ROOKIES’ RATINGS
THE Gold Coast’s best and brightest young footballers should hold their own in the AFL’s annual meat market.
Three Gold Coast Suns academy members are rated among the top five Queenslanders going into the draft, which will be held in Melbourne tonight and tomorrow.
Broadbeach midfielder Bailey Scott, who captained the Allies at the national under-18 championships this year, is set to join North Melbourne under the father-son rule. He is a son of Robert Scott, who played 132 games for Geelong and 111 for North Melbourne.
Mark Browning, the AFL Academies manager for Queensland, NSW and the ACT, said there had been some draft interest in Palm Beach Currumbin’s Dirk Koenen.
Koenen started with the Suns through their Townsville academy before shifting south to play football and finish school at Palm Beach Currumbin
Fellow Suns academy member Caleb Graham, who also plays for Palm Beach Currumbin, is another of the leading Queensland draft prospects.
Browning said despite the competitive environment, Queensland’s top talent should still attract attention during the next two days.
“The landscape is certainly changing with the national draft, the rookie draft, the Category B rookies and international players as well as quite a few father-son selections and the NGAs (Next Generation Academies),’’ Browning said.
“You are never totally sure about how you are going to go but Queensland has some genuine chances.
“As long as they get on a list and get an opportunity, we are happy.’’
Suns academy pair Brodie Foster (Surfers Paradise) and Emmanuel Baru (Labrador) and Southport NEAFL player Josh Clayton (see story on opposite page) are others who are hoping to be picked up in drafts this year.
The Gold Coast Suns have three picks in the first round of the draft - picks 2, 3 and 6.
Inaugural Gold Coast life member and games recordholder Jarrod Harbrow will present the Suns jumper to their top pick tonight.