THE SON of Mark and Nicole Bradtke is not far away from making a decision on his future after setting his sights on forging an AFL career.

Austin Bradtke, 17, will decide which club he will join as a Category B rookie over the next month. 

The 205cm tall last year was part of Vic Metro’s basketball Under 18 National Championships victory and is eligible for being a Category B Rookie, having not been registered to play football in the past three years.

AFLDraftCentral.com.au understands that Melbourne are currently the club in the box seat to secure Bradtke’s services, having met with a number of Victorian clubs in recent times. 

The Haileybury College student played junior football at East Sandringham Junior Football Club alongside likely top-10 candidates, and fellow school mates, Max and Ben King.

While the agile tall is yet to decide on his decision, Melbourne are the front runners with Geelong certainly in play for the talented teenager. Geelong’s 2017 draftee Charlie Constable was a former Haileybury College student and should Bradtke elect to move to Geelong, the sight of a familiar face in Constable may make the transition smoother to AFL life. It had been believed in the past that a link to Stephen Silvagni and Carlton may be fruitful for Bradtke. 

With a talented family pedigree, after Australian Hall of Famer Father Mark was a three-time NBL Champion, 2002 NBL MVP and former NBA playerand& mother Nicole was a dual grand slam mixed double champion in 1992, clubs will be lining up for the service of Austin – who can choose any club he would like to join in the AFL.

Current Adelaide player Hugh Greenwood is one of the most recent converts from basketball to AFL, joining the Crows as a Category B player in 2015 – where he has since played 18 games, including last year’s AFL Grand Final. 

Check out Austin’s basketball highlights here.