Tony Shaw says draft age should be raised to allow prospects to complete VCE, bodies to mature

In the wake of Mason Fletcher’s decision not to nominate for the AFL draft, Collingwood premiership captain Tony Shaw believes it’s time to raise the draft age to 19.

Collingwood premiership captain Tony Shaw believes it’s time to raise the draft age to 19.

Shaw believes draft prospects should be able to finish their Year 12 education without the distraction of preparing for a potential AFL career.

It would also allow young bodies to further mature before enduring the rigours of AFL football.

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Shaw pointed to Essendon father-son prospect Mason Fletcher’s decision not to nominate for next week’s draft after suffering from lower back stress fractures this year.

“If you’ve seen him, he looks like his father, his body size is the same as his father,” he told Macquarie Sports Radio.

“Looking at the AFL draft age, I think you should make it 19.

Mason Fletcher, son of Essendon champion Dustin Fletcher.

“I think you should be allowed to do your VCE, get it out of the way, and know you can be drafted in that year but you don’t play.

“We’re talking about Mason Fletcher, that his body looks like it hasn’t be able to cope with training and playing. Lower back stress fractures is not a good thing early in your career.”

Fletcher is almost a spitting image of his 400-game father, Bombers great Dustin, hasn’t played a game since May and will instead play an extra season of TAC Cup as a mature-ager with the Calder Cannons.

Shaw debuted for Collingwood as an 18-year-old in 1978 but regrets not paying enough attention at school

“I was 18 years and 20 days when I played my first game at Collingwood,” he said.

“It was a different era, but let me tell you, when I look back now at my schooling, I didn’t put any time into last year … I knew I was going to play league football, or I wanted to, and I look back now with some regret.

“I still think 19 years of age would be the right way to get the draft going.”

Originally published as Tony Shaw says draft age should be raised to allow prospects to complete VCE, bodies to mature