PLAN TO SAVE THIS YEAR’S AFL DRAFT CROP: SPORT

TURNER: Age rise can save this year’s crop

GEELONG Falcons talent manager Michael Turner has raised the prospect of lifting the age of the NAB League competition next year to help expose some of the competition’s best young prospects.

Turner believes the draft age should be lifted from 18 to 19 in 2021 to give this year’s hopefuls a second chance at getting drafted.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan on Saturday admitted pathways football was looking “unlikely” this year because of the coronavirus, but officially the league has said the earliest games will start is June.

Turner said the Falcons had already sent vision of their players to AFL clubs to give their draft hopefuls the best chance of being selected.

“If we don’t get back in June … I think next year, and it’s completely up to the AFL, I would be rolling this year’s cohort into an under-19s comp,” Turner said before McLachlan’s comments.

“The advantage of that is they’ve all finished school, they’re all available every week, you don’t have all the start-up costs of buying apparel and footballs.

“The cost-saving to the AFL would be enormous in rolling it to next year because they don’t have to have all those start-up costs.

“The most expensive part of the year for us, or any club, is all the money you spend between November and March to get everyone ready in apparel, gear and footballs before the season starts.

“Once the season starts, costs go down dramatically.”

AFL clubs are fearful they will be only given one or two picks in this year’s draft as the league looks to significantly reduce the salary cap and list sizes. It means this year’s draftees face major hurdles in their efforts to get drafted this year.

McLachlan said he was confident there would be a draft this year, with clubs selecting players on “unexposed form”.

With recruiters among the club staff stood down, stateleague players with proven senior form might be preferred this year over under-18 players.

McLachlan said the draft combines would also have more importance this year.

“Really, they’re going to rely on past form and what those guys did in their secondlast year. That’s the reality of it,” McLachlan said.

Each NAB League club is only allowed up to six 19-yearolds on their list, but that could be lifted for next season to give all of the best teenagers another go at it next season.

“From my perspective, you always give your kids hope,” Turner said.

“We have got a lot of potential draftees. AFL clubs know that (and) we’ve already sent the vision to all the AFL clubs.

“We’re one of the very few clubs that would have done that.

“We’ve got a massive amount of data and vision that’s already gone out to AFL clubs.

“We obviously tell the boys this and they take comfort in that the clubs have got all that vision.

“I think we’re pretty proactive on those things and then the next thing you’ve got to do is you’ve got to give the boys and girls hope that we’re hoping to get back in June.”

The draft age is always a topic of discussion in AFL circles but Turner said next year would be the ideal time to lift it.

“You just don’t want to lose a year. The AFL is very aware of that (and) they don’t want to lose a year of talent,” he said.

“We’re in exceptional circumstances at the moment so this might be the opportunity.”