ADELAIDE welcomed a pair of state Under 18 teammates to the fold via this year’s National AFL Draft, including the top local prospect and a long-awaited father-son selection. Find out how the selections came about and what each fresh face promises to bring to West Lakes.

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DRAFT HAUL

National Draft:

4. Sid Draper
59. Tyler Welsh (F/S)

Rookie Draft:

3. Harry Schoenberg (re-listed)
16. Chris Burgess (re-listed)

After late talk of a trade up to pick two dissipated, Adelaide’s draft strategy loomed as a relatively straightforward one. Rumours suggested the Crows would target North Melbourne’s pick two and thus Jagga Smith, but they settled on maintaining their hand heading into night one.

With Carlton snapping up Smith, the best available prospect on Adelaide’s board was top local talent Sid Draper – not Harvey Langford, who had also been linked. The South Adelaide midfielder promises to inject much-needed speed and flair to the Crows’ engine room which lacks points of difference.

Draper is also an ultra-professional athlete whose preparation and dedication can hardly be faulted. His senior experience makes him a readymade proposition and despite having his start to the season scuppered by injury, he return to hit his straps late in the campaign.

With its first selection settled, Adelaide next had eyes on fulfilling its commitment to father-son nominee Tyler Welsh. The son of Scott will take on his father’s number 17 jersey after having his name called out with pick 59, late on night two.

Welsh is a powerful 191cm forward who played nine games with Adelaide’s reserves via the SANFL Rookie Program. His feats this year include booting five goals against Port Adelaide, kicking eight in his lone Under 18s outing, and leading South Australia’s goalkicking at the National Championships.

Both players’ preseasons will be watched closely, for different reasons. By his own admission, Draper overworked during the break between 2023-24, resulting in shin stress fractures, while Welsh has a ways to go when it comes to his overall fitness and running capacity.

The Crows’ only other point of call was to re-list Harry Schoenberg and Chris Burgess via Wednesday’s Rookie Draft. Adelaide is not among the clubs with list vacancies to fill heading into the supplemental selection period, so will not have any additional train-ons at this stage.