelaide teenage excitement machine Sid Draper, who is odds-on to be the first Croweater selected at this year’s national draft, would be a great fit in Adelaide’s largely one-paced, workmanlike midfield.
Panthers talent manager Mark Clayton hailed the just-turned 18-year-old, describing him as having Chris Judd-type qualities “with the way he goes about things and his work around the stoppages’’.
“Sid has great power and his speed from stoppage is elite,’’ Clayton gushed.
SANFL head of talent Brenton Phillips compared Draper to Port Adelaide captain and fellow Croweater Connor Rozee, saying “he’s got a little bit of Rozee about him, with his very quick feet and explosive speed out of stoppages’’.
“He has everything that the game demands of you these days,’’ Phillips added.
Draper – South Australia’s captain at this year’s AFL under-18 championships and a dual All-Australian – would add some much-needed pace and explosiveness to coach Matthew Nicks’ on-ball brigade without the Crows facing the prospect of losing him to the go-home factor, which has been a major issue that has long plagued the club.
The 182cm Draper is on track to be a gamebreaking playmaker, filling a glaring on-ball need.
A star at junior level – he was an All-Australian under-18 and SA’s MVP last year, best on ground in the Panthers’ under-18s grand final win and awarded the AFL life members’ scholarship – Draper has stepped up to the plate at senior level in recent weeks, adapting to league football with ease and illustrating his ability to make the jump to AFL level.
After an injury-plagued start to the year, which saw him miss the first half of the season with a shin stress fracture, Draper was promoted to the Panthers’ league side after the AFL under-18 championships and dominated against flag favourite Sturt at Unley Oval.
Lining up against established Double Blues midfield stars James Battersby and Tom Lewis, he had 23 disposals, 11 tackles, five clearances and six inside 50s in the Round 13 encounter to be voted second-best afield by The Advertiser football writers.
The following week, opposed to a North Adelaide midfield that included 2020 Magarey Medallist Campbell Combe, Draper compiled 27 disposals, 10 tackles, nine clearances and two inside 50s to again be named among South’s best.
On Sunday, Draper again stood tall, having 23 disposals and five clearances and kicking a classy goal as South upset Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval.
In three league games this season, Draper has averaged an eye-popping 24.3 disposals, 7.7 tackles, 6.3 clearances and 128 Champion Data ranking points.
In his three league games last year as a 17-year-old, Draper averaged 14 disposals, highlighting his growth this campaign.
This year’s draft pool is considered strong and jam-packed with quality midfielders, which should make the Crows’ eyes light up.
They need an injection of on-ball class to complement a developing list, which includes Rankine, Dawson, Jake Soligo, Josh Rachele, Max Michalanney, Mitch Hinge and exciting key forwards Riley Thilthorpe and Darcy Fogarty.
Adelaide, sitting 14th with seven wins, a draw and 10 losses but having won three of its past four games, currently owns selection five in what is considered a high quality but even top end of the draft.
Most draft experts rate Draper in the five-to-nine range with the potential to go higher.
No other Croweater is rated as a top-10 prospect.
Other gun teenage midfielders in the top-end mix include Victorians Levi Ashcroft, Josh Smillie, Finn O’Sullivan, Harvey Langford, Murphy Reid, Jagga Smith and Sam Lalor,
Western Australia’s Bo Allan and Gold Coast Academy prospect Leo Lombard.
But the Crows, provided they keep their pick and Draper is still on the board, should be wary of overlooking a gun player from their own backyard.
They could even consider trading up a spot or two to snare him.
Hometown rival Port will not be in contention for Draper after trading its first-round pick.
South league coach Jarrad Wright, who oversaw Port star Jason Horne-Francis’s development before he was drafted at pick one by North Melbourne in 2021, believes Draper is his club’s next big thing and would be an ideal selection for the Crows.
The only small knock on him has been his sometimes rushed field kicking but that is improving every week.
“Sid is one of the best kids I’ve seen come through our program,’’ Wright said.
“He’s the ultimate professional, a leader, super competitive and ticks all the boxes in all phases of preparation, athleticism, speed and power.
“He’s a very impressive young man whose contest to contest running power is something that I haven’t seen from a player his age for a long time.
“At South, Jase (Horne-Francis) was a genuine footballer and a real powerful beast within the contest but Sid’s workrate is next level.
“The Crows have some good inside midfielders who are good ball winners but Sid is a metres gained player who not only wins plenty of the footy but he takes the game forward really well with his speed and power, which has been a criticism of Adelaide’s midfield.
“Given Sid’s attributes, he would blend into Adelaide’s team really well.’’
Wright said that apart from being a playmaker and testing as the most agile under-18 player nationwide last year, Draper – the younger brother of South teammate and former Collingwood utility Arlo Draper – has improved his defensive transition significantly this season.
“Prior to this year he was very much a see-ball, get-ball player but his transition defence this year has been really strong and really impressive,’’ Wright said.
“The fact that he’s been coming up against the best of the best in the SANFL and either beating them or breaking even shows just what an impressive young player he is.’’
NUMBERS GAME
9
Adelaide second quarter goals against Essendon – the equal-highest scoring quarter of the season.
150
Charlie Dixon games for Port Adelaide after 65 for Gold Coast.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“It’s incredible how karma works. We didn’t talk a lot about the last game we played (against Essendon in Round 6), but we may have popped a tiny bit of vision up of Sam (Draper) and some of his excitement post the win.’’
– Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks after the comeback win against the Bombers.
“I wasn’t thinking James Hird in the moment, but I can see that now. I had no idea who that supporter was, just the first Crows supporter I saw, so I sprinted straight for him.’’
– Crow Josh Rachele after kicking the matchwinning goal against Essendon.
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