AFLW star Darcy Vescio says skinfold testing unnecessary for draftees after outcry from clubs

AFL clubs have questioned the league’s widely reported ban on skinfold testing, but one leading player says it can affect mental health.

The Bombers played finals footy in Ben Rutten’s first season as senior coach. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

AFLW star Darcy Vescio has declared doing skinfold tests on draftees is unnecessary amid a backlash from clubs about the process being banned this year.

Draftees can be tested for skinfolds the moment they step into clubland, but the AFL has banned the practice before they are selected, citing the impact any sort of “body shaming” could have on their mental health.

Senior figures in the AFL community hit back, declaring it a necessary part of entering an elite football environment.

But Vescio, a strong advocate for mental health, said testing young men who had not been part of a professional football program could have a detrimental effect and mental wellbeing “should be prioritised, not scoffed at.”

“I don’t understand the backlash over clubs no longer doing skinfolds before players are drafted,” she posted on Twitter.

“If we’re serious about mental health and wellbeing of players (and society) then why slam a change that promotes that?

“The impact of body image issues and fat shaming is deep.

“There’s already game vision available and performance testing during the combine. And don’t forget the players coming into this year’s draft have just been through Covid and lockdowns. Their wellbeing should be prioritised, not scoffed at.”

I don’t understand the backlash over clubs no longer doing skinfolds before players are drafted. If we’re serious about mental health and well-being of players (and society) then why slam a change that promotes that?

The impact of body image issues and fat shaming is deep.

— Darcy Vescio (@darcyvee) November 8, 2021

I still have body image issues over skin folds and the fear of being put in “fat farm” https://t.co/vEHsQRwdZJ

— Luke Ablett (@luke_ablett) November 8, 2021

It came after Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell criticised the AFL’s decision.

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West Coast premiership player Will Schofield was among those to question the move, and Campbell on Monday added to the chorus of disapproval on SEN.

“I could sort of understand it at a grassroots level, I think there’s some merit there, but we are a performance-based industry,” he said.

“A big part of that is the physical aspect of that.

“I’m not sure we’ve got any skinfold metrics that are included in contracts these days, but it still is a big part of the testing that the high performance does on the players.”

Xavier Campbell disagrees with the ban. Picture: AAP Image/Michael Dodge

Campbell suggested there might be other ways to assess the body fat percentage of potential draftees.

“There are different ways to go about it, body mass index and everything else like that,” he said.

“It’s not my area, but I’d say there’s still got to be some sort of form of assessment that needs to be included in that part of the game.”

Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes was stronger in his words about the ban, pointing to skinfold tests becoming commonplace for players picked up in the draft.

“This is just ridiculous,” he said on SEN SA.

“What are we setting these players up for? They walk into an AFL club they are going to have their skinfolds tested, so I would have thought getting them accustomed to it is a good thing.

“Society has shifted, I understand that, but this isn’t your average person off the street, this is a person who is aspiring to become an elite athlete.”

Campbell’s Bombers hold picks 11, 51, 56 and 87 in the national draft, which begins on November 24.

The Dons may consider targeting a tall ruck-forward, given they recorded the least total hit-outs of any top eight side in 2021 and also struggled to register contested marks inside 50.

The retirement of defender-turned-forward Cale Hooker presents another reason for Essendon to replenish its options up front.

Originally published as AFLW star Darcy Vescio says skinfold testing unnecessary for draftees after outcry from clubs