For more than 30 years of the AFL Draft we have loved the stories of the Draft Bolters! The romance of the player not on the radar of the scouts at the start of the year but bob up as the year progresses and become likely prospects and often become early AFL Draft selections by November.

AFL Talent Ambassador Kevin Sheehan finds the potential Draft Bolter of 2019.

Last year it was Round 14 before Sam Sturt played his first game for the Dandenong Stingrays against the Northern Knights at Preston City Oval. A star footballer at Peninsula Grammar, as well as a promising cricketer, it took only 6 games (including a premiership) at NAB League level to convince the Fremantle Dockers to select him at pick 17.

In 2017, a red headed youngster from one of the AFL’s most famous footballing families who had missed Victorian Metro Under 18s selection but continued to star at school and Under 18s level became the Draft bolter. His name of course is Ed Richards – his school was Carey Grammar and he played 10 games with the Oakleigh Chargers before the Western Bulldogs chosen him at selection 16. Already this grand son of Collingwood legend Ron Richards (and grandnephew of Lou) has become a rising star in the AFL with 35 games under his belt at the highest level.

This year our potential Draft Bolter is again from the Oakleigh Chargers but that’s only part of the story. His name is Cooper Sharman and he’s from the Leeton -Whitton Crows in the Riverina of New South Wales. It’s a club we have all heard of in recent AFL Drafts as its helped develop both Jacob Hopper (GWS Giants) and Jacob Townsend (Richmond and GWS Giants ). It’s a hot bed for talent and a very successful club at senior level where young Sharman was a premiership player himself in 2017.

Earlier this year Sharman moved from Leeton to Deakin University in Burwood to pursue his education and without fanfare joined a mate at Balwyn Football Club coached by AFL Legend Rodney Eade to pursue his passion for the game.

In the language of USA sports, he’d be termed a “walk on“ - one not specifically sought out and recruited but asked to join in after showing some talent in training. After a handful of games at reserves level for the Balwyn Tigers, Sharman made his senior debut under Eade and by Round 9, the Queen’s Birthday weekend in June, he was best on ground against Noble Park setting tongues wagging about the exploits of this potential Draft Bolter.

Enter Oakleigh Chargers Talent Manager Jy Bond, himself a much-travelled sportsman and administrator, but with his own connection with Balwyn, spotting his AFL potential which saw Sharman debut for the Chargers a month ago. It was against Gippsland Power and he immediately demonstrated his untapped potential gathering 20 possessions through the midfield and kicking a goal as his team went down by 46 points.

On the weekend Sharman played just his third game in the NAB League and he was certainly eye catching with his 18 possessions, 6 marks and 4 goals against the Eastern Ranges at Box Hill showcasing his potential to play AFL. Now under the scrutiny of all AFL clubs, his mobility as a 194cm forward along with his vice-like grip overhead, help set him apart. He also showed innate ability around goals with one of his snaps on his right foot over the shoulder special. He still has a long way to go, particularly physically, as he builds a frame to match the demands of the modern game.

Sharman’s rapid rise to prominence is not unique, but very exciting as you see a young man grow in confidence as he realises, he can match it with the best youth in Victoria. In recent years he has been a member of the GWS Giants Academy’s regional hub in Wagga (one of 4 such Hubs) but last year missed the cut to represent the Giants in the Club Academy series against the Suns, Swans, Lions, NT Thunder and Tasmania. No doubt he still benefitted from the nurturing and development afforded to him by the Giants but only now has started to really blossom as he approaches his 19^th birthday this week.

The story of Cooper Sharman’s rapid rise is again a reminder that young players mature physically, socially, psychologically and as footballers at different rates. Some are not ready in their Draft (18^th year) but present as more than 20 per cent of Draftees do in the years that follow.

We look forward to watching Cooper Sharman, a new kid on the block, as he continues to pursue an AFL dream perhaps a little more realistic than a few months back when he began his season in the Balwyn Tigers Reserves.