SA draft prospect Tom Sparrow returns to the tiny Adelaide Hills school where it all started for him

Top South Adelaide draft prospect Tom Sparrow looks set to become the first former student of Scott Creek Primary to be drafted to the AFL.

POWERFUL: Tom Sparrow tackles Norwood’s Kale Olds during this year’s SANFL under-18s preliminary final. Picture: Mark Brake (AAP).

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Tom Sparrow says he must have been “a little ratbag’’ at primary school.

“Because I was always in the front office getting medical treatment, usually bandaids put on, for cuts and bruises,’’ he said.

“I was on the playground a lot and liked to climb trees at school and I remember the ladies in the front office telling me that I was always in the wars.’’

It was that adventurous spirit that has led to Sparrow being on the verge of becoming the first former Scott Creek Primary School student to be drafted to an AFL club.

The 18-year-old, who will learn his draft fate on Thursday or Friday, spent his first four years of schooling at the small Adelaide Hills school, which is tucked away at the bottom of the Mount Lofty Ranges.

It currently caters for just 42 students.

“To be the first Scott Creek’s student to join an AFL club would be very humbling,’’ said Sparrow, who is a powerhouse South Adelaide midfielder who State talent manager Brenton Phillips says reminds him of Brownlow Medallist Patrick Dangerfield and should be a first-round draft contender.

“The school gave me my start in education, a really good outlook on life and I will be forever grateful for that.

“I remember always hanging out at the playground, climbing trees, helping to look after the vegie patch and eating raspberries off the bushes in the mornings. There were some great memories there.

“Hopefully I do find an AFL home and can reward the school in some way.’’

Sparrow, who grew up at Scott Creek before the family moved to Hahndorf and then Bridgewater this year, returned to the school on Monday to meet the students and catch up with some old teachers.

School finance officer Jill Wiseman recalls having to come to Sparrow’s rescue when he fell out of a tree at lunchtime in 38C heat and broke his arm.

“I remember having to help him and holding an umbrella over his head to stop the sun from burning down on him while we were waiting for the ambulance to arrive,’’ Mrs Wizeman said.

“He’s obviously come a long way since then and is a real credit to our school and hopefully for Tom he does get to fulfil his dream of getting drafted.’’

Sparrow, whose dad Michael also attended Scott Creek, said he played soccer at primary school before taking up football when he moved to prestigious Prince Alfred College in Year 8.

He was a member of SA’s under-18 AFL championship-winning side this year.