AFL Draft 2020: Luke Pedlar played senior footy at just 15 and brings a hard edge to the Crows

Apart from four games for Glenelg and a brief appearance for PAC, Luke Pedlar battled injury in 2020. But his standout traits have been obvious for a long time.

Luke Pedlar was just 15 when he played A Grade footy for Kingston, a boy on a man’s field in a farming community in the state’s south east.

“Mum questioned it a bit but I just wanted to play,” he said.

“I wasn’t the smallest kid so I got through but it was pretty intimidating because the men were still pretty big.”

It was only three games before he left his hometown to move to Adelaide to board at Prince Alfred College and play SANFL with Glenelg, but it instilled in him traits that SA under-18 boss Tony Bamford says you simply cannot teach.

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SA under-18 talent manager Tony Bamford said Pedlar makes teammates walk taller and feel safer with his attack on the footy and physical presence. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe.

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Two weeks before the national draft, Bamford told The Advertiser that clubs were keen on Pedlar but weren’t exactly sure where he sat in the talent order because of his knee and groin injuries.

“But I’ve told clubs ‘this is what I love about Luke Pedlar, when he plays in your team, whether it be at Glenelg or Prince Alfred College, the team plays with a harder edge’,” Bamford said.

“If you’ve got questions around your team’s toughness, you draft Luke and watch him go to work.

“He makes his teammates play harder and feel safer. He’s an animal who wins the ball through grunt, toughness and a want for physicality which is something you can’t coach.”

Pedlar said he took Bamford’s comments as a compliment.

Luke Pedlar, Riley Thilthorpe and Brayden Cook after being drafted by the Crows. Picture: Mark Brake.

“That’s something I pride myself on (leadership) and I’ve tried to bring it to most things I play, it helps my game and if I can help others and the team then great,” he said.

On Wednesday night Pedlar became a Crow when Adelaide pulled a surprise move by drafting him with their second pick at No.11.

The 18-year-old watched the draft at home with parents and girlfriend while his two older sisters were at work.

“I was speechless when my name was read out,” he said.

“I got a bit emotional and mum was pretty emotional and I was just in shock.

“I knew the interest was there, Freo and GWS had two picks just after that were also keen but I didn’t think it was going to happen until they read my name out.”

Pedlar spent the early years of his childhood in Mount Gambier and as a North Melbourne supporter before his family moved to Kingston where like most country kids he played cricket and footy year-round.

A look at what Luke will bring to West Lakes! #weflyasone pic.twitter.com/B0gTzq9bKU

— Adelaide Crows (@Adelaide_FC) December 9, 2020

Luke Pedlar was Prince Alfred College’s captain this year. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“It was a great place to grow up, I’ve got really good mates and we played every sport we could and fished, surfed and just had fun,” he said.

“I’ve been playing footy from as soon as I could walk and went through Auskick and Milo cricket right up to my under-16s year and took them both very seriously.

“But I eventually decided to give away cricket and pursue footy and had a few injuries but stuck with it.”

After being drafted on Wednesday, he had a Covid test on Thursday and went into West Lakes on Friday where he met the staff and teammates and had a Zoom meeting with Hamish Ogilvie.

He will train this week before returning to Kingston for Christmas and this time as a Crow with an AFL pre-season program to follow.

“I’ll be back out on the old stomping ground at Gall Park, it’ll be good,” he said.

Originally published as AFL Draft 2020: Luke Pedlar played senior footy at just 15 and brings a hard edge to the Crows