SA Footy

Jai Bednall @ localfootysa wrote:
DRAFT CAMP

There were a few surprises in the list of SA boys invited to both the national and state draft camps.

For those of you who haven't seen the lists yet here they are:

National- Brodie Smith, Zac Fitzgerald, Nathan Batley, Jared Polec, Jake Von Bertouch, Josh Growden*, Jarrod Harding*, Matthew Jacquier* (Eagles), Pat McCarthy, Seb Tape (Glenelg), Daniel Gorringe (Norwood), Jamie Solly, Scott Lycett, Tim Milera (Port), George Horlin-Smith, Sam Day (Sturt), Matthew Rankine, Nathan Ahmat-Watkins (West).

State - Lee Spurr (Central), Archie Longbottom, Darcy Armfield (Glenelg), Kriston Thompson, Lachlan Roach (North), Gavin Roberts, Jimmi Savage, James Moss* (Norwood), Kory Beard, Ben Haren, Daniel Kulikowski, Terry Milera (Port), Kenn Campbell (South), Jon Giles, Karl Siebels, Mitch Curnow (Sturt), Bradley Helbig, Dylan Ribbons, Jon Beech, Luke Davis (West).

* 17-year-olds invited by Greater Western Sydney who are ineligible to be drafted but able to be signed by GWS as part of their draft concessions.

Of those going to the national camp - Tim Milera and George Horlin-Smith are the biggest surprises.

Milera missed out on selection in the state under-18 team because he wasn't fit enough but had a breathtaking league debut against Glenelg recently and can seriously play.

Horlin-Smith has apparently been ``hidden'' by one or more AFL clubs at Pembroke School where he has been playing college footy for most of the season. But he's also showed he's got skills in the games he has played for Sturt this year.

Eagles trio Josh Growden, Jarrod Harding and Matthew Jacquier are all a chance to be one of the dozen 17-year-olds GWS signs.

Growden and Harding have had some monster games at under-18 level this season while Jacquier - the son of former Woodville defender Steve Jacquier - has kicked some big bags for Immanuel College.

As for the state camp invites, there's quite a few good stories, including:

- Former Power player Jon Giles being rewarded for becoming the SANFL's most dominant ruckman this season.

- Recruiters noticing the potential of South speedster Kenn Campbell who is perhaps one of the rawest players in the SANFL at the moment. He dazzled on debut against Norwood before a training mishap at his local club Goolwa-Port Elliot saw him miss three months with a broken cheekbone. But he's back now and is sure to impress in the 20m sprint. I just hope no one was watching his game on Saturday.

- Jon Beech, who is not overly flashy, but consistently beats his man.

- Lee Spurr, who made a well-documented decision not to return to Queensland before last season and would have to be on the Gold Coast's radar.

Obviously an invitation to the state camp isn't the be all and end all of getting picked up.

Players like Nick Lower, Scott Bricknell and Brayden O'Hara would still be in with a chance of getting drafted but
AFL recruiters already know what these guys can do so there's not a lot of point in having them tested again.

There will also be a few guys who haven't been invited because AFL clubs are hoping to keep them hidden.

The biggest omissions were Port's Sam Gray who has surely done enough at state under-18 and league level this year to warrant some attention as well as Jarrod Schiller who had a solid carnival and has been dynamic since breaking into Central's league side.

The Dark Knight wrote:Well done Timmy on being invited to the Draft camp. I hope like hell he's gets picked up, he's certainly good enough. Just needs to work on his fitness levels though.

Hope Jamie Solly does well also. He's a star in the making.

Oh and BP, it's Ben Haren- not Harem. Well done to him and Daniel Kulikowski aswell.

It's good to see guys I played against to go into the AFL draft camp.