Glad we picked a player who can play on the flanks for now given Raz, Saad, McKenna are gone.
Thrilled to have this kid on board, was the one I was excited about. Looks like he could possibly be one who really lights it up.
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Archie Perkins was being honest. The AFL can’t ignore that
Peter Ryan
December 9, 2020 — 8.32pm
Archie Perkins won’t forget – or more likely, won’t be allowed to forget – the day he was drafted to Essendon with pick nine in the national draft.
He’s a Bomber, the midfielder picked at nine between two talls also heading to Essendon - Nik Cox at eight and Zach Reid at 10 - but it was the Brighton Grammar product’s decision to express his preference for remaining in Victoriathat created headlines.
As soon as he aired publicly what he had already been telling clubs from outside his home state – that he didn’t think he would thrive beyond the state border – he opened an emotional conversation.
Archie Perkins with Andy McGrath on Wednesday.Getty Images
That emotion is what we love about football, but let’s take the chance to address the issue his comments raise, without directing any vehemence towards Perkins, who has enough expectations to carry now he is a Bomber.
“I get that they’re doing what’s in the best interests of their footy club, but I just think personally that I’m not ready for that in this stage of my life,” Perkins said on SEN radio.
“I feel like it would impact me too much and I don’t think it would be in their best interests as a footy club to have me there because I wouldn’t be 100 per cent with it, and couldn’t really commit myself 100 per cent as opposed to staying here.”
For a start, Perkins was being honest about his preference, not telling clubs outside Victoria he would refuse to go their way if they picked him, a point his manager Robbie D’Orazio made to AFL Media when trying to douse the firestorm created by his comments, which could be seen as draft tampering.
No one should criticise an 18-year-old for being honest about his apprehension and his reluctance for his career to go a certain way, because that is healthy. But without denigrating him personally you could easily argue that if a player is not ready to move outside Victoria, they should not nominate for the draft.
Perhaps the sensible thing to do would be for those around a player who had that thought to say “just spend another year at home, with friends and family, playing in the VFL/east coast competition or NAB League under-19 competition until you’re ready”.
Eyebrows might be raised, but so what? Such a decision needs to be respected more than I sense it would be at the moment. Perkins had made no secret of his preference in interviews he held before draft day, so that should have been a conversation he had with those around him.
In the end, three clubs from outside Victoria – Adelaide, Sydney and the Gold Coast – had the chance to pick him before the Bombers, but did not.
The second advantage of a player being honest is that if a non-Victorian club had chosen to take him, they were aware of the risk and could create an environment that would help him settle into a new town.
If premiership Bulldog Tom Boyd’s experience in his first season taught us one thing, it’s that it is best for 18-year-olds to be honest, because they will all feel different emotions about what they have ahead of them in 2021 and people within clubs will help them.
But Perkins’ expression of his preference also has a potential effect that could be viewed as compromising the draft.
The reality is that he appeared less available to eight clubs outside Victoria than the 10 inside, particularly as it’s hard enough retaining players who move states at the best of times.
His comments, regardless of their effect on each club’s decision on whether to take him or not, create an unhealthy perception around one of the league’s key equalisation planks.
It also might encourage other youngsters to try the same approach.
That means the AFL has to take the lead, investigate how broad the issue is and put in steps to stop any issues arising from the need of some players to stay near home.
The AFL appointed the highly regarded mental health team led by Dr Kate Hall and their input into the pathway program is vital.
The first point to be made is that talent pathways must prepare the professional footballers for the cold, hard reality that to play AFL they may need to move away for home and have them equipped to do that by the time they nominate for the national draft.
If the experts think that is impossible, then serious consideration needs to be given to raising the draft age or putting a limit on the number of players from each draft that can be selected at 18.
It is an issue the AFL has danced around for too long without fully addressing.
Not everyone is Matt Rowell, but plenty of talented footballers are less worldly than aspiring professional tennis players, golfers, basketballers and cricketers.)
The AFL must concede their approach is less sophisticated than it needs to be in preparing them for life in the AFL.
Rather than criticise Perkins for being open, thank him for restarting a conversation the industry must have.
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Rapt with this selection! We desperately need mids who can kick goals and are strong overhead, which is what I’m sure we hope Archie develops into over time.
His highlights on the Bombers website are almost better than the other ones on YouTube! Hope he earns his spot and plays every game next year.
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So we getting done for draft tampering?
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Just like the time when the club spread rumours about Heppel’s OP on draft night haha
Bit of a lose canon i like him even more lols
I don’t think he said “loose canon”…
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#loosestcntinportsea 
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He’s already ■■■■■■■ of opposition supporters at bigfooty with his comments about not wanting to move interstate will be hated even more that he plays for us
We have a winner with Perkins in my books
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This kid epitomises private school wanker.
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Yeah but he’s our private school wanker
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So Archie would have been in year 8 when Andy was his School Captain?
Must feel surreal for the kid. And I hope this Rob Shaw product turns out as good as he last one he sold us on.
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Possibly. But I am sick of vanilla choirboys. Get some fukheds in who know how to football with a farkucarlton attitude.
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Bailey Smith is that type
Funny the players that seem/look like wankers are normally ones that can football.
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This article is ridiculous. It illustrates the pile of ■■■■ that is AFL media. The author doesn’t want to thank him…he is insinuating draft tampering under the false pretense of “starting the conversation”.
This also highlights the crazy pressure put on young men by this industry. He is a talent and has a high value to a lot of clubs…why shouldn’t he have a say in where he would like to go? In every other profession you get to make that same choice, why does elite sport and the AFL expect something different?
If he was a borderline draftee, then you may expect the situation to be different…because the choice isn’t available.
Also, a player makes a statement like this at their own risk. Clubs may think he isn’t professional and therefore not draft him…but that is the players risk to take and their choice to make such a statement. I have absolutely nothing with young players coming out and saying “■■■■ Carlton, I don’t want to play there”. It is honest. We need to stop expecting these young men to be emotionless robots that know exactly the right things to say and do.
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Courted criticism and controversy before we even draft him. Welcome Archie. You’re obviously meant to be at Essendon!
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Lol, draft tampering!? Because he wasn’t taken top 6? Laughable garbage.
He was never once in the frame for pick 1 at Adelaide. Sydney had the best key forward fall in their lap. Gold Coast had the notional best player in the draft (pre ACL) fall in theirs. Yet Ryan feels the need to mention three interstate clubs didn’t choose him, as if it were unusual!? Spare me.
If he’d slipped past the Giants multiple picks, there may have been a case to be made.
Irrelevant conjecture now.
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