Veteran AFL recruiter Matt Rendell is concerned about the 2021 Victorian draft crop.
Lockdowns in the state across 2020 brought on by COVID-19 meant no footy was played at any level.
This essentially means this year’s draftees are 12 months behind where they would usually be, coupled with recent changes made by the AFL to the NAB League system.
Rendell expressed his concerns on SEN’s Dwayne’s World on Wednesday.
“They all missed a year of footy last year and we’re seeing a lot of kids from Victoria in the under 18s really struggle,” Rendell said.
“There’s players playing who we thought were going to be stars who are really struggling.
“They are miles behind after speaking to recruiters with the new system they have bought in.”
Rendell foresaw this scenario earlier in the season when discussing the sweeping changes the AFL has made to the NAB League.
The changes see NAB League coaches coaching both the boys and girls programs, with staff cut despite the increased workload.
Couple that with COVID-19 severely impacting the amount of training the kids have been able to do in the last 18 months and you have a draft crop falling behind the pack.
“What’s way ahead of the NAB League at the minute is the WAFL and the SANFL,” Rendell said in February.
“The NAB was the best preparation for footy and they’re going to be so far behind, they’ve basically missed a year and a half of footy.
“It’s going to be really hard for these kids. Are they up to speed physically? No, they’re not even close.
“They’re going to have to take them very carefully, the kids that get drafted this year, going into 2022.”
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