Coates Talent League 2024 Ranking Points: Isaac Kako driving up bidding price after huge game

Isaac Kako has reminded Essendon fans how grateful they should be that NGA access has been restored with the second-highest rated Coates Talent League game on the weekend. See the full list.

Isaac Kako in action for Vic Metro during the National Championships. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Calder Cannons star Isaac Kako had Essendon fans again licking their lips at the prospect of landing the small forward in the draft with another scintillating Coates Talent League performance.

The AFL is hopeful of changing its draft points system this year to make academy access fairer for all clubs, meaning the Bombers can match a bid on the first-round prospect Kako.

Kako had a dominant day out for the Cannons at the weekend, following an outstanding national carnival for Vic Metro, recording 25 touches, seven tackles, five marks and three goals.

Kako was the second-highest ranked player across the CTL round, and Essendon can now match a bid anywhere in the draft on the small forward, who is touted to be as good as Hawthorn’s Nick Watson.

Geelong Falcons’ Cooper Ward topping the CTL charts with a seven goal performance.

Ward scored 184 ranking points for his 17 disposals, six marks, four inside 50s and 14 score involvements that went along with his matchwinning effort in front of goal.

St Kilda can match a bid for key position defender Adrian Cole – whose father is Nigerian but admits he grew up in a football family – and general defender Lennox Hofmann wherever they land in the national draft.

And West Coast now has academy access to academy forward Malakai Champion in a huge boost for a club keen to retain local talent.

GWS last week suggested the AFL had gifted Victorian clubs unrestricted access to academy players who would have still found their way into the system without their help.

But AFL executive football boss Laura Kane says she is prepared for clubs to gain that access given how it will lead to a more diverse, multicultural AFL.

“We need our game to reflect the community and our community is changing,” she told SEN.

“I want on the field to look like the lounge room that sits and watches our game. And we continue to evolve with the changing face of Australia.

“How do we do that? We develop, support, understand cultural differences and create a literacy in our clubs to support people who haven’t grown up with our game.

“(The current system) is not working. The next generation academy talent concession was removed and we have seen a sharp decline since then.

“We have a proposal to reopen access, we are also proposing to make the access fairer so it won’t be the same system as last time.”

Asked about Kako growing up and playing in traditional pathways including Parade College and the Calder Cannons, she replied: “We don’t have any players from Iraq that I know of and we want more. More kids who see him as their hero and young kid who have no way otherwise to interact with our game unless they see someone from the same heritage or background as them.

“There will be examples who would come through what we would see as the mainstream pathway. We have to see the game look like the community. It’s something I am really strong on.”