Gun midfielder Jayden Laverde will be “hot property” at Thursday night’s AFL national draft, according to Western Jets coach Torin Baker.
Laverde is tipped to become the top player to be handpicked from the Jets’ stable and might go as high as the top five on a night that could see a record number of players selected from
the club in the TAC Cup’s modern configurations.
The Jets’ single-year record was 10 (in 1994), but that came at a time when they had ownership of the Calder region and when AFL clubs had bigger lists and were less likely to pass on choices later in the draft.
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Since the 1995 introduction of the Calder Cannons, which turned the Jets region into one of the smallest in the elite under-18 competition, the club’s best effort at the draft table came in 1997 with four players chosen.
“In the early years when there weren’t as many teams, we got quite a lot drafted … every TAC Cup team was getting eight or nine drafted,” Baker said.
“Since the competition has expanded to 12 teams, the most we’ve had is four in a year.
“The AFL lists were a bit bigger then … now it’s generally only 60 picks taken.”
The Jets are bracing for a major haul at this year’s draft with at least six players in the mix.
The locks are a trio of exciting midfielders in the form of Laverde, Liam Duggan and Corey Ellis.
There is a strong feeling that speedster Connor Menadue and rebounding half-back Dillon Viojo-Rainbow will be taken in the middle rounds.
The late-round surprise could be swingman Brenton Payne.
“There’s certainly been a lot of phantom drafts that have suggested we’ll have a number of players picked,” Baker said.
“Whether that works out to be four, five or six, that’s where it could be, but we’d obviously like as many as possible.
“It’s looking like we have six boys in genuine contention.
“To get what we’re talking about, in that range, would be really good for our club, that’s for sure.”
There have been inquiries made from AFL recruiters about the progress of Billy Myers and Liam Carter.
Myers has already signed a VFL contract with Williamstown but may be a rookie draft target.
Carter has been invited back to the Jets under the 19-year-old rule next year after showing promise in this year’s campaign.
Seemingly not even being discussed is Brayden Monk, who won the Jets best-and-fairest.
The lightly built onballer might be a speculative pick in the rookie draft.
The AFL national draft takes place at the Gold Coast Convention Centre on Thursday night with the AFL rookie draft to be held six days later.
