Online actions on club radars

AFL clubs are tracking the social media profiles of aspirants six months out from November’s national draft to weed out players of questionable character.

Clubs have started handing out lists of 50-100 potential draftees to the club’s social media team to track for the entire season leading into the draft.

It allows list managers to assess any problematic posts and weigh a player’s character or weak spots, with clubs making huge investments into their early draft selections.

The Blues were embarrassed when they drafted Blaine Boekhorst in 2014 only to discover he had previously posted a tweet calling for thencoach Mick Malthouse to be sacked.

Now Carlton is able to use the tracking of draftees’ social media accounts as a cautionary tale for its new recruits, making them aware that anything they post in future years will be heavily scrutinised.

AFL clubs are increasingly going to extreme lengths to ensure the players they draft are maximising their potential.

Clubs speak to scores of family members, friends and school connections that surround players to ensure there are no red flags that will cruel their chances of AFL success.

AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan said yesterday the players were repeatedly educated on the perils of social media in the lead-up to the November 22-23 draft.

“Clubs are looking for chinks in the armour that might suggest something about your character,” Sheehan said. “Boekhorst didn’t quite realise that it might bite him on the bum, but these days players are taught about the dos and don’ts.

“In the national academy that is a major focus because they are the guys most likely to get picked up.

“The Boekhorst example has been given and for a long time it has been a major focus.

“Some classic NFL and NBA examples are used too because there have been some classic blunders.”

Sheehan said when AFL representatives talked to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at the NFL combine he said he personally spoke to potential first-round picks to assess their character.

“He would say ‘ the recruiters can tell me about his talent but I want to tell you about his character because he will be the face of my business’,” Sheehan said. “That has become quite vital for clubs these days because that first pick is strongly promoted and they are the guys you want to represent your club.”