How SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens became a recruiting hot bed for Geelong
Three times in 18 months Geelong tapped a SANFL coach on the shoulder and grabbed one of his players. Here is why the Cats are so into Woodville-West Torrens.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
There was an apology straight off the bat when Geelong recruiter Liam Woodland rang Jade Sheedy last week.
The recruiter had spoken to the Woodville-West Torrens coach about a bunch of players in the weeks ahead of the mid-season draft, before ringing in the morning of the event to inform Sheedy the Cats had zeroed in on midfielder Mitch Hardie.
Woodland’s apology came as Geelong continued to make a habit of raiding the SANFL club, having signed Tyson Stengle before last season, taken Zane Williams in the 2022 mid-season draft and then scooped up Hardie.
But Sheedy brushed off the impact Geelong has had on the Eagles’ list, even as his club spruiked a formidable record of 17 players drafted from Woodville-West Torrens since Sheedy took over as coach in 2020.
“If Geelong keep taking our players, I am happy with that because it means we are developing some good players hopefully and what we do as a footy club and the systems and development we put in place are hopefully on the right path,” Sheedy said.
Hardie put the draft success at the SANFL club on Sheedy.
“He is a special person, he is an incredible person and an incredible coach and somebody that can get the absolute best out of people,” Hardie said.
“That is his one-wood, being a great person that people respect and want to work hard for.
“That is what has made him so successful, that he is able to relate to so many different people and get the best out of them, so I have absolutely the utmost respect for him. Without him I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today.”
While Stengle was a runaway success after leaving the Eagles, having been named All-Australian in a premiership campaign last year, Williams found himself back in Adelaide when he was delisted by Geelong just months after being drafted.
Sheedy said the AFL dream was far from over for the forward.
“I don’t think it has ended,” he said.
“Mitch Hardie is 25, Zane Williams just turned 22 and kids are getting drafted at 26, 27 these days.
“Zane has AFL qualities in the way he moves and his power and his goal sense and if Zane is good enough and he plays good enough footy, he will get another opportunity and he knows that.
“He loves the footy club and we love him. It is our job to help him get to that next level and for Zane to have another opportunity and that is what we want to provide for all of our players.”
More Coverage
Originally published as How SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens became a recruiting hot bed for Geelong
Hornet, Aliir injury clouds linger as ruck double team to continue
Port Adelaide looks set to continue its dual-ruck set-up as Brodie Grundy and the Swans loom, while Jason Horne-Francis and Aliir Aliir are under injury clouds.
SuperCoach: Trade secrets of the top 1 per cent
How do the elite SuperCoaches make it to the top? Top-ranked coaches reveal their secrets and strategy, and the experts name their best and worst trades.