Port Adelaide may look to snare 2020 first-round draft pick to more easily secure academy duo Taj Schofield, Lachlan Jones
After drafting Jackson Mead and Trent Burgoyne, Port Adelaide has access to two more academy players in 2020 – a father-son prospect and a defender it may want a first-round pick to secure.
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Expect Port Adelaide to look at trying to get back into the first-round of next year’s AFL draft so it can better position itself to claim its academy players.
The Power has access to father-son midfielder/half-forward Taj Schofield and Next Generation Academy defender Lachlan Jones in 12 months, but do not have a 2020 pick until the second round.
Port this month traded away its first selection next year to get pick 16 in last week’s national draft and help it swoop on father-son nominee Jackson Mead with its fourth choice (25).
The Power’s earliest calls next year will be three second-rounders: their own, Fremantle’s and Collingwood’s – the latter two from draft-night trades.
Schofield – the son of Power assistant and premiership player Jarrad Schofield – is the higher profiled of Port’s two 2020 prospects but Jones, who has indigenous heritage, is considered further advanced in his development and the more likely first-round chance right now.
The Woodville-West Torrens duo were among eight Croweaters chosen to play in the under-17 all-stars futures match at the MCG before the AFL grand final in September.
Port would be eyeing a rival club’s first-round pick to increase the chances of bids coming for Schofield or Jones after their selection – just like it did to grab three players before 2019 All-Australian Mead last week.
Eagles talent manager Darren Hams believed Jones was probably ahead of where Mead was at 12 months ago, while Schofield was a very handy player.
“Jones is a medium, powerful defender with a long kick and a very good vertical leap,” Hams told The Advertiser.
“His spoiling in the second half of the year was very good.
“Taj probably had a bit of an inconsistent season, but he had a few injuries along the way through ankle injuries mainly.
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“His strength is his kicking, he’s got very good awareness.
“Taj’s strength is on the outside, but he’s not shy to get on the inside.”
Jones, 184cm, 85kg, played 18 under-18s and two reserves SANFL games for the Eagles this past season, while Schofield, 177cm and 74kg, featured in 11 under-18 matches.
They each registered 18 disposals in the club’s winning under-18 grand final.
Champion Data rated Jones elite in four categories in the SANFL’s under-18 competition this year: ranking points (115), disposals (19.7 per game), contested possessions (10.2) and intercept possessions (8.8), as well as above average for intercept marks (1.1).
It considered Schofield elite for score assists (1.1), above average for uncontested possessions (11.6) and score involvements (5.3), and average in rankings points (97) and touches (18.3).
Jones hails from Paskeville on the Yorke Peninsula, but will move to Adelaide to study at university next year.
Schofield will become the Power’s fourth father-son selection if he joins the club, following Brett Ebert (son of Russell Ebert), Mead (Darren Mead) and Trent Burgoyne (Peter Burgoyne).