NSW pair among best draft prospects

This article originally appeared on The Age’s website.

By Emma Quayle

Isaac Heeney is safely tucked away in a red and white jumper, snapping left-footed game-sealers.

The newest Swan was one of seven players drafted from New South Wales at the end of last year but the one everyone knew of long before his name was called.

Heeney was unruffled by the attention, the hype or the regular mentions by a club president or two.

He became the face of what will be a reworked bidding system simply through being so good, but this year the job should be shared.

If the draft was held tomorrow and the academies didn’t exist, some clubs would choose Callum Mills.

The midfielder has been out for the past few weeks because of a stress reaction in his shin, and won’t play for another four or five weeks.

But last year he was brave, versatile, competitive and influential. He has already made a good start.

Those who didn’t choose him might opt for Jacob Hopper, who missed much of last year through knee and hand injuries but has started this one well and looks as comfortable as anyone around the ball: hard and hungry but composed at the same time.

Playing for the AFL Academy against Werribee on Sunday, he laid 12 tackles. 

Other players are also starting to push their way to the top, including Jacob Weitering and Darcy Parish, and the evolution of key forwards Josh Schache, Sam Weideman and Charlie Curnow will be interesting to watch.

But Mills has grown up on Sydney’s northern beaches, and been part of the Swans Academy since he was 13.

Hopper travelled from Leeton to Wagga twice a week for two years — a three-hour round trip — to train with the Giants Academy before moving to St Patrick’s College in Ballarat last year.

What they cost those clubs will become clearer soon. “But any way you look at it,” said one recruiter, “they’re two of the best three midfielders in the country right now. They’re very, very good, both of them.”

Both Mills and Hopper know their pathway to their clubs could end up being slightly more complicated than it was for Heeney, Jack Steele, Abe Davis and co. But it’s not something they plan to let worry them at the start of a season that still has so long to go.

“You think about it a little bit because it’s something that could involve you,” said Hopper. “But I definitely don’t spend much time going through the politics of it. Whatever happens, happens. All I can do is try to play well, like every other kid in the draft.”

To continue reading this article go to The Age’s website.

Image via The Age/Pat Scala