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Oliver Davis was a month into the Tasmanian State League season when he took a phone call that would quickly change the course of his career.
Still coming to terms with the disappointment of missing out on being selected at last year’s AFL draft following a dominant season with home club Clarence, the teenager was shocked in April when Adelaide rang and dangled the carrot of a mid-season AFL lifeline.
“There were no guarantees but they offered me the opportunity to come to Adelaide, train with the AFL squad, play in the SANFL and see where that took me,’’ the strong-bodied, 183cm, 82kg midfielder said.
3.30PM: SANFL ROUND 16: ADELAIDE v PORT ADELAIDE
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“It was an opportunity that was too good to pass up, to play in a competition which had a bigger spotlight on it and would give me a better chance to put my best foot forward to get on an AFL list, which has long been my goal.’’
Within two weeks, Davis, 19, was on a plane to South Australia.
He moved in with Crows first-round draft picks Ned McHenry and Fischer McAsey and made his SANFL debut against Port Adelaide in round six, gathering 13 disposals and six clearances in an encouraging debut in the Showdown 49 curtain-raiser.
The following week Davis had 26 disposals and seven clearances while laying nine tackles against Norwood to push his claims for an AFL mid-season call-up.
But it never came, with Adelaide finding a need for speed and opting for Albury utility Patrick Parnell.
REPLAY: SANFL UNDER-18: NORWOOD v GLENELG
Davis was disappointed but took the setback on the chin.
“It would have been nice to have been picked up mid-season, so obviously there was an element of disappointment, but I knew from the start that there were no guarantees,’’ he said.
“The Crows were good about it, pretty open, telling me there were a few areas of my game I needed to work on.
“It wasn’t the be-all and end-all for me. I’ll just keep working hard and at the end of the year all 18 clubs can come into it (the draft equation), but being picked by Adelaide would be ideal.’’
In eight SANFL games, Davis, who moved to SA with a reputation of being a clearance king, has averaged 16 disposals, including seven contested possessions, four clearances and six tackles.
REPLAY: SANFL UNDER-18: SOUTH v CENTRAL
“The SANFL is a step up from anything else I’ve played before but I’ve been pretty happy with my form and hopefully I can finish the season off strongly,’’ said Davis, who was among an influx of Tasmanians to join the SANFL this year, including Jackson Callow (Norwood), who was drafted by Hawthorn mid-season, Kieran Lovell (West Adelaide), Aiden Grace (Central District) and Jared Dakin and Hamish Allen (Sturt).
Davis was a ball magnet in Tasmania, captaining the Tasmania Devils’ under-18 team as a bottom-ager in 2019 and winning the Matthew Richardson Medal as the TSL’s best under-23 player and Clarence’s best and fairest award last year, while also making the TSL team of the year.
Arriving as a centre square specialist, Davis has spent time on a wing and at halfback for the Crows as they accommodate AFL-listed on-ballers, including star Matt Crouch following his return from long-term injury, Jackson Hately, Luke Pedlar and Ronin O’Connor.
Davis will get another chance to push his AFL case when he lines up against Port in Saturday's Showdown 50 curtain-raiser at Adelaide Oval.
The match will be live streamed on advertiser.com.au.
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