AFL draft hopefuls reveal the biggest sprays they have received during their junior careers

THEY haven’t been picked by an AFL team yet but the nation’s top junior players already know what it’s like to cop a bake from the coach.

IT DOESN’T matter how many best on grounds you’d had before it or how many goals you kick after, no player ever forgets copping an almighty spray.

That goes just as much for 250-game veterans as is does for soon-to-be AFL rising stars.

Some of to prospects in Friday’s national draft have opened up on the best sprays they have copped during their, otherwise glittering, junior careers.

For Brisbane Lions Academy player Connor Ballenden, he learnt that no one is ever safe after a loss.

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“(The best spray was) probably from (Allies coach) Adrian Fletcher after we lost to the South Australian side,” Ballenden said.

“He literally gave it to everyone post-game. He just sat everyone down and gave everyone a bake.

“For me I think it was something along the lines of, ‘You’re a leader of this side and you’re meant to be one of the best players here so pull your finger out’.”

Connor Ballenden copped a blast during the under-18 championships. Picture: AFL Media

If the coach is filthy after a loss, you’d think he would be happy with a 50-point halftime lead, right?

Well, potential top five pick Adam Cerra found out the hard way that was not the case.

In his TAC Cup debut for the Eastern Ranges, Darren Berwick let Cerra and his teammates have it.

“We were playing Bendigo and we were up by 70 at quarter-time and then at halftime we were up by 50,” Cerra explained.

“First game, I thought, this is great, up by 50. But that changed pretty quick.

“Darren Berwick just gave us a massive spray. It was a bit of an eye-opener for me going into a TAC Cup game.”

Top South Australian youngster Darcy Fogarty has learnt two valuable lessons when it comes to sprays.

If you’re going to use your opposite foot, you better finish the job, and once the coach has you in his sights, there is no getting away.

“One of the best sprays would have been the under-16s champs by (coach) Darel Hart,” he said.

“I just ran in and for some reason had a bit of a brain fade and kicked it on the left and it drifted the other side of the post.

Darcy Fogarty knows about getting a good spray. Picture: AAP Images

“I heard him from the bench just yell out, ‘Get him off’ and then I copped it from then on. I didn’t really want to run off.”

While copping a spray at some stage of your career is inevitable, there are ways to limit the damage.

Oakleigh key forward Toby Wooller knows position is the key.

“I haven’t really been on the end of too many. I’ve been pretty lucky. But when we do I’m looking straight at the coach’s eyes, usually at the back of the huddle, not front and centre.”

Cerra agrees eye contact is crucial.

“You try and look at them (the coach) as much as you can,” he said.

“When he does make eye contact you start to worry that he is going to start directing it at you.”