National draft drought leaves AFL Tasmania searching for answers

AFL Tasmania is on the hunt for answers after no Tasmanians were selected in the national draft for the second consecutive year.

• Tasmania’s top teenagers overlooked in the AFL Draft
• Tasmania has four star teenagers hoping to start AFL careers in this week’s Draft

AFL Tasmania’s talent program has vowed to leave no stone unturned after the state failed to have one player taken in the national draft for the second straight year.

Questions remain over the standard of the TSL in the eyes of recruiters with AFL clubs willing to take punts on players from the WAFL and SANFL colts or Victorians who played no football in 2020 rather than Tasmanians playing senior football weekly in the TSL.

Wednesday night’s disappointment at the national draft was somewhat lessened by North Hobart winger Patrick Walker (North Melbourne) and Launceston bolter Isaac Chugg (Collingwood) being taken in Thursday’s rookie draft.

But the likes of dashing Demon defender Sam Collins, North Launceston key forward Jackson Callow and Clarence ball magnet Oliver Davis were overlooked.

Davis, 18, was this year named the TSL”s best under-23 player, Clarence’s best and fairest, named in the state league’s team of the year and captained Guilford Young College to a state premiership but still could did not have his name called out by an AFL club.

North Hobart young gun Sam Collins. Picture: Richard Jupe

North Launceston's Jackson Callow tries to fend off Launceston's Jake Smith in the TSL grand final. Picture: Luke Bowden

Devils head coach and AFL Tasmania talent manager Cameron Joyce said it was the locals inability to play against Victoria’s best under-18 players this year due to COVID that was the main factor in no selections in the national draft.

“Let’s not sugar-coat it, we want to have players drafted in the national draft from Tasmania,” Joyce said.

“We need to look at everything we are doing and making sure we are providing the best opportunity but also the best pathway for the players to make it that want to make it.

“What I want to do is canvas the recruiters and I want to get their opinion on what these boys do really well and what they need to work on and then we can go to work on that rather than guessing.

“Is there different roles they can play?

“Is there different strengths and weaknesses we need to look at?

“Is there a different training regime for them? Are there other opportunities to play?

“We want to exhaust all that if their dream is still to play AFL footy and give Tasmanian players the best opportunity to make it.”

He said he had already spoken to Davis, Callow and Collins about opportunities to return to the Devils next season with the competition to be extended to under-19s.

Joyce also said there could be opportunities for Tasmanians to make appearances in the new VFL/Eastern seaboard competition to show their talents at an even higher level.

Follow @Stubboir