Alex Spina could be an AFL draft steal

THE disappointment of watching from the sidelines as SA took to some of Melbourne's biggest footy stadiums during last year's National Under-18 Championships drove Alex Spina.

THE disappointment of watching from the sidelines as SA took to some of Melbourne's biggest footy stadiums during last year's National Under-18 Championships drove Alex Spina to be part of it this year.

A crafty small forward, Spina narrowly missed selection in key matches as a first-year under-18 during last year's championships, and went away determined to play every match this year.

"For the Melbourne trip (last) year I went over but didn't play any games, which was pretty tough,'' Spina says.

"They're obviously the two big games that are on TV and it was disappointing not to play.

"I made it a goal this year to try to play all five games and play well."

The North Adelaide speedster achieved the goal, playing an important role in SA's championship winning side and ensuring he remains very much on AFL club's radars heading into the November 21 National Draft.

Just where Spina fits into this year's draft pecking order is difficult to predict.

A member of the AIS-AFL Academy, and selected in SA under-age teams for the past four years, the Rostrevor College and Gaza Football Club product has seemingly been on a crash course with the AFL since he was a kid.

The cleanness of his football and his goal sense also seem to scream AFL, but Spina was consistent rather than outstanding this year meaning he could slip lower than predicted heading into the year.

If he does tumble outside the top 50 on draft day, the pacy goalsneak may one day be looked back on as a steal.

Playing the notoriously fickle role of a small forward and pinch-hitting in the midfield through the under-18 championship, Spina consistently showed he can find the football, and kick goals.

He averaged a tick over 17 disposals and tick under a goal-a-game through the championships, then returned to Prospect and played out a solid second half of the season with North's reserves.

"I put pretty high expectations on myself coming into the season and I would have liked to have played more really good games but I thought I played consistently,'' Spina says.

"I felt like I played my role well, for every team I played with this year."

Spina has had contact with most AFL clubs through the year but says he is not reading too much into the chats.

Among those he has spoken with is Port Adelaide, the club he has grown up supporting.

With the Power likely to use picks No. 21, 45, 52 and 70 on draft day, Spina could well end up back on the AFL's biggest stadium wearing black, white and teal.