25 nominate for Greater Western Sydney mini-draftBy Jason Phelan
Tue 02 Aug, 2011FOUR All Australians from the 2011 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships feature in the high-calibre group of players to nominate for the special GWS mini-draft to be held during this year's trade week.
West Australian Jaeger O'Meara, South Australian pair Ben Kennedy and Brodie Grundy and Victorian Brad Crouch head the impressive group of nominees.
A player needs to have been born in 1993 or earlier to be eligible for this year's NAB AFL Draft, but one of the concessions granted to GWS allows for players whose birthdays fall between January 1 and April 30, 1994, to be claimed by a club with one of four special picks the Giants will trade away for draft picks, experienced players or both over the next two years.
O'Meara, a gifted forward-midfielder, is a certainty to find himself at an AFL club a year ahead of time, but the quality of the pool could tempt clubs into putting an offer to the Giants that they can't refuse.
"Football is about grabbing your chances and taking your opportunities and this was a unique one presented to boys born in this particular age bracket," AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan said.
"We're rapt that the highly credentialed, highly regarded young players from around Australia that were eligible for this mini-draft have actually nominated and made a commitment to go into it to try their luck.
"You need to be in it to win that professional opportunity and the time might be coming for between one to four of these boys."
Of the 25 nominees, between eight and 10 will be invited to work out at the NAB AFL Draft Combine, to be held at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne from October 4, so they can push their cases for selection at the mini-draft.
Players that have nominated for the mini-draft, but do not get selected, will go into the talent pool for the 2012 NAB AFL Draft.
It is believed the Giants are demanding a hefty price for the rights to one of the four selections with Adelaide, which covets local small forward Kennedy, and GWS recently at odds over the new club's demands for a player rated in the Crows' top 10.
That price was well outside Adelaide's expectations at the time, but the SA club will be handed an extra bargaining chip with the likely first-round draft pick compensation to be awarded it due to the loss of key defender Phil Davis to GWS.
A player selected at the mini-draft won't be able to play for their new club until the 2013 season thanks to a rule that requires players to turn 19 in their first year of AFL football, but there are many other benefits to be had.
"Depending on their scholastic situation, they can train full-time at the club, but would need to play in the state league throughout the year," Sheehan said.
"He can't be a member of the senior list, but will be paid first-round draft pick money which is a great bonus for any young fella straight out of secondary school.
"But a player certainly wouldn't have to move interstate if circumstances suggested he still had some things to take care of at home."
The players who nominated by yesterday's 2pm deadline were: Chase Bower (Norwood, SA), Adam Carter (South Fremantle, WA), Brad Crouch (North Ballarat Rebels, Vic), Dayle Garlett (Swan Districts, WA), Brodie Grundy (Sturt, SA), Matthew Haynes (Northern Knights, Vic), Riley Hutchinson (East Perth, WA), Emmanuel Irra (South Adelaide, SA), Ben Kennedy (Glenelg, SA), Aaron Loccon (Norwood, SA), Sean Lynch (South Fremantle, WA), Todd McKay (South Adelaide, SA), Jaeger O'Meara (Dongara/ Railways, WA), Jonathan O'Rourke (Calder Cannons, Vic), Jason Pongracic (Dandenong Stingrays, Vic), Mason Shaw (South Fremantle, WA), Josh Simpson (North Adelaide, SA), Jake Stringer (Bendigo Pioneers, Vic), Shannon Taylor (Claremont, WA), Jimmy Toumpas (Woodville West Torrens, SA), Nick Vlastuin (Northern Knights, Vic), Matt Wallis (Norwood, SA), Laine Wilkins (Peel Thunder, WA), Daniel Williamson (Norwood, SA), Christopher Yarran (Perth, WA).
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