Rising South Australian AFL draft prospect Taylor Goad says he’d love to be an Adelaide Crow

A giant, fast and agile South Australian ruckman who is rapidly rising up the draft boards says it would be a dream to play for the Adelaide Crows.

Giant Croweater Taylor Goad – South Australia’s biggest AFL draft riser this year – says playing for Adelaide would be his dream scenario.

Deemed as a perfect fit for the Crows, who need a classy next-generation ruckman, Goad, along with his family, is a passionate Adelaide supporter who grew up idolising the club’s former star ruckman Sam Jacobs.

“It would be a dream come true to play for Adelaide,’’ said Goad, who played in South Adelaide’s SANFL under-18s premiership side this year, as the countdown to the first round of Monday’s AFL draft continued.

“That’s the club I have grown up supporting and it would be great to stay in Adelaide and play for them.

“But at the end of the day I’ll be happy to go wherever the opportunity is and will be ready for the next step in my life.’’

South Australia’s top two AFL draft prospects, Taylor Goad (left) and Will McCabe, at Adelaide Oval. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

The Crows are one of 16 AFL clubs Goad has spoken to in the lead-up to the draft.

The 18-year-old has also had a chat with Jacobs, who will coach SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens next year, about the draft process and what will be in store for him when he finds an AFL home.

Goad has one of the highest ceilings of any player in this year’s draft pool, having only been in the SANFL system for one season.

A former basketballer, the 206cm giant was talked into trialling with South by his Westminster School classmate and Panthers midfielder Tom Wheaton, who also hopes to get drafted.

Now Goad’s game has been described as a combination of a trio of star ruckmen – Melbourne’s Max Gawn, the player Goad most models his game on, Carlton’s Tom De Koning and Fremantle’s Luke Jackson – because of his size, speed and athleticism.

“It’s rare to find a player like this, they only come around once so often,’’ SA under-18 coach Tony Bamford said.

“He’s tall and super-fast – a mix between Jackson, De Koning and Gawn.’’

Taylor Goad showcases his speed at the AFL Draft Combine. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Goad at South Adelaide training. Picture: Dean Martin

Goad would be perfect for the Crows to develop in the SANFL before eventually replacing their number one ruckman Reilly O’Brien, who is 28.

Riley Thilthorpe, 21, who Adelaide selected at pick two at the 2020 national draft, is, at this stage, better suited as a key forward, while O’Brien’s understudy, Kieran Strachan, is also 28 and has never been able to command a regular ruck spot.

The Crows ruck stocks are so low that the club was forced to use some tall midfielders, including the now delisted Tyler Brown and Jackson Hately, to ruck during the SANFL finals when Strachan was sidelined by injury.

Adelaide faces an interesting scenario with Goad.

It currently holds picks 10, 14 and 20 in the draft but is understood to be keen to move up the order and perhaps turn its three top-20 selections into two at the top-end of the draft.

In this case it would likely forgo the chance to take Goad, who is tipped to be a late first-round or early second-round selection.

Central District defender Will McCabe – a Hawthorn father-son prospect – is the only South Australian expected to be drafted higher than Goad.

Taylor Goad in action for South Australia against Western Australia at this year’s AFL under-18 championships. Picture: Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Apart from a ruckman, the Crows are eyeing a key defender and tall midfielder.

They were interested in West Adelaide ruckman Harry Barnett at last year’s draft but he went to West Coast at pick 23.

Bamford says Goad has “a midfield mindset in a Max Gawn body”.

Goad believes his basketball background has helped with his second and third efforts, speed and vision in packs, which separates him from some other ruck prospects in this year’s draft.

“Basketball has definitely helped with being able to see those open lanes when breaking out of packs, not many other rucks can do that,’’ he said.

The laid-back Goad, who loves camping and fishing and wants to run a farm when his football is finished, has surprised himself with his rise from playing only school footy to being a top draft hope this year, saying he had gone from “zero to a hundred’’.

His athleticism was on show at the AFL Draft Combine when he tested eighth among all players in the 20m sprint with a time of 2.965 seconds.

“Taylor has as much upside as anyone I have ever seen,’’ South talent manager Mark Clayton said.

It is a good endorsement.