State’s best in North’s sights

SOME Tasmanian footballers taking part in North Melbourne’s Next Generation Academy are already in the club’s sights as future draft targets, chief executive Carl Dilena says.

North Melbourne, who will continue to play three games a year in Hobart for at least the next five seasons, is in Tasmania this week for a community camp that includes school visits and local engagement.

Speaking in Hobart yesterday, Dilena said the club was pleased with the current deal and was keenly monitoring some of the state’s best young male footballers through its Tasmanian academy.

Tasmania missed out on a draft pick for the first time last year, but last month academy members Rhyan Mansell, Leiwyn Jones, Tarryn Thomas and Tyran Mansell visited the Kangaroos for a second time in as many years.

“We’ve got our academy programs that we will be running this year for ages 11 to 15 to develop the pathways,” Dilena said.

“We’ve also got a concerted effort with certain individuals who we’ve got on our radar for potential drafting. Under the academy program, the first draft that those players will be eligible for is the 2018 draft and we certainly have a prime candidate from Tassie on our radar.”

Dilena also said the AFL had indicated it would be two years until the next round of teams would be introduced into the AFL Women’s competition.

“We’d see ourselves very high on the list of candidates,” he said.

The AFL had tasked the club to develop Tasmanian female talent through the academy.

“There’s four [Tasmanian] players in the national league at the moment and they [the AFL] would ideally like to see that 10plus,” Dilena said.

“There’s a national draft system with the women’s competition, so you can’t just pick who you want. What the AFL would like to see us do, as part of the commitment to Tasmania, is get priority access to the female talent in Tasmania if we develop it and bring it into the national women’s competition.”

Meanwhile, Roos captain Jack Ziebell said yesterday it was great to be in Hobart again and spread the club’s brand in the state.

“From a player’s point of view, I think the decision the club made to play three games a year in Hobart has been fantastic,” he said.