NAB League season could be extended to showcase draft talent
With the AFL in deep discussions over how the 2020 season will look if it returns, a NAB League talent manager hopes under-18 draft hopefuls are given the best chance to showcase their talents.
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Northern Knights talent manager Rhy Gieschen hopes the NAB League season can be extended past September to give draft prospects the chance to showcase their ability.
The under-18 competition has been postponed until at least May 31 because of the coronavirus crisis and uncertainty remains over whether the 2020 campaign will start.
Gieschen was confident the AFL will do what’s best to ensure the best young talent in Australia has an opportunity to realise their dreams of reaching the top level.
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“(Lengthening the season) is certainly something the AFL would be looking at,” he said.
“A lot of our facilities are shared with cricket but I think if the AFL comes to an agreement — and that’s what AFL clubs want to see — I don’t see any reason why that won’t be the case.
“Being so fluid, the AFL is continuing to look at it – flexible fixtures, shortened competitions.
“I think the priority will be a national carnival to allow the best players from around Australia to play against each other and allow recruiters to gauge what a draft order would look like.”
National talent manager Tarkyn Lockyer and state talent manager Paul Hamilton remain in contact with every NAB League player to ensure they remain up to date on the latest developments and maintain fitness during the shutdown.
An Under-18 National Championships would still allow recruiters to evaluate the country’s top talent.
The current supplemental selection rules and mid-season draft would become critical for clubs to then rate prospects who missed out.
While draft years can be stressful in normal circumstances, Gieschen is instructing the Knights’ players to focus on what they can control.
“My approach is to give the players some time and space to relax a little bit and get away from footy mentally,” he said.
“It’s a really difficult one for all of us because there’s so much uncertainty.
“The main message is to control what you can. You can’t control when we return, what the draft will look like, what the competition will look like but you can control your own wellbeing and how ready you’ll be when we return.
“The AFL puts together a program for all the players and they wanted to make sure all the activities and exercises were really doable and easily achievable with a football and oval.”
Top draft hopefuls Nik Cox and Ewan MacPherson have been named Northern Knights’ co-captains for 2020.
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