The path to the draft - Aaron Francis

Talking Footy SA will follow potential draft prospects through the season.

Our first player is Aaron Francis from West Adelaide and we'll try to follow a player from each club. Any posters who would like to follow a player from their club is very welcome.

Aaron Francis is a tall key position or utility player, a member of the Under 18 Premiership team of last year. His first outing this year was as a member of West's Reserves trial team last Friday night, where his form was outstanding.

This week he's already been promoted to the League squad against Gleneg.

He'll no doubt start in the Reserves, will also miss several games due to State Under 18's and other duties, but will be well worth following.

Current draft prediction: at least top 30.

Aaron Francis played his first game for West's league side tonight.

We'll change our draft prediction from Top 30 to Top 10 or better.

Yes, he was that good.

Talking to Andrew Marks from the Bloods a couple of weeks ago about all of the exciting Westies youngsters and Marksy did mention this lad can play...

The AIS Academy, which showcases the best junior talent in the country, played VFL side Werribee last weekend.

As you'd expect, they were well beaten, but the medal for the team's best player went to......

Aaron Francis.

The kid can play.

The difficult thing with tipping where our SA boys will get drafted, is not knowing enough about all others in the draft pool, particularly those beyond our borders. Also need to know what each clubs needs and thinking is for 12 months and 5 years time. Also think A lot of players often drop a few places in drafts purely because they're from SA.
Nonetheless this should be an interesting read as the season progresses. Always great to see young kids realise their dreams, so wish Aaron (and all other young hopefuls) the best this season and in November.

Good point about the draft and SA lads. The next draft isn't supposed to be as deep as last year's, so there's opportunity for lads to step up this year.

Aaron was originally regarded as being in the 20-30 range, but I'd say he's now top 10 material and maybe very high in that if he continues to progress.

Between the Academy and SA Under 18's. I don't think West will see much of him until the last half of the season, but a tall, mobile, composed and skilfull player will be welcome later.

SEN have a mock draft up already and have Aaron at #6 .. Looking forward to seeing this kid in action

Aaron was available for the first time this season last wek and made his league debut.

He was given the imposing task of playing full back and performed well.

He took a strong mark in front of the grandstand in the last quarter as shown on the Recovery session.

A solid game on a tough opponent who also played well.

Aaron did show a bit and is a great size, Lee...

Pity one of the commentators kept calling him by the wrong name

Don't stress over that, Phil, your player identification is first class and one minor blip is nothing, especially for someone you haven't called before and got used to.  Probably his first name being Aaron caused the confusion, because of Aaron Anderson also playing for Westies.

Wow. Anyone at City Mazda today saw something special with this lad.

For a big lad, pace, great overhead and elite kicking skills.

The AFL scouts were salivating.

A definite top few draft pick.

Watching Aaron Francis today was like watching Adam Cooney

Watched the replay of the game last night and as good as Francis was, I was equally impressed with Hugh Haysman...

Have already seen him a couple of times now at League level but he shows a poise and maturity beyond his age...

Reminds me a little bit of a young Luke McCabe from Central District, who went on to have a pretty handy AFL career as a back pocketer...

Yes, Hugh is excellent and certainly adds pace.

With Francis, what excites the recruiters about the 17 year old yesterday is not his overall game against Central, where he certainly wasn't in the best players, but a number of individual plays, whether it was a high mark, or his straight through approach, or his poise and certainly his elite kicking skills over short and long distances.

Meanwhile, young Will Snelling, in only his 4th game, again sailed under the radar while accumulated more possessions than any other West player.

BP, for Central, I was impressed with Jansen.

PS: Justin Hardy playesd Reserves, had one goal to three-quarter time, finished with 6!

I see Aaron was adjudged best player in yesterdays thumping of WA. From everything you read and hear this kid is a gun, and Westies won't see him for a long time after this season.

His ability to play so well at both ends could have a significant impact on how far Westies go this year.

Im guessing not much chance he'd slip low enough for either of the SA clubs to nab him? (Not that you really want that to happen these days given it could mean he'd play against you)

He'll go 1 or 2, IMO.

Top 2 - Great for the lad - hopefully no 1 in the draft - From a selfish point of view, at least he wont be playing against us in the SANFL next year for either crows or port if this is the case. There should be a rule with disallows players drafted or rookied to play against their SANFL side....

mark beswick wrote:Top 2 -  Great for the lad - hopefully no 1 in the draft - From a selfish point of view, at least he wont be playing against us in the SANFL next year for either crows or port if this is the case.  There should be a rule with disallows players drafted or rookied to play against their SANFL side....  

I feel your sentiments but when they are drafted they aren't SANFL, VFL, WAFL players anymore & thus could play against in his case West if drafted locally

Understand that Bayman - The SANFL allowing these clubs into the comp was one of my driving reasons to become a board member at Westies so I could be part of a committee that could pressure the SANFL commission to change Port Adelaide's free pass in the comp and make sure the crows dont get port Adelaide's model. Its frustrating that things move so slowly. I know Dion and Shippy must be sick of me by now on this subject. Every time we catch up, I bring it up and ask many questions about necessary changes with these AFL sides which seem to be.... lets say, uncomfortable.

keep up the good work with that, we need questions to be asked over & over again, us mere members & supporters are ignored, thanks Mark

Thanks Bayman - Good win by your boys today - watched it on the PC.

I think the board at Westies has really opened up with our members - Lee Harradine has been superb with the way he communicates for bloods fans and footy fans in general. In saying this, we have a long way to go but we are starting to head in the right direction.