AFL draft: How Launceston Blues trio rose to brink of AFL stardom
A Launceston Blues trio’s AFL dream looks set to be rubber stamped during Monday’s national draft. But they’ve all taken vastly different routes to the big time.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
They’ve shared the ride together rising through Launceston Football Club’s system, but the journey of the Blues’ three draft prospects couldn’t be more different.
There’s Colby McKercher. The gifted natural talent with electric speed and precise ball use simply born to be an AFL footballer.
There’s James Leake. One of the draft’s fastest developing talents after focusing mostly on cricket before deciding to give football a proper crack just last year.
And lastly there’s Arie Schoenmaker. A tall, athletic prospect with a huge boot that needed a boot up the arse to get his attitude and life off the field right before it was too late.
Not since a decade ago, when Jesse Longeran was drafted at pick 13 and Jackson Thurlow (16) in 2012, and Kolodjashnij twins Kade (5) and Jake (41) the following year have the Blues had such an outstanding crop.
It’s extremely rare for one Tasmanian club to have three players shaping to be drafted. McKercher (projected top five) and Leake (top 15) are certainties, while Schoenmaker has successfully made up lost ground after a pre-season incident on a Tasmania Devils training camp resulted in an internal ten-week ban.
Launceston’s director of football Scott Stephens said the trio have always had the self-drive to succeed ahead of Monday night’s national draft.
“It certainly does help having other players around you with similar goals and aspirations and drives,” he said.
“All of them being Launceston Footy Club players and all having AFL recruiters’ attention, it has kept them focused to have someone to do those extras with.
“That’s something they’ve driven themselves, they haven’t needed any nudges from any of us.”
HARSH TRUTHS HIT HOME
Some young guns have the skill level, but not the dedication or attitude required to make the AFL.
Others want it badly and work tirelessly, but don’t have the weapons to succeed.
For key defender Schoenmaker it was definitely the former, and a confronting meeting with his Blues teammates was the jolt he needed to get back on track.
“I remember being at the session Mitch (Thorp, Blues head coach) took at the club where his issues with the Devils were announced, and why he was suspended for that ten weeks,” Launceston’s director of football Scott Stephens said.
“He had to sit in front of our group and talk about it, which is extremely challenging for a young fella and quite confronting.
“Those things can go one of two ways, but to his credit and to the club’s credit, they nurtured him and helped him through it, and off the back of that he played some good footy.
“Arie was identified early like Colby, but had to knuckle down this year based on some ill discipline - he had to grow up a little bit.
“Which he’s done, he’s taken his medicine and had to figure out what he wants.
“He owned up to it first and foremost, that he was wrong. Working with his support leaders they put some steps in place to mend some of the bridges, and build the confidence back from his peers.
“At the end of the day he’s not a criminal and wasn’t doing anything illegal, he was just making some poor choices.
“Obviously on a smaller scale if we can correct that at an early age, it decreases the likelihood of those smaller misdemeanours becoming larger ones and ruining his footy aspirations.”
Stephens said the club told him he had to work quickly to make adjustments to give him a chance of being drafted.
He played strong football for the Blues in the TSL, helped the Devils to a second straight preliminary final and played a big role in the Allies’ maiden national championships title.
“To not play Devils footy and the academy and the carnival, it’s virtually putting a line through your name for the draft,” Stephens said.
“He needed to move on with his change of attitude effective immediately, because he needed to give himself every opportunity once the suspension was over that they’d take him back.
“It was probably some conversations with older guys (in Blues team) who wish they had some attributes Arie possesses (which helped).
“Arie has the skill, we just had to tidy up some areas above the shoulders.”
HOWZAT FOR A RAPID RISE
Up until he was 16 year old, Leake was more passionate about taking poles then kicking goals.
He was a bowling all-rounder in cricket, but decided he needed to focus totally on football if he was to achieve his dreams.
The rapid rate of his development, to the point where he’s expected to be drafted well inside the top 15, has surprised most. His proven ability to play a number of different roles saw him interviewed by all 18 clubs at the recent national draft combine.
He played five Development League games in 2022, but it wasn’t long before the club realised they had a talent they could mould and he played the rest of the year in the TSL.
This season was his first in the Devils system, and he also played a major role for the Allies.
“Coming over from cricket when he was year 11, he wasn’t in the Devils program so he was full time at the footy club,” Stephens said.
“It was about educating him and trying to bring him on. But after some of the footy he started to play towards the end of the year and the athleticism he was showing, we thought ‘hang on a minute we might have something here.’
Leake is eloquent to talk to and passionate about improving his game. It was something he knew he had to do given he was late to the football system.
“He’s a good kid, focused, knows what he has to do to get better,” Stephens said.
“They put in a program with Mitch straight away over pre season to build up his strength and athleticism, and we saw the fruits of that this year.
“He’s extremely versatile, he’s shown at Launceston and the Devils he can play at both ends of the field.
“He’s got leg speed, athleticism, springs in his boots and he can take a really good grab. He’s employable because he can play in multiple positions.”
THE NATURAL TALENT
Colby McKercher is one of the most skilled midfielders in a draft light on for quality on-ballers.
He finished second behind fellow Tasmanian and North Launceston product Ryley Sanders in national championships best and fairest voting.
“There was a game against North Launceston (this year) where everyone is knee deep in Windsor Park mud. Here’s Colby cruising across the top of the ground and no one could catch him,” Stephens said.
“He’s certainly got the ability to get across the ground better than most.”
PROUD NIGHT FOR THE BLUES
The club’s members will get together to watch the draft at their clubrooms on Monday night.
Their success rate in drafts is something they justifiably take a lot of pride in.
“It’s a big feather in the club’s cap for its pathways and junior development, and it’s not too dissimilar to ten years ago when we had four in two years.
“That was a really successful period off the back of the start of the TSL. With the start of the TSL came funding for talent identification, training and academy-type set ups.
“We’re lucky enough to identify soe talented kids, but not only that nurture them and give them every opportunity, which they’ve obviously grabbed.
“A lot of it comes down to the structures you have in place with your junior footy club, and the talent identification you have through your coaches.
“It certainly does take a good coach to be able to identify a good junior, because sometimes not all good juniors develop into draftable players. You have to have a magnifying glass and try and look three or four years in the future in identifying talent.
“That’s probably more on an athletic profile, but with the footy IQ and skill level, that’s about providing them with the right resources and opportunities.”
The club also encourages their best youngsters to play against grown men wherever possible to accelerate their progress.
“If we’ve got the right players and structures in place, the kids who play senior footy at a young age aren’t out of their depth,” Stephens said.
“We won’t put someone in that position if we don’t think they’re physically or mentally up to it. It’s just something we’ve always done with our talented under 16 state players, we believe they should be playing at the highest level possible.
“We encourage them to get experience playing against bigger bodies, faster ball movement, bigger grounds.”
Many feel it could Tasmania’s best draft ever. While Schoenmaker isn’t a certainty, most feel he’s done enough. Sanders will also be a high end pick and Clarence’s Jack Callinan is also a strong chance.
Burnie duo Heath Ollington and Geordie Payne, are also a chance, as is North Launceston key defender Oscar Van Dam.
Six Tasmanians were drafted in 2013, but only Kade Kolodjashnij went inside the top 20 and three are expected to feature in the top 15 this year.
“To have Colby and Ryley in top ten, James Leake probably top 12, we’re definitely in a position to have our best draft,” Stephens said.
“That’s just in regards to how low some of them will go, and the quantity.”
More Coverage
The SFL Premier League players in line for state debuts in 2025
A new era of Tasmanian football will begin in 2025 with the introduction of the Senior Talent Academy. While many former state representatives will be included, a number of untried stars will also be in contention. Here’s the best chances for a Tasmanian debut.
Tasmanian young gun selected in Junior Matildas squad
Tasmania’s strong recent history of Junior Matildas training squad members has continued with a Launceston City FC star the latest recognised.