The AFL draft prospect so good ‘you would want to adopt him’
HE’S the fourth member of South Australia’s ‘big three’ draft prospects. But his state coach says not only will his next AFL coach fall in love with him, so will everyone at the club.
IF JACKSON Hately needed any more motivation ahead of next months AFL draft, he’s suddenly found it.
Lost in the frenzy of Port Adelaide and Adelaide being locked in a bidding war and trading for high-end draft picks to try to get their hands on the three most highly-rated South Australians — Jack Lukosius, Izak Rankine and Connor Rozee — is just how good their AFL under-18 national championship-winning teammate is.
“They are all great players and really good people, so I feel happy for them and all the publicity they are getting, they deserve it,’’ Hately says.
“But I’ve kept an eye on what’s been said and if anything it just motivates me a little bit to try to get to the level that those guys are at.’’
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While the big-bodied midfielder from SANFL club Central District barely rated a mention in the AFL exchange period as the “big three’’ Lukosius, Rankine and Rozee dominated the headlines, Hately is no mug.
He is a top-12 talent who will come under serious consideration by Adelaide with selections 8 and 13 and Port with pick 10.
Hately’s state under-18 coach, Tony Bamford, describes him as “a ripper of a kid, almost too good to be true’’.
“He is a kid that you would want to adopt,’’ said Bamford, gushing in his praise of one of his championship-winning leadership group members.
“Clearly he is a very good footballer, an outstanding talent, but it’s not just his on-field stuff that makes him so appealing but also his off-field demeanour.
“I’ve said to some of the recruiting guys that have inquired about him that your staff will fall in love with him.
“I’m not talking about just your football staff but your administration, marketing and media staff too.
“They will fall in love with him because he is such a wonderful human being. He will say hello and he will remember people’s names.
“He’s school captain (at Trinity College, Gawler) and he is a good looking rooster. He’s got a lot going for him.’’
Hately, 18, is a head prefect at Trinity. He also happens to be the headmaster’s son.
“That’s an interesting one but it’s never been an issue for me,’’ Hately said.
“I’m pretty confident people treat me for who I am, not because my dad is headmaster.
“I don’t see dad a lot at school, he tends to just deal with the pretty serious stuff.
“But I am forever grateful to Dad (Nick) and Mum (Melinda) because they’ve been terrific role models.
“They’ve got very different jobs and personalities but have made me the person I’ve become.
“Dad’s taught me the value of hard work and pushed me in those areas while mum has kept me grounded and relaxed.
“She’s a yoga instructor and I’ve joined her classes in the past year or so and it’s proved beneficial.’’
Hately, a terrific size for an onballer at 190cm and 82kg, began the season as a pure inside player. He ended it having become more well-rounded, with a strong outside game complementing his contested ball work.
Bamford credits this to Bulldogs league coach Roy Laird, who in Hately’s 12 league games played him in various roles, including as a wingman and goalkicking forward.
“He has become almost as good outside the contest as he is in inside the contest,’’ Bamford said.
“When these guys (AFL recruiters) watch these midfielders play they want to see guys who can impact in the bubble and also in transition and Jacko can do that now.’’
Hately is a Collingwood supporter who models his game on Magpies captain Scott Pendlebury.
Like Pendlebury, he was a state junior basketballer who had to make the tough decision to give up the sport to focus on his football at age 16.
“I was probably a bit more serious about my basketball than football when I was younger but at 16 I had to make a decision on whether to play state under-16 football or under-18 basketball,’’ Hately said.
“One of my main goals for that year was to make the AFL Academy squad and I wasn't going to do that if I didn't play in the nationals, so the decision was made easier for me.
“Once I got into that squad my basketball fell by the wayside.’’
Hately has been interviewed by all 18 AFL clubs and, true to his professionalism, doesn’t intend to settle for second best.
“I want to become the best player I can be, a great AFL player,’’ he said.
andrew.capel@news.com.au
Originally published as The AFL draft prospect so good ‘you would want to adopt him’