Here are the thoughts of the Territory’s best 2020 AFL Draft prospects, with the draft on now
IT is a great time to be a talented young Territory footballer, particularly with Gold Coast Suns now keeping a close eye on its Darwin Academy zone.As a result, star Wanderers forward Joel Jeffrey has already been picked up by the Suns.Below are Jeffrey’s thoughts on what he will bring to the Suns in 2021, as well as the Territory’s other main 2021 Draft hopefuls, including Maurice Rioli Jr (with words from his cousin and former NT Thunder and current St Mary’s captain Shannon Rioli), Brodie Lake, Beau O’Connell and Jonty Patrick.
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IT is a great time to be a talented young Territory footballer, particularly with Gold Coast Suns now keeping a close eye on its Darwin Academy zone.
As a result, star Wanderers forward Joel Jeffrey has already been picked up by the Suns.
Below are Jeffrey’s thoughts on what he will bring to the Suns in 2021, as well as the Territory’s other main 2021 Draft hopefuls, including Maurice Rioli Jr (with words from his cousin and former NT Thunder and current St Mary’s captain Shannon Rioli), Brodie Lake, Beau O’Connell and Jonty Patrick.
JOEL JEFFREY – WANDERERS
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do from a very young age, even the first day I touched a footy I wanted to play at the highest level,’’ the 18-year-old told the NT News.
“Obviously having dad (Russell) around helped a lot with his knowledge and experience after playing at the highest level himself.
“I love coming to the Gold Coast, I arrived here a month ago and love the beaches and what’s on offer, life down here will be pretty good.
“Right now I’m working hard to make sure I get to the elite level, hopefully on the back of a big pre-season with no injuries.
“That will allow me to go 100 per cent at winning a spot in the league side.
“The forward line is obviously my preferred position so I’ll be working hard towards achieving that goal.
“Wanderers helped me big time through the junior grades and coming into the senior side with great leaders like Shannon, Daniel and all the Motlops and Braedon McLean and Daniel Weetra.”
MAURICE RIOLI JR – ST MARY’S (WITH WORDS FROM HIS COUSIN, AND FORMER NT THUNDER AND CURRENT ST MARY’S CAPTAIN SHANNON RIOLI)
“He (Maurice Jr) is lucky. He’s got a really good family looking after him in Melbourne.
“Jamarra Ugle-Hagan – everyone’s talking him up to be the No.1 Draft pick (he has just been picked as No.1 by the Western Bulldogs). Him and Maurice are in the same year level (at Scotch College) and the same boarding house.
“They spend a lot of time together. Those two have been training alongside each other this whole time.
“They’ve been training pretty much since last year for this year.
“He’s been training with Richmond since last year as well.
“He’s in a really good space. He turned 18 recently, and he shares that with his father which is something really sad, but really special.”
Rioli said the grounding his legendary late father gave Rioli Jr – with career highlights including winning Richmond’s best-and-fairest award twice, a Norm Smith Medal in 1982, a WAFL premiership in 1980 and two Simpson Medals (best on ground in the WAFL Grand Final) and an AFL Indigenous Team of the Century member – made him the humble young man he is today.
“Everyone knows what legacy his dad had. And everyone knows what sort of person his dad was,” Rioli said.
“If you had’ve known who he was before you met my uncle Maurice you would just think ‘gee, what a wonderful, fascinating person’.
“And then you’d go away and think ‘gee, who was that Maurice Rioli? He’s a Norm Smith Medallist, two-time best and fairest, three best on grounds in a row (two WAFL Grand Finals in 1980 and 1981, followed by the VFL Grand Final in 1982).
“Just an amazing person, but super humble. And Maurice Jr is very much the same.
“He’s very well grounded. When he comes back to Darwin he goes to the Tiwi Islands and stays with his mum.
“He goes from the high life at Glenferrie Rd and Hawthorn to living in a house on the Tiwi Islands.
“It’s at Garden Point and it’s not that flash. So his feet are very firmly planted on the ground.
“Maurice Jr is a super footballer and your small forward prototype, who can also tackle and kick goals.”
BRODIE LAKE – SOUTHERN DISTRICTS
Brodie Lake admitted he was “speechless” after getting an AFL Combine invite, but he was far from overawed by the experience in Adelaide.
The Southern Districts young gun was outstanding in his tests, leading the 20m sprint with an eye-catching 2.907sec time.
He also topped the following examinations:
Agility in 7.90sec, running vertical jump – right in 81cm and running vertical jump – left in 94cm.
Lake finished second in the standing vertical jump with 62cm.
They came on the back of an excellent season with Central District at under-18 and reserves level in the SANFL, regularly finishing his games with over 20 disposals.
“I was stoked with the numbers I got in the SANFL. I was speechless (after getting an AFL Combine invite),” Lake told the NT News.
Lake has built his playing style on leading by example and not being afraid to charge head first into contests.
“I love helping my teammates, and going hard trying to win the ball,” he said.
“It’s something I’ve done since Auskick and I haven’t stopped.
“Districts are a great club and they’ve helped me develop since I played juniors.
NT Thunder Academy coach Jason Roe has been highly impressed with Lake’s selflessness on the field as well as his natural talent.
“Brodie is an outside runner who likes to run, carry and break the lines, and can also kick goals,” Roe said of the 2019-20 NTFL Rising Star winner.
“His breakaway speed from a contest is very good. He’s an on-field leader who sets standards through his actions.”
BEAU O’CONNELL – WANDERERS
Beau O’Connell is an Eagle firmly on the Crows’ radar.
And the 19-year-old is steadfast in his belief that he can be an Adelaide player in the 2021 AFL season.
When asked if 2022 was more of a realistic goal to be playing at the elite level – instead of next year – the Wanderers star said no, adding he had a genuine belief he could make it inside the next 12 months.
“Next year (is my goal),” he told the NT News.
“I’ve been training with the Adelaide Crows and it was a good experience.
“They wanted me down there after the (2019-20) NTFL season up here.
“Right now I’m just focusing on playing well for Wanderers this season, and after that I’ll go back to Adelaide.”
One of the best on ground in his return to the Premier League against Tiwi last month, after his high-performance training with the NT Thunder Academy and Adelaide, O’Connell kicked four goals, including a brilliant six-pointer on the run and just inside the 50m arc.
“It was one of those typical goals on the run which Beau is capable of kicking,” Wanderers coach Shannon Motlop said.
“His ability to finish with a goal (would hold him in good stead at AFL level) as well as his high work rate.”
JONTY PATRICK – PALMERSTON
Palmerston young gun Jonty Patrick won’t forget this year in a hurry.
After accepting the disappointing reality of not being able to play with Calder Cannons in the NAB League because of Victoria’s COVID-19 crisis, he flew to Darwin to quarantine for two weeks with his parents in August.
But with football still being played in South Australia then, Patrick then flew down to Adelaide to play for Central District at SANFL Under-18 level.
With AFL recruitment scouts always keeping a close eye on the NAB League, this certainly wasn’t what Patrick envisioned for 2020.
But he prefers to look at the bright side and is just grateful to still be playing at a high level, and the fact his elite skills were still being noticed by AFL scouts in Adelaide.
“It was really disappointing not to play for Calder this year. We had a really good pre-season and the team was looking really good,” Patrick told the NT News.
“But there’s no point sooking about it – everyone’s in the same boat.
“It’s good here in Adelaide (he said in September). I’m living with my aunty, and playing in the same team as (Southern Districts’) Brodie Lake and (Palmerston’s) Mitch Bunworth.
“I’m happy with how I’m going. It was a hard transition coming from Melbourne and then Darwin.
“But you just have to put up with it because risk equals reward.”
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