AFL draft will remain as scheduled despite club concerns, U18 player development will be impacted by postponed season
With talk the AFL season could go into December and under-18 competitions delayed until the end of May, there is a level of uncertainty from clubs about the AFL Draft. Will it remain in November?
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This year’s AFL Draft will be held as planned in November despite some clubs expressing concerns that shortened under-18 seasons could create “challenges” for recruiters.
The AFL on Monday suspended all state-league and under-18 competitions under its watch until at least May 31 amid the coronavirus pandemic, including the NAB League which produced more than half of all players selected in last year’s national draft.
AFL clubs have also put their academy programs on hold as they focus on their core business and attempt to push through a 17-game men’s season this year.
NAB League finals could be scraped or shortened to ensure potential draftees are given every opportunity to shine in the backhalf of the season.
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Under-18 National Championships will also be prioritised.
Brisbane chief executive Greg Swann said the shortened seasons and limited programs could have a big impact on the draft.
“There is a whole lot of kids who are preparing for their draft year and at this stage they won’t be playing probably until the middle of the year,” Swann said.
“It is going to be difficult in a draft year for our recruiters to even get to look at some of these guys for very long. That’s going to be a bit of a challenge.”
However, AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan said clubs had never been better placed to manage such a challenge, with playersclosely monitored well before their top-age seasons.
“It won’t affect the draft. It will be on in November,” Sheehan said.
“You’ve got all of June, July and August. You’ve got 12 weekends at least.
“There’s quite a bit of time in that period to get matches on that allow state leagues to continue and national championshipsto be played.
“There’s a better handle than ever before on the best 16 and 17 year olds coming into their draft year. We’ve seen them for a couple of years.
“All things being well by the end of May, I think we’ve got a pretty attractive program there for everyone.”
Murray Bushrangers talent manager Mick Wilson said the postponement of the season would “definitely impact” player development but would likely prove to be a “blip on the radar” long-term.
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All Bushrangers players will be sent out individual training plans to complete before the delayed season begins.
“In the long run, players have already demonstrated a high level of football potential so I think they are smart enough to continue to work and do their own sort of training and keep up to their training plans that they’ll be sent out,” Wilson said.
However, the postponed NAB League season could be a blessing for Bushrangers’ No. 1 pick contender Elijah Hollands, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last month.
His chances of being the first name called out on draft night looked dashed, but Wilson says the delayed season could see him taken earlier.
“He’s still considered as a first-round draft pick. It could potentially keep him in that top group, but there’ll be some players that put their hand up when the competition does resume,” Wilson said.
“It’s still an unknown.”
Originally published as AFL draft will remain as scheduled despite club concerns, U18 player development will be impacted by postponed season
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