Crows and Port to benefit from SANFL’s major talent investment

It’s been just weeks since producing a state record seven first-round AFL draft picks. Now the SANFL has more top names and a major unveiling to celebrate.

Two weeks after producing a state record seven first-round AFL draft selections, the SANFL’s highly-acclaimed talent pathway program is set to become the envy of the country.

In a major investment into talent development in South Australian football, the SANFL, in conjunction with the state’s two AFL clubs, Adelaide and Port Adelaide, has appointed two of its most highly-rated club talent mentors as joint SA Academy coaches.

Sturt football manager and under-18 and reserves premiership coach Chris Trapp and South Adelaide talent manager and under-18 premiership coach Mark Clayton have been announced

as the league’s inaugural academy coaches, with Trapp also aligned to the Crows and Clayton to the Power.

The new roles form part of a significant strategic investment into talent development in SA, which has seen an expanded under-18 boys academy program and the development of the state-of-the-art, $25 million high performance facility at West Lakes, which will be officially opened next week.

The faces of the future: New SA Academy coaches Mark Clayton (left) and Chris Trapp (right) with NGA prospect Zach Young (Port), SA under-18 coach Tony Bamford and NGA prospect Anthony Long (Adelaide) at the new SANFL talent facility at West Lakes. Picture: Emma Brasier

Working alongside successful state under-18s coach and academy manager Tony Bamford, Trapp and Clayton will be charged with fostering the state’s elite male talent, while ensuring a greater focus on eligible talent for Adelaide and Port’s Next Generation Academies for First Nations and multicultural players.

The pair will also support the development of coaches at their respective NGA-aligned SANFL clubs - Central District, Glenelg, North Adelaide and Sturt (Crows) and Norwood, South Adelaide, West Adelaide and Woodville-West Torrens (Power) - providing benefits for the entire SANFL talent pathway.

SANFL head of talent Sean Toohey said the main aim of the new academy structure was to

increase collaboration between SANFL and AFL clubs to enhance the development of the state’s most talented young footballers.

“The new SA Academy structure is aimed at building strong connections between the SANFL, the eight (standalone) SANFL clubs and two AFL clubs to develop the best homegrown talented players,” Toohey said.

“Ultimately, we want to develop more talented footballers who are well equipped for success at either AFL or SANFL level.

“We already have seen the benefits of an extended academy program, which spans 13 weeks from December to March, with South Australian players representing a significant 23 per cent of last month’s AFL draft, including a record seven players selected in round one.

“This fantastic result for South Australian talent also came on the back of SA’s success in winning this year’s under-18 AFL national championships.”

SA had 14 players selected at last month’s national draft while its state under-18 boys team sailed through this year’s AFL national championships unbeaten, winning the state’s first title since 2018.

The seven Croweaters picked in the first round of the draft were: North’s Sam Cumming (pick 7 to Richmond), Glenelg’s Latrelle Pickett (Melbourne, 12), Central’s state under-18 championship-winning captain Dyson Sharp (Essendon, 13), Bulldogs forward Cameron Nairn (Hawthorn, 20), West forward Mitch Marsh (Adelaide, 22), Central tall Aidan Schubert (Hawthorn, 23) and Sturt wingman Harley Barker (Geelong, 24).

Reporting to SANFL head of development Heath Younie, Trapp and Clayton’s new full-time roles will be key pillars in the SANFL’s talent department as they form part of the coaching panels for the SANFL under-18 and under-16 academies preparing for the national championships.

“Chris and Mark were outstanding candidates for the new roles and will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in strengthening coaching and enhancing talent pathway integration between the SANFL and the SA-based AFL clubs.” Toohey said.

Port Adelaide NGA prospect Dougie Cochrane takes a strong mark during this year’s AFL National Futures Boys game at the MCG. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Port and Adelaide NGA prospects in the academy under-18 intake include Central product Dougie Cochrane, who will play for Port’s SANFL team next season, South’s Zemes Pilot and North’s Zach Young (Power) and West’s Anthony Long (Crows).

Cochrane is rated as a top-five draft pick - and potential No. 1 selection - next year.

As good as this year’s crop of SA talent was, Crows recruiting boss Hamish Ogilvie says next year’s class “looks really good, maybe better’’.

Adelaide general manager football operations and compliance Tom Hurley hailed the new academy coaching initiative, saying “we firmly believe the concept will strengthen pathways for SA talent while simultaneously bringing a greater focus on draftable talent through our club’s Academies programs,” he said.

“To land someone of Chris’s experience is a huge coup for us.’’

Port manager of football services and player support Paul Stewart described the coaching appointments as “a fantastic initiative’’.

“Mark is a great fit to lead this from a Port Adelaide perspective,’’ he said.

Originally published as Crows and Port to benefit from SANFL’s major talent investment