31 TAC Cup and Peter Jackson VFL players were amongst those selected in today’s AFL Preseason and Rookie Drafts.
The 11 VFL rookie selections is almost double the amount selected in 2010 (6) with Bendigo leading the way with three players rookied. This figure adds to the five previously recruited VFL players this year - Ahmed Saad (Northern Blues to St Kilda), Tim Mohr (Casey Scorpions to GWS), Jarrad Boumann (Box Hill Hawks to Hawthorn), Tory Dickson (Bendigo to Western Bulldogs) and Orren Stephenson (North Ballarat to Geelong) - in the NAB AFL Draft (2) and predraft selections (3).
It was a similar story in the TAC Cup with 18 players rookied (up from 10 in 2010) plus two players selected in the preseason draft (0 last year). This adds to the 42 TAC Cup players selected in the NAB AFL Draft (38) and predraft selections (3).
“The TAC Cup continues to be the premier pathway in Australia to the AFL,” AFL Victoria Football Operations Manager John Hook said.
“It is a credit to the TAC Cup clubs and also the High Performance Managers who are able to develop this talent as they make their way through the TAC Program.
“These players have entered the TAC Program from over 50 local community clubs all over Victoria, and these clubs should also be applauded for the role they played in the development of these players.”
Hook was also pleased with the number of players recruited from the Peter Jackson VFL in 2011.
“The number of players rookied from the Peter Jackson VFL continues to reflect not only the standard of the competition, but the ability of VFL clubs to develop AFL footballers.
“The VFL competition provides a second chance to those players not drafted straight from the TAC Cup, and also gives opportunities to those players that may be delisted by AFL clubs to highlight what they are capable of at a competitive state league level.”
Some of the stories from the preseason and rookie drafts included:
· Gippsland Powers Danny Butcher joining brother John at Port Adelaide
· Western Bulldogs recruiting rookie Lin Jong from the Oakleigh Chargers, the son of East Timorese and Taiwanese parents
· Former Western Bulldogs player Malcolm Lynch redrafted to the AFL with North Melbourne after two seasons with VFL premiers Port Melbourne
· Former Richmond and St Kilda player Adam Pattison rookied by Hawthorn after a season with the Box Hill Hawks
· Werribee Tigers backman Brad Mangan rookied by North Melbourne, having previously played with the Murray Bushrangers in the TAC Cup in 2009
A full list of the TAC Cup and Peter Jackson VFL players recruited can be viewed below.
Summary:
NAB AFL Draft
2 VFL players selected
3 VFL predraft selections
39 TAC Cup players selected
3 TAC Cup predraft selections
AFL preseason/rookie drafts
2 TAC Cup preseason picks
18 TAC Cup rookie selections
11 VFL rookie selections
TOTALS:
VFL = 16 players
TAC Cup = 62 players
Players drafted:
TAC Cup
Click HERE to view all the TAC Cup NAB AFL Draft Selections
Click HERE to view the TAC Cup preseason and rookie selections
Peter Jackson VFL
Click HERE to view all the VFL NAB AFL Draft Selections
Click HERE to view the VFL rookie selections
http://www.afl.com.au/development/nabaflrisingstarsprogram/nabafldraftcombine/meettheplayers/tabid/16667/default.aspx
Last Modified on 17/12/2011 14:24