Young guns Thilthorpe, Edwards and Baldwin headline South Australia’s AFL draft class of 2020
This year’s AFL draft is done and dusted, but already recruiters are turning their attention to the next crop of talented footballers. We spoke to SANFL under 18 coach Tony Bamford about SA’s top 2020 prospects.
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They are the class of 2020.
Less than two weeks after 11 SANFL players found AFL homes in this year’s national draft – and two were selected in the rookie draft – recruiters’ attention has already turned to next year’s crop of ace Croweaters.
And while it is highly unlikely SA will produce three top-five draft picks like last year when Jack Lukosius, Izak Rankine and Connor Rozee went at numbers two, three and five respectively, there are similarities between the two draft classes.
Just like the Lukosius-Rankine-Rozee group that led the Croweaters to the 2016 AFL under-16 championship, next year’s draft class consists of a host of gun kids who were a part of SA’s 2018 under-16 championship winning team.
“We’re really excited by what the next group of draft eligible players might be able to deliver, given that they performed so well at under-16s (national) level,’’ said SANFL under-18 coach Tony Bamford.
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“We believe there are some outstanding players coming through and that they are a touch in front of this year’s group (of draftees).’’
Among the aces are West Adelaide giant Riley Thilthorpe, an athletic key forward-ruckman who wins plenty of the ball, Glenelg’s Luke Edwards, the middle son of dual Crows premiership player Tyson Edwards who is eligible to be taken as a father-son pick, and his Tigers teammate Kaine Baldwin, a strong-marking key forward who missed the 2019 season following a knee reconstruction.
The trio are among nine 2020 SA draft prospects who will spend time training at AFL clubs Adelaide and Port Adelaide as part of the AFL Academy program in a bid to prepare them for the next level.
Edwards will join Baldwin, Central District’s Corey Durdin, who won the Kevin Sheehan Medal as the best player at the 2018 national under-16 championships, and Sturt’s James Borlase – the son of four-times Port Adelaide SANFL premiership utility Darryl Borlase, who is eligible to be drafted by Adelaide as a Next Generation Academy prospect – in training at the Crows from Monday.
Top-five draft contender Thilthorpe, Woodville-West Torrens’ Taj Schofield – the son of Power premiership player Jarrad Schofield and eligible to be picked as a father-son player – Eagles Henry Smith and Lachlan Jones and South Adelaide’s Zac Dumesny will train with Port.
Here is an early look, in order, at SA’s top 10 draft prospects for 2020.
RILEY THILTHORPE
(West Adelaide)
Key forward/ruck
17, 199cm, 95kg
Tony Bamford says: “Has already played well at league level and is a unique tall in that he is just as good at ground level as he is in the air.
“He’ll probably play as a key forward in West’s league side early in the season and act as a forward and second ruck for us in the State under-18s.
“He’s your modern, AFL style ruckman who can rack up 25 possessions.’’
LUKE EDWARDS
(Glenelg)
Midfielder/defender
17, 187cm, 78kg
(Adelaide father-son prospect)
Bamford: “Luke’s a terrific ball user.
“As a coach you want the ball in his hands because he makes really good decisions and sees options that other guys don’t.
“He reads the play really well, intercepts well behind the ball at half-back and uses it to his team's advantage.
“He’ll spend more time in the midfield next season.’’
KAINE BALDWIN
(Glenelg)
Key forward
17, 192cm, 89kg
Bamford: “Missed the whole season following a knee reconstruction but is a really hardworking, high-marking forward who will play in a key position.
“I’d liken his game to a combination of Jesse Hogan (Fremantle), Matthew Pavlich (former Dockers star) and Tom Lynch (Richmond) in that he is an elite runner with strong hands.
“Also has excellent leadership skills.’’
ZAC DUMESNY
(South Adelaide)
Half-forward/half-back
17, 186cm, 78kg
Bamford: “He’s your modern-day, medium-sized, half-forward/half-back running player.
“He’s very good in the air, has elite kicking skills and has the versatility to play behind or in front of the ball.
“Has a lot of tricks to his game and I’m very excited about how he might perform in his under-18 year.’’
COREY DURDIN
(Central District)
Small forward/midfielder
17, 172cm, 71kg
Bamford: “Corey’s a pure footballer who is small in stature but has elite skills, clean hands and an excellent ability to win contests at ground level.
“I’d liken him to Sam Gray (former Power player now at Sydney) at the same age.
“Has already played good league football with the Bulldogs and needs to continue to develop his forward craft because he might be a bit small to play a lot of midfield in the AFL.’’
LACHLAN JONES
(Woodville-West Torrens)
Defender
17, 184cm, 85kg
(Port Next Generation Academy prospect)
Bamford: “He’s a go forward defender who likes to take the game on.
“Has a penetrating, 60m kick and attacks like your Heath Shaw (GWS) and Darcy Byrne-Jones (Power) type defender.
“Is as tough as they come.
“Has big, thick legs and chunky hips at the moment but he’ll develop well physically and has elite speed coming off half-back.’’
TAJ SCHOFIELD
(Woodville-West Torrens)
Midfielder/half-forward
17, 177cm, 74kg
(Port father-son prospect)
Bamford: “Taj is a really smart, clever, inside-outside midfielder who can also play forward.
“Runs well and has really good kicking skills.
“Has a very good ability to win the ball in congestion on the inside and then get on the end of it on the outside and break lines by running with it.’’
JAMES BORLASE
(Sturt)
Key defender
17, 191cm, 88kg
(Adelaide Next Generation Academy prospect)
Bamford: “James is a developing tall defender.
“He’s not as natural a footballer as some of the other more high profile guys in this draft class and is still learning the game.
“But he has really good aerial contest skills.
“I’d expect him to play more key forward at college level next season but he’ll be a key backman in the (State) under-18s.
“Still needs to work on his ball use and ground level skills.’’
HENRY SMITH
(Woodville-West Torrens)
Ruckman
17, 202cm, 82kg
Bamford: “Being so tall at a young age, he’s a slow burn and a developing player.
“His progression in terms of his skill acquisition in the past 18 months has been through the roof.
“Must work on his endurance but, like Riley (Thilthorpe), he has the ability to be clean at ground level and also win hit-outs and take marks.”
JAMISON MURPHY
(North Adelaide)
Midfielder/half-back
17, 181cm, 82kg
Bamford: “Has given cricket away (as Australian under-16 captain) to concentrate on his football.
“Is a tough, hard-nosed, inside midfielder with an elite kick.
“He can also play at half-back.
“He models his game a bit on Luke Hodge (four-times Hawthorn premiership player) in that role but I see him playing a lot of midfield next season.’’