Crows look at mature age player with last pick

ADELAIDE could look to secure a mature-age player with its last live pick in Thursday's NAB AFL Draft, according to recruiting manager Matt Rendell.

The Crows will have picks 13, 29, 45 and 61 at their disposal on Thursday night.

The club also has a selection at No.74, but this will be used to confirm injured rookie Brodie Martin's promotion to the senior list.

With the equivalent of a full round missing from this year's talent pool because of changes to the draft age brought about by the new Gold Coast franchise, clubs have started to pay more attention to the local leagues.

Last year, Sturt defender Michael Coad missed out on an opportunity to join Hawthorn after failing to lodge his nomination before the draft deadline, but Rendell said the 26-year-old was worthy of another chance.
 
"In the past two years we were happy to take the kids, but we haven't got the depth this year so we've had a look at some blokes who have probably missed the draft in the last two or three years," Rendell said on Tuesday.

"It's mainly here [in South Australia]. The SANFL is by far and away the best comp outside the AFL. There are some players that are a bit on the older side now and, probably, should've got picked years ago but didn't for various reasons, like [Sturt pair] Tristan Gum and Coad - they'd play league footy.

"You're talking [only] a year or two [in the game] for someone like Coad, but it might stand you in good stead for a year or two while the [Gold Coast and Western Sydney] concessions are in place."

West Australian Lewis Jetta is likely to be the first mature-age recruit picked up in this week's draft.

Jetta, who is the cousin of Melbourne's Neville, had been linked to West Coast at selection seven but could slide - possibly all the way to Adelaide at pick No.13 - with the Eagles set to take rebounding defender Brad Sheppard instead.

Rendell said Jetta, a lightning quick midfielder/forward, had all the makings of a top AFL player.

"Lewis Jetta from WA could be [a star]. He's 20-years-old and certainly has all the talent, but whether he's got the work rate is another issue."

It looks like being another good draft for WA hopefuls, but Rendell said it would be a lean year for South Australia.

He tipped Sturt teenager Jack Trengove to go to Melbourne with pick No.1, but predicated the state would produce no more than five or six draftees in total.

"It hasn't been great [for SA footy] over the last three years, but next year I'm thinking will be a bumper year," Rendell said.

"It's one of the best years I've seen for kids in South Australia - it'll be a cracker. There could be 20 players drafted [from SA] next year and there are some real stars in it. Unfortunately, the Gold Coast will get most of them."

North Adelaide half-forward Luke Tapscott is in line to become the second Croweater claimed on Thursday night, but it appears unlikely Adelaide will part with pick No.13 to secure him.

Central Districts defender Daniel Menzel and Norwood forward Matt Panos could be around the mark at the club's second pick, No.29.

Log on to afl.com.au on D-day, Thursday, November 26, for the most comprehensive coverage of the 2009 NAB AFL Draft. We’ll have live chats, live audio streams, in-depth player profiles, club reaction and our famous afl.com.au Draft Tracker.