I don’t have the combine results myself, I only repeat what I can find posted elsewhere. Don’t have their 2km time trial results, but yes I do recall hearing that Clarke was elite.
Just subjectively, I would say Zak is slightly above average for pace, and ADW is pretty rapid.
Just remembered Ricky Dyson coached Parade, wonder if he had any influence on us taking Johnson
yeah that’s fair, i freely admit there’s probably a healthy dose of confirmation bias going on here
Two powerhouse Victorian high schools almost 130 kilometres apart produced the most new AFL footballers this year as private schools continued their drafting domination.
Brighton Grammar (five draftees) and St Patrick’s College Ballarat (three) were in celebration mode from Wednesday night’s first round of the national draft, through to Friday’s rookie draft.
Parade College, coached by ex-Bomber Ricky Dyson, also had three national draftees, including 2023 graduate Isaac Kako, whom Essendon selected.
Levi Ashcroft (pick No.5), Harry Oliver (19), Luke Trainor (21), Josh Dolan (31) and Lennox Hofmann (66) were not only key contributors in Brighton Grammar’s unbeaten title run in 2024 – their second APS premiership in three seasons under Simon McPhee – but also realised their AFL dream.
It was a record-smashing haul for Brighton, bettering the private school’s effort from 11 years ago, when Josh Kelly, Christian Salem and Jayden Hunt graduated to the big time.
“It’s exciting when you’ve got one or two drafted in a year, but to have five in a national draft is pretty amazing,” Brighton Grammar’s director of sport, Jack Joslin, told The Age.
“We were even hopeful, potentially, to have Bailey McKenzie [drafted] … but we’re rapt for five of them to get an AFL opportunity.”
Trainor – one of six players Richmond picked in the first round – kicked the match-winning goal for Vic Metro over Vic Country at the under-18 championships, and his behind from a set shot in the dying minutes against Haileybury College also broke a deadlock that eventually led to Brighton’s flag.
That match was effectively the APS grand final, but Brighton still had two games to play and trailed in the final term a week later against St Kevin’s College before coming from behind, as they did against Haileybury.
Brighton also survived eventual No.1 draft pick Sam Lalor’s first-half heroics to beat Geelong Grammar in the last match to seal a perfect season.
Only 19 of the 71 draftees picked up in the national draft came from a public school, but Joslin said there was an unfair perception that private schools always “poached” talented footballers.
“It’s not often us, or any schools in the APS, swooping on kids,” he said.
“I would say it’s often the parents of boys in state schools, or the like, reaching out to schools in the private system, knowing the offerings they get – not just from a resource standpoint for footy, [because] I think that’s secondary.
“I think it’s more the academic networking opportunities … so I would like to change the vernacular around us poaching, or swooping, on boys or girls in the state system.”
t Patrick’s College students Ollie Hannaford (pick No.18) and Jack Ough (36) are both headed to the Giants, while schoolmate Harry Charleson joined Carlton in the rookie draft.
The Ballarat school could have had five draftees, too, with Lalor a past student before crossing to Geelong Grammar for his final two years, and Rhys Unwin choosing to attend Mercy Regional College after committing to St Pat’s.
St Patrick’s College director of football Howard Clark, who coached the school’s team for 18 years and led it to seven Herald Sun Shield premierships, including six in a row from 2010 to 2015, was delighted for all five boys.
“They’ve dreamt about this since they were little boys, so [for them] to be given that opportunity, you’re so thrilled for them,” Clark said.
“It’s a great endorsement of the culture that permeates through the school, and certainly not just football, but a positive culture [in general]. There will be 18 St Pat’s boys on AFL lists next year … that is a significant number.
“It means what we’re doing [is working], but also in conjunction with the Greater Western Victoria Rebels – it’s a great alignment – and you’re providing a chance for these boys to be given these opportunities each year.”
St Patrick’s College, coached by Jason Lappin, lost the Associated Catholic Colleges grand final to Parade College in June, after finding out the night before that none of their Vic Country representatives were allowed to play because the AFL under-18 championships were on.
However, Clark said there was a greater goal beyond draftees and premierships for every student who came through the school.
“It’s not [just] about footy – it’s about trying to educate them, so they can become the very best young men,” he said.
“If they don’t leave our program a better young man, then we failed them. That’s our No.1 priority. If they have some success along the way, then great, in terms of being drafted, but only a very small number get to do that.”
If Hannaford is any gauge, Clark and co. have succeeded.
Ballarat, as a community, suffered through three high-profile killings of women within a matter of months early this year.
In response, Hannaford initiated the “Break the Cycle” event to raise funds and awareness about domestic violence. For the event, teams of students and staff rode four exercise bikes non-stop across a 24-hour period, with Hannaford helping to raise more than $8000.
He was St Patrick’s College’s football and boarding captain.
“Ollie is an outstanding young man and leader,” Clark said. “He also won our best and fairest when he was in year 11, so he has a lot going for him.”
Victoria
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
6. Harvey Langford (Melbourne) - Mornington Secondary College
10. Alix Tauru (St Kilda) - Lowanna College, Newborough
20. Cooper Hynes (Western Bulldogs) - Rowville Sports Academy
32. James Barrat (St Kilda) - Bendigo Senior Secondary College
35. Noah Mraz (Hawthorn) - Berwick College
48. Lucca Grego (West Coast) - Maribyrnong Sports Academy
61. Rhys Unwin (Essendon) - Mercy Regional College, Camperdown
62. Luke Kennedy (Western Bulldogs) - McKinnon Secondary College
69. Keighton Matofai-Forbes (Geelong) - Lakeview Senior College
South Australia
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
4. Sid Draper (Adelaide) - Cardijn College
26. Ned Bowman (Sydney) - St Peter’s College
34. Charlie Nicholls (Fremantle) - Faith Lutheran College
39. Angus Clarke (Essendon) - Tenison Woods College
43. Ben Camporeale (Carlton) - Sacred Heart College
44. Jay Polkinghorne (Geelong) - Prince Alfred College
50. Charlie West (Collingwood) - Immanuel College
54. Lucas Camporeale (Carlton) - Sacred Heart College
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
52. Jacob Molier (Geelong) - Heathfield High School
53. Alex Dodson (St Kilda) - Glenunga International High School
59. Tyler Welsh (Adelaide) - Henley High School
Western Australia
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
16. Bo Allan (West Coast) - Mandurah Catholic College
45. Hugh Boxshall (St Kilda) - Scotch College
56. Will Hayes (Collingwood) - Christ Church Grammar School
57. Luke Urquhart (North Melbourne) - Aquinas College
63. Jaren Carr (Fremantle) - Corpus Christi College
65. Hamish Davis (West Coast) - Hale School
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
24. Cody Angove (GWS) - Churchlands Senior High School
New South Wales/ACT
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
47. Joel Cochran (Collingwood) - The Scots College, Sydney
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
41. Riley Bice (Sydney) - Xavier High School, Albury
49. Cooper Bell (Gold Coast) - Hawker College, Canberra
68. Aidan Johnson (Melbourne) - Murray High School, Albury
71. Logan Smith (GWS) - Erindale College, Canberra
Queensland
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
9. Leo Lombard (Gold Coast) - Varsity College
42. Ty Gallop (Brisbane Lions) - Mountain Creek State High School
Article doesn’t include the word “elite”, so possibly the most balanced article about this stuff that’s been written.
Still it’s free advertising for giant money making organisations.
What are the odds the article was written by a BGS old boy?
Just for reference, back in the day when i was a lot more connected with this stuff and i’d do my hype threads on blitz, i’d whittle a list of around 30 prospects down to 8-10 kids who i thought could make and impact at AFL level.
This year is at best I would have cut down a list of 8-10 to about 3 and maybe a flyer.
I think at this point it’s safe to say that the NGA program and academies has actually had a detrimental impact on developing indigenous footballers.
It either needs to be completely rebuilt or taken away completely.
I have a radical idea on how to fix it
The AFL is the biggest old boys network I’ve ever dealt with. It makes perfect sense that parents would want their kids to get access and the advantages come with that.
I don’t know, if it was it would have used “the elite Brighton grammar” I’d have thought…
Sometimes clubs and coaches are under pressure and go for the very short term solution. This always ends up a disaster.
Kids going to be a gun I know some people are are saying we should use our picks next year to go after Harley Reid I say stuff that trade em up to get into a spot for Sharp
I think Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre is under represented
I agree going into this season neither should be the automatic lock for number one ruck it should be earnt
They never give the numbers for the slower members. Someone posted earlier that Two Dads run a 20m of 3.2. If true it is not express but still AFL pace, you would want any slower though
3.2 is extremely slow.
With no ego ‘look at me’ head wobble.
What is it?
I believe you are right, i think i was being a bit generous. What do you believe AFL pace is?
Depends on the position, and depends on lot on other factors. A strong agility test combined with with reaction speeds can make up for slower acceleration… and there have been stars of the comp that overcome a poor athletic profile with other attributes and capability. Cripps and Bont are two classic examples of guys that tested really poorly, and even Harley didn’t blow anyone away at the combine.
Just speaking in very general terms then my own sort of rubric - I think a zippy small forward would like to be trying to push under 3 seconds and not much over that. Express pace for a mid can be a point of difference but they can be a bit slower, ideally under 3.2. The talls can be slower again, but you’d still rather be under the 3.2 or not much over it.
Cheers