Robbie D’Orazio says AFL draft week is a nervous time but also one of the most enjoyable
TRADE time might be a player manager’s busiest time of the year but draft week isn’t far behind and Robbie D’Orazio’s bumper draft crop is sure to keep his phone ringing off the hook.
Draft news
Don't miss out on the headlines from Draft news. Followed categories will be added to My News.
ROBBIE D’Orazio’s phone buzzes constantly on the couch next to him.
The non-stop texts and calls come from a mix of his star clients, curious recruiters pushing and probing for final pieces of information, and of course, anxious parents.
It’s the week leading into the national draft and there are mums and dads eagerly wondering what side of the country their boy will be living on this time next week.
NO GO HOME: FRIENDSHIP FACTOR TO CURE HOMESICKNESS
WHO’S FIRST: BRISBANE LIONS STILL WEIGHING UP TOP PICK
ARMSTRONG: WHAT REALLY HAPPENS ON AFL DRAFT NIGHT
They pepper D’Orazio with questions, trying to find out how the cards will fall on Friday night.
“You are really excited for them but nervous as well, and a big reason for those nerves is the interstate factor,” D’Orazio said.
“These young guys can’t wait to play footy and realise their AFL dreams at an AFL club, but they also need to move their whole lives in a few days as well.
“There’s a lot to consider. Friends, family, girlfriends.
“They will wake up in the morning in a few weeks’ time and mum is not going to have breakfast waiting on the table, or the sandwich ready after they come home from school anymore.
“And with Brisbane holding the top pick and Fremantle No.2 and No.5, some of my guys are going to make some big moves.
“But that’s why they have worked so hard, to get to this point.
“Yes, there are some stresses involved and really the No.1 thing for me at this point is just trying to calm everyone’s nerves and helping make sure they enjoy this week. It’s a great week.”
D’Orazio and business partner Paul Connors are two of footy’s top agents, and were again front and centre during the trade period helping Jack Watts and Jake Stringer find new homes.
They have handled some of the biggest moves in the game over the past few years but D’Orazio says Stringer’s passage from Western Bulldogs to Essendon was one of the trickiest they’ve dealt with.
In the end, picks No.25 and No 30 got the deal done.
“It wasn’t easy, but I don’t think we ever got too stressed because, really, the clubs are great to deal with and relationships are the key in footy,” he said.
“You’ve just got to be honest when you are dealing with everyone because clubs talk to each other. They know.”
But draft time is D’Orazio’s favourite time on the footy calendar and for the second-straight year, he is holding an exceptionally strong hand.
In all, D’Orazio has 10 players whose names should be called out in the first 25 selections of the national draft.
It includes three of the likely top-four picks Cameron Rayner, Luke Davies-Uniacke and Adam Cerra.
Last year it was five of the top-10 including top pick and gun Bomber Andrew McGrath.
He shakes his head at how well the mature McGrath has handled everything over the past year, winning flags at Sandringham and Brighton Grammar and taking out the Rising Star and AFL Players’ Association best first-year player award.
Next year, a move into the midfield beckons and D’Orazio knows he is ready.
“He is such an impressive young man,” he said.
“You get off the phone to him and you think, ‘I don’t know whether he even needs me in his life’.
“I feel like I learn from him half the time (laughing). But he’s had the ultimate year and everyone is just so proud of him.
“Essendon has got a future captain there. Someone who will be a key pillar of that footy club for a long time.”
But the conversation turns back to this year’s likely top pick, Rayner.
He is the Western Jet with an exciting streak and goal kicking flair.
There is a small query over Rayner’s endurance, and as we chatted on Friday afternoon, the 187cm forward was about to run his final 2km test.
That’s when D’Orazio’s phone began buzzing again in the lounge room of his Malvern home.
His two-year-old son Hunter is waking up and greets dad from the hallway with a big smile. His dog, Arie also stretches out on the floor, hoping for another tummy rub
D’Orazio thinks the Lions won’t pass up on Rayner, even though they have seriously considered midfielder Andrew Brayshaw.
“There’s been a bit of talk about Cameron being in the Dustin Martin mould but I see more Christian Petracca,” he said.
“Cameron and Luke (Davies-Uniacke) would both be good picks at No.1.”
There has been a lot of talk about this year’s talent pool being a little shallow after the second round.
But D’Orazio is much more bullish, especially at the top end.
“I’m probably a bit biased here but I think it’s a special group,” he said.
“There is some serious talent there and the recruiters who have watched a lot of tape in the past few weeks and gone back over a lot of it are on the same page.”
D’Orazio knows the players’ stories backwards from watching them play and develop around the country for the past three years.
His mates wind D’Orazio up about his mug being on the telly at trade time, and thinking he works strictly out of cafes meeting people throughout the week.
But the 32-year-old agent insists there is a much less glamorous side of the job watching games in the depths of winter and frequently driving around the state and flying around the country to meet players. The travel is arduous, at times and for that he is grateful for the support of his wife, Sarah, and his colleague at Connors Sports.
“Sarah is amazing how supportive she is plus there is Mel, Madds, Alex and Georgie in the office who are brilliant to work with,” D’Orazio said.
Plus there’s the fierce competition for signatures, with more than 80 accredited AFL agents all battling to get the same names on their books.
D’Orazio says he has learnt from veteran agent Connors, who launched his management career on the back of signing Luke Hodge, Chris Judd and Luke Ball in 2001.
“We say ‘there is no job too big or too small’,” D’Orazio said.
“But that’s definitely the hardest part of it, the competition side of things. ‘The chase’ it is called.
“I think the trick is being able to relate to all people, and just being there to provide, in some cases, that emotional support for the kids through two pretty big years with their exams and TAC and school footy and that’s all before they get drafted.
“There are a lot of ups and downs for the boys over this period and you look at someone like ‘LDU’ (Luke Davies-Uniacke) who probably had a quiet national championships but then (bounced back and) played probably the best game of the season against Eastern Ranges.
“Talking to him after that you could just hear the relief in his voice, like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.
“So there are emotional stresses for them, for sure, and it’s different for all of them. The highs are high are highs and the lows are low but you just try and keep the emotion as even as possible.
“But all the kids are different too. There are guys you want to shake and say ‘Give me something’, and others you say ‘It’s OK you don’t need to know every punch’. You’ve got to try and keep it level for them.”
But a big part of the job is the financial investment and management, and D’Orazio and Connors have monthly assessments and systems to make sure their players’ investment portfolio grows.
Gold Coast’s Tom Lynch is another D’Orazio-Connors client and has been smart with his money, so that the decision he makes on his contract next year won’t be based on where he can get the most cash, but rather the prospects of team success and happiness.
Lynch was taken No.11 in the 2011 national draft and D’Orazio feels like the pieces are beginning to slot into place for Friday night’s lottery in Sydney.
Some of the individual stories among his client base in this year’s draft are inspiring.
Aiden Bonar has overcome two knee reconstructions, but his stocks keep rising. “His resilience is through the roof, just an amazing kid from a beautiful family,” he said.
Jaidyn Stephenson has a heart condition, but his upside is enormous. He averaged 27 disposals in the national carnival and delivered on TAC Cup Grand Final day. At 189cm, he has versatility plus, but the medical issue has worried some clubs.
“I think he could be anything. He reminds me a bit of Charlie Curnow in a way,” he said.
“Charlie was taken pick No.12 by Carlton but if you re-did that draft I think he’s top-three, maybe higher. I think we could be saying the same thing about Jaidyn.”
Jack Higgins is the clever, instinctive footballer. He is 178cm, so height is the knock, but the same thing was said about premiership Western Bulldog Caleb Daniel.
“Lock him in for 200 games,” D’Orazio said.
“With some players you just know.”
But not everyone can get drafted. There’s maybe 70 draft picks on Friday night, followed by the rookie draft on November 27.
One of D’Orazio’s clients is Danny Capiron, who has missed out on the past two national drafts and moved to Geelong to push his chances in the VFL this year.
They talk regularly, still looking for an AFL opportunity.
This year, he has his fingers crossed for Tom North and Angus Styles. It might be the highlight of the night for D’Orazio if these two find homes.
Styles has already lined up a scholarship in China to help further his study next year if he isn’t drafted.
“He’s sorted either way, which is great,” D’Orazio said.
“You hope he gets drafted but if not, he’s not going to go back to the VFL, he’ll get on with another career.
“But when you can get those two guys with a late pick in the draft, that’s why I say I think this draft will be a good one.”
Ball magnets, famous names: Top 25 draft prospects of 2025
A massive year is only just beginning for the draft class of 2025 and here are the names to watch, with several No.1 pick contenders firmly in the mix. These are the names to watch.
Why navy blue will be Hawks fans’ least favourite colour in 2025
Hawks fans were among the most confident (annoying?) footy fans in season 2024, and this year, as well as barracking for the brown and gold, they will have added incentive to hope Carlton disappoints.