Collingwood drafts Australia under-17 basketballer Jay Rantall, slider Trent Bianco

Jay Rantall’s decision to choose footy over basketball after representing Australia at under-17 level was rewarded when Collingwood swooped with pick 40 in the draft.

Trent Bianco and Jay Rantall after being drafted to the Collingwood football club. Pic: Michael Klein

Seventeen months ago he was representing Australia at the FIBA under-17 Basketball World Cup in Argentina.

Now Jay Rantall has joined his former hoops teammate Luke Jackson on an AFL list, being snapped up by Collingwood with pick 40 in the national draft.

Rantall and Jackson – who was selected at pick three by Melbourne – shared a room on the trip to Argentina and now find themselves at two AFL clubs that are just a stone’s throw apart.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Rantall said.

“We were rooming together in Argentina and now we’re pretty much neighbours, so it’s awesome.

“I’m very grateful and very humbled for the opportunity and for it to be Collingwood, I’m just truly relieved.”

Rantall caught the eye of recruiters playing for the Greater Western Victoria Rebels and Vic Country.

He averaged 24.9 disposals as a midfielder in the NAB League and 18.8 disposals at the national championships before further pushing his case by breaking the 2km time-trial record at the draft combine.

“I’ve got no regrets now,” Rantall said of the switch from basketball to football.

“I’ve loved footy this year with the Rebels and Vic Country and now it’s a bit of a bit of a dream come true and to be at Collingwood with the likes of Scott Pendlebury, it’s just quite crazy, actually.”

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Collingwood recruits Trent Bianco and Jay Rantall. Picture: Michael Klein

Pendlebury was himself a basketball prodigy who was granted a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport before quitting the under-18s squad and focusing on football.

Rantall said he hoped he could forge a blossoming AFL career based on similar skill sets learnt from basketball.

“Basketball’s a pretty congested game,” Rantall said.

“You drive through the key and there’s not really that much space and when you’re at a world level at a World Cup there’s some pretty good boys there that takes away the space. So I think that translates into footy.”

Jay Rantall with his mum Lia, dad Tim and brother Will after being drafted by Collingwood. Picture: Michael Klein

A move to Melbourne awaits for the South Warrnambool-raised Rantall, but he won’t be asking Jackson if he wants to room together permanently in Melbourne.

“He’s the enemy now,” Rantall said.

The Pies used pick 45 on draft slider Trent Bianco, an outside midfielder who captained Oakleigh Chargers to a NAB League premiership this year and had been slated as a potential top-20 pick.

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A lifelong Collingwood supporter who has tried to model his game on Steele Sidebottom, Bianco said joining the Magpies was something he thought he would only dream of.

“I was waiting a while for my name to get called out,” Bianco said.

“When they picked (Rantall) a few picks earlier I thought that was my chance but they traded up and I seriously will never forget that moment.”

Originally published as Collingwood drafts Australia under-17 basketballer Jay Rantall, slider Trent Bianco