How son of a Port Adelaide premiership captain James Borlase went from ‘anti-Crows’ to Adelaide draft prospect

James Borlase — the son of a Port Adelaide premiership captain and an ex-Aussie netball star — grew up despising the Crows. Now he talks about the chances of Adelaide drafting him.

James Borlase has been a target for football opponents this year because of his draft prospects.

“At the start of a game, two or three guys will give you an elbow, more so in college footy, and if you stuff up, people say you’re supposed to be this person,” James, 18, says.

Off the field, the son of Port Adelaide premiership captain Darryl Borlase and three-time Netball World Cup winner Jenny Borlase has been a proverbial football among supporters of SA’s two AFL clubs who each believe he belongs at their team.

James, a Sturt and Prince Alfred College defender, is a lifelong Power barracker in a family full of Port Adelaide diehards.

“If I wasn’t a Port fan, I’d get kicked out of the house,” he jokes.

“Dad’s taken me and my sisters (Ella and Izzy) to games — I think I went to six or seven last year. Mum loves going and loves Never Tear Us Apart.”

Sturt’s James Borlase is a good chance to become an Adelaide Crow after next week’s draft. Picture: Sarah Reed

But James is ineligible to be a Port Adelaide father-son prospect because although Darryl is a 246-gamer and four-time flag winner in the SANFL, he falls short of the required minimum of 200 matches before the club’s AFL entry in 1997.

Instead, James is a good chance of joining the Crows — the club his family has grown up loathing — via the December 9 or 10 drafts.

Adelaide has access to him through its Next Generation Academy due to him being born in Africa — in Cairo, Egypt, where he lived for the first three or four months of his life during Darryl’s time there working with the Australian Wheat Board — and residing in the Crows’ NGA zone in Netherby.

Nominating James last week means the Crows can choose whether to match rival clubs’ draft night bids on him and if none call out his name, they will snare him the next day as a rookie.

According to the AFL website, the NGAs aim to grow participation in under-represented parts of the community and increase the talent pool of Indigenous and multicultural players.

The league has acknowledged that some players, including Borlase, qualify for the academy outside the intent of the rules, but accept they are almost unavoidable outliers to attaining a greater good — deepening the talent pool from non-traditional backgrounds.

James acknowledges the quirk of the system, telling The Advertiser he can see how some people will like it and others won’t — “it is what it is”.

He also concedes the father-son ruling is “weird and I know a lot of Port people are a bit annoyed”, but he is upbeat about potentially joining Adelaide.

James (left) with his family, mum Jenny, dad Darryl and sisters Izzy and Ella, seven years ago.

“(Debate among supporters) comes up fairly often but you learn to live with it,” he says.

“Naturally I was anti-Crows growing up, but I have no problem with them now and enjoy watching them play.

“The Crows haven’t said they’ll 100 per cent (match a bid) but I’ve had a couple of calls with them and they seem keen.

“It was pretty exciting (to get nominated by Adelaide) and good to have that clarity.

“But I’m still open to other clubs drafting me — I’d be happy to go anywhere.”

James, whose strengths include intercept marking and reading the play, has spoken to the Power but they are unlikely to have picks available to bid for him because they are committed to Woodville-West Torrens defender Lachlan Jones.

Some Melbourne clubs are understood to have had interest in James but it is unknown if they will place a bid.

The Borlases lived in Melbourne for a few years after returning from Cairo before returning to Adelaide when James was a toddler and settling in Netherby.

Leaping at the SA draft combine. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Borlase in his debut for Sturt this year. Picture: Kelly Barnes

If they had bought their place two streets southwest, he would have been in Port’s NGA.

James remembers being in Year 9 when his mum showed him an academy pamphlet from the Crows.

“I thought it was pretty awesome to start off with and still do because I’ve been able to have a bit of an involvement with an AFL club,” he says.

James’s star began to rise when he made the under-15 All-Australian team, but he doubted his AFL potential after a self-described terrible under-16 national championships.

He regained belief in 2019 when he played in the under-17 futures game at the MCG on AFL Grand Final Day and got to train with the Crows for a week last summer.

COVID meant he could not be at West Lakes at all this past season, but his form put him firmly on Adelaide’s radar.

“I started playing a few OK games earlier this year and I thought ‘this might actually happen’,” he says.

Coffee with Crows academies manager Jarrod Meers and Zoom calls with head of recruiting Hamish Ogilvie followed.

James finished the season with three league games to his name and was best on ground for Prince Alfred in its All-Schools Cup grand final win in September.

Adelaide has selections one, nine, 22, 23, 40 and 80 in the national draft, and is expected to pick four players.

Darryl sitting behind the premiership cup after captaining Port to the 1998 SANFL flag.

“Getting chosen would mean a lot to me because it’s been something I’ve been working really hard towards for the past two years,” says James, who models his game on Crow Daniel Talia and Richmond defender Dylan Grimes.

James has been running most days, relaxing with mates and spent time with playing golf and lawn bowls with his Eyre Peninsula-based grandpa since completing his final school exam.

Some draft pundits have questioned where he will play at the next level because, at 191cm, he is not a typical key defender’s height, although he is physically strong.

He believes he can make up for that with his competitiveness and a 200cm wingspan that allows him to play on taller opponents.

James will spend draft night at home watching with his family and close mates.

He says his mum and dad have been massive influences.

“Dad’s come to every game in forever … and is always giving advice on what I can work on and what I’m doing well and been really good for me,” he says.

“Mum has also played a huge factor in getting me where I am today.

“She played netball for Australia and been really helpful with the recovery and preparation side of things.

“They will be happy wherever I go and just want to see me chase my dreams in the AFL.”

Originally published as How son of a Port Adelaide premiership captain James Borlase went from ‘anti-Crows’ to Adelaide draft prospect