Nine draft hopefuls with family connections to AFL clubs
The father-son rule doesn’t apply to extended family. That’s a shame for Brodie Grundy’s little brother, Justin Koschitzke’s cousin and seven other draft hopefuls with AFL family ties. DRAFT PROFILES
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A remarkable season from Brodie Grundy almost pinched a premiership for Collingwood. How would the Pies go with two of him?
Grundy’s little brother Riley was in the Magpies rooms after the Grand Final and is a chance to become a permanent fixture after next week’s national draft.
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Riley had a stellar under-18 season for South Australian club Sturt, and is one of a handful of hopefuls who already have family connections in the AFL.
This year boasts a bumper crop of likely father-son selections headed by Nick Blakey (son of John), Rhylee West (son of Scott) and Oscar Brownless (son of Bill).
But if the AFL expanded the rules to allow for brother-brother draft picks, cousin-cousin or great grandfather-great grandson selections, it would open the door for a whole new round of footy romance.
It could also create a bidding war — scroll down to meet the nine teenagers who have connections to 13 different clubs.
RILEY GRUNDY
Age: 18, Height: 194cm, Weight: 84kg
Club: Sturt
Position: Defender
Like big brother and Collingwood ruckman Brodie, Riley is a thinker. He recorded the highest score in the psychomotor test at the draft combine — used to measure precision, co-ordination, control, dexterity and reaction time.
Also like Brodie, he’s a late starter. The 18-year-old, who has been transformed from a high-leaping ruckman into a lockdown defender, only took up football at 15 because of Brodie’s success with Collingwood.
“I wasn’t really enjoying basketball and saw Brodie achieve some great things with his football and thought I want to reach that (AFL) level too,’’ Grundy told The Adelaide Advertiser.
“I am very proud to say that he has made me realise that anything is possible if you put in the work and have a competitive nature.’’
Riley said Brodie had given him tips on his positioning in ruck contests early in the year but his move to defence could open the door for the brothers to join forces, with Collingwood in the market for backmen.
“It would be interesting, wouldn’t it, the Grundy brothers at Collingwood,’’ he said.
“It would be funny if we got to play together and I’m sure Brodie would give me a little bit of biff.’’
IAN HILL
Age: 18, Height: 175cm, Weight: 65kg
Club: Perth
Position: Forward
Get used hearing the names of three Hills running around in the AFL — Stephen, Bradley and Bobby.
The last one is the nickname of Ian Hill, an electric small forward and cousin of the Dockers pair. Adding to the AFL connection, former Eagle and Bulldog Josh Hill and former Collingwood cult hero Leon Davis are also cousins.
Ian burst on to the scene as a member of WA’s under-16 team but after being touted as a possible top-five pick earlier in the year, he is likely to slip to late in the first round after shoulder surgery late in the season. That gives Fremantle a shot at pick 14 and potentially the Eagles at pick 20.
“Staying in WA is a bonus. If Freo picked me I’d be stoked to not only be with Freo but with those two Hill boys as well,” he told PerthNow this week.
“Bradley has said it would be good to have me in the forward line. We’ve always talked about it, even to joke around. We’ve always said three Hills are better than two.”
Hill will fly to Melbourne next week to get his jumper in person.
“I love the draft,” Hill said.
“I have always watched it and always wanted to go over. I got the chance to and I was pretty stoked when I got the call.
“We get back on Friday night if I do get my name called out and I’m going to go straight to Northam and share that moment with everyone there.”
JACOB KOSCHITZKE
Age: 18, Height: 196cm, Weight: 93kg
Club: Murray Bushrangers
Position: Defender
The versatile tall, and cousin of former Saint Justin Koschitzke, is likely to become the second Kosi to make it to the top level after AFL talent guru Kevin Sheehan named him in his top 40 draft prospects this week.
Jacob was co-captain of the Murray Bushrangers in the TAC Cup and played for the Allies in the under-18 championships, impressing enough to earn All-Australian selection.
Koschitzke is known for his strong marking and competitiveness, and says he models his game on Steven May.
He told taccup.com.au this week that in a draft combine interview Essendon had asked him what he would do if Michael Hurley “belted me up” in a training drill. “I told them I would go back at him,” he said.
BAILEY SMITH
Age: 18, Height: 186cm, Weight: 82kg
Club: Sandringham Dragons
Position: Midfielder
Bailey Smith is expected to go in the top 10 next week with St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs circling.
But he could have been heading to the Tigers if there was a great grandfather-great grandson rule. Or the Bombers, Lions or Magpies if the family connections were stretched far enough.
The classy midfielder is the great grandson of Richmond 1943 premiership player Leo Merrett, who played 170 games in the 1940s. Merrett, a pacy wingman, won two best-and-fairests and also played in three losing Grand Finals.
In a remarkable and complicated family tree, Smith is also related to former Collingwood champion Thorold Merrett, former Essendon and Brisbane forward Roger Merrett and current Bomber Zach Merrett, as well as ex-Bomber and Blue Glenn Hawker.
There’s no bloodlines involved, but he also knows Tiger Jack Higgins and Bulldog Billy Gowers.
Smith met Higgins at a local park when he was in Year 7 and the pair, who shared an obsession with making it to the AFL, completed extra training programs together over the next five years.
In the same year he volunteered as a water boy for his school’s senior footy team. Gowers was the star of the side and Smith made a beeline for him as often as possible.
He told the AFL website this year the Bulldogs goalkicker still keeps in touch.
TOM BERRY
Age: 18, Height: 185cm, Weight: 76kg
Club: Greater Western Victoria Rebels
Position: Defender
Tom Berry is drawing on older brother Jarrod as inspiration as he hopes to hear his name called out in next week’s draft.
Berry, a tough inside midfielder, missed the national championships with a knee injury, but he survived a tough last-minute medical under the watchful eye of AFL recruiters this week that included a 2km time-trial.
“My preparation probably wasn’t the greatest, not being able to train because of the injury and then just flogging myself the last two weeks to get a little bit of an aerobic base,” he told the Wimmera Mail-Times.
“But my knee felt fine and I pumped out a pretty good time in the end so I was pretty happy with it, especially after only two weeks of preparation.”
Older brother Jarrod also endured injury troubles in his final junior season before being drafted by Brisbane.
“He told me that I just need to work my arse off to make sure I was in the best possible shape for the combine,” Tom said.
In 2016 the pair made history by becoming the first brothers to concurrently captain Vic Country’s under-16 and under-18 sides at the national level.
MATT RANKINE
Age: 26, Height: 180cm, Weight: 77kg
Club: South Adelaide
Position: Midfielder
The older brother of likely top-three pick Izak Rankine has been pushing his case with AFL clubs for several years.
The 26-year-old played his 100th SANFL game this year and could get his AFL chance via the rookie draft if a club like Gold Coast decides bringing the Rankine brothers north can help mitigate the go-home factor.
Matt is his little brother’s No.1 fan.
In his SANFL club player profile, he lists Izak as his favourite player and says his favourite footy memory is “losing the grand final sprint to my brother”.
HAYDEN SAMPSON
Age: 18, Height: 177cm, Weight: 70kg
Club: South Adelaide
Position: Midfielder
The son of a Crows premiership player models his game on Richmond’s Shane Edwards.
Sampson is the son of Adelaide 1997 premiership half-forward Clay Sampson, who also played at Richmond and Melbourne - but not enough to qualify for the father-son rule.
Sampson is a classy wingman who hits targets.
“Five-to-10 years ago it was all about who was the best athlete and could run the fastest and the furthest,” dad Clay told the Adelaide Advertiser in August.
“Now it’s going back to skills, being a good kick and being able to hit targets because turnovers kill you.
“That should work in Hayden’s favour because while he’s still got a lot of growth left physically and from a maturity point of view he’s quite clever with the footy, he makes good decisions and he doesn’t second-guess when to give the ball. He’s very team-oriented.”
Hayden was a member of South Australia’s championship-winning under-18 side this year and is a chance to go in the later rounds next week.
WILL KELLY
Age: 18, Height: 193cm, Weight: 83kg
Club: Oakleigh Chargers
Position: Tall defender
The son of Magpies premiership defender Craig Kelly should get to the Pies via the father-son rule, but he has another family connection in the AFL with brother Jake playing at the Crows.
“Jake’s been really helpful, just showing me the amount of work that it takes to get there and if I am lucky enough to get drafted you’ve got to prove yourself all over again,” Will told the AFL website.
Will, one of the top defensive prospects in this year’s draft, is confident keyhole surgery on his ankle won’t hold him back at Collingwood.
BEN SILVAGNI
Age: 18, Height: 194cm, Weight: 84kg
Club: Oakleigh Chargers
Position: Tall defender
Another father-son candidate who could also be recruited under a brother-brother rule - if there was one.
He could also be picked under a hypothetical grandfather-grandson rule after Sergio established the Silvagni dynasty in 239 games from 1958-71, or a list manager-son rule at the Blues.
“The only thing I get is sledges out on the field because people who know my surname. That will come with every game I play so I’ve got to get use to it,” Ben told Fox Footy.
“I copped, ‘How is your skin so tanned if you’re living in your Dad’s shadow?’ — that was probably the best one. ‘You’re worse than your brother’ — that’s another one I copped.
“I have to laugh at them. At the end of the day, I’m in a pretty good position. I just take it on board, it’s fine.”
The tall defender is an eligible as a father-son selection for the Blues.
Originally published as Nine draft hopefuls with family connections to AFL clubs
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