Raising the draft age: AFL coaches weigh in

Currently players must turn at least 18 in the year they are drafted to be eligible to make an AFL list, crucially making their top-age year of football the same year they complete high school.

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has led the call for the age limit to lifted in recent years, and said the coronavirus postponement of talent-pathway football had created the perfect opportunity to do it.

“It's an absolute no-brainer,” Beveridge told SEN.

“I mean, every other year, as much as I've advocated for the draft age to be lifted, I was finding it hard to work through how you'd actually do it.

“But now, because none of the pathway programs are playing and training, it just makes absolute sense if we feel strongly enough about it and the benefits we will get from it, to just go ahead and do it.”

Speaking late last month, Murray Bushrangers talent manager Mick Wilson identified the importance of separating a player's draft year from their Year 12 studies, but acknowledged talented 18-year-olds should not have to wait to join the professional ranks.

‘‘One of the main reasons is these guys are going through Year 12 in their top-age year typically; studying and the expectations of playing footy at a fairly high level and the pressure that comes with that, that’s pretty full-on,” Wilson said.

‘‘An example of that; a kid might need to drive two or two-and-a-half hours to training in mid-July, and then need to turn around and drive home after training. Then they’re expected to roll out two hours of study once home, so they’re not getting to bed until midnight or 1 am. It’s tough to keep up those demands.

‘‘With the draft age at 18, a lot of the players aren’t ready to play senior football in their first season on an AFL list. The percentage is relatively low, around 25 per cent play AFL in that first season.

‘‘But someone like a Lachie Ash is just ready to play right now, so maybe clubs might be able to pick up one or two 18-year-olds as well.’’

But from a local perspective, 18 Goulburn Valley 18-year-olds have been drafted to AFL lists since the 2012 draft, with 15 of them debuting in their first season at the highest level.

That equates to an average of eight games each in their debut season, although that statistic is heavily weighted by success stories such as Ollie Wines (Echuca, 24 games in debut season), Jarman Impey (Shepparton, 18 games) and Josh Schache (Seymour, 17 games).

Four 19-year-old local products have been added to AFL lists in that time; Rennie's Daniel Howe played four games in his first season and has gone on to play 62 games, Mooroopna's Nathan Drummond played once in his first season and went on to play five AFL games, while Shepparton's Jordon Butts and Mooroopna's Laitham Vandermeer did not debut during their first year on their lists.

Carlton coach and Katandra product David Teague understood the debate, but said denying talented 18-year-olds a chance to play AFL could not happen.

“Depending on what happens this year, I understand the circumstances,” Teague said.

“But I would hate to think that (2018 No. 1 draft pick) Sam Walsh would have to wait an extra 12 months to deliver what he did last year.”

Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew, who currently nurtures three Goulburn Valley products, suggested the opinions of players and their families were more important than that of coaches.

“I know speaking to the parents of draftees, that last year in Year 12 if it lines up with their draft year, that's a lot of pressure. Would they benefit from that (increase)?" Dew said.

“I'm probably a bit removed from it, so I think whoever makes the decision on that needs to ask players who have been through it and also the families, I think that'd be the best point of action.

“To see what's their opinion, they've lived it in the last four-to-five years and beyond, but particularly in the last four-to-five years the focus on that draft age it's one, exciting, but it's also come with a fair bit of pressure with what else is in their life.”