World Footy News

Whilst much has already been made of Essendon’s selection of Canadian born number one selection, Andrew McGrath (see Made In Canada, this draft had its usual share of certainties, surprises, sliders, bolters and great stories. But from a northerner’s point of view, this draft has certainly recognised the talent coming out of leagues across northern Australia.

To go from the Halls Creek Hawks to the Carlton Blues in just three years is a remarkable journey for Sam Petrevski-Seton. Leaving behind the vistas of The Kimberley in northern Western Australia, Petrevski-Seton was nabbed at pick number 6 by the Blues. According to The West Australian newspaper “one of his biggest challenges in moving to Perth three years ago was remembering to speak standard Australian English, rather than the Kriol he used back home in Halls Creek.”

Cedric Cox was grabbed by the Brisbane Lions with pick 24 and became the second player from Halls Creek. The small town is a little less than 3000 kilometres from the state capital, Perth, yet Cox and Petrevski-Seton have both defied distance to start their careers in the AFL.
Now he is on an AFL club list and has even been compared to champions like Tim Watson and Lance Franklin for the freakish and powerful skills he has.

Cairns has a new champion – Jack Bowes was taken at pick 10 by the Gold Coast Suns. A local product from Cairns Saints juniors, Bowes now holds the record for the highest ever draft selection for a Cairns player, surpassing Courtney Dempsey’s pick 19 by Essendon in 2005. Bowes is a fluid and game changing future star and continues the legacy of past Cairns greats. (See story Cairns Footballer Jack Bowes To Make Draft History) Daniel Charlesworth, formerly a junior at Cairns City Lions and a mate of Jack Bowes, was always a chance by missed out. His chance may come next week with the Rookie Draft.

Townsville has a hero of its own with young star, Josh Williams, being nabbed by North Melbourne at pick 36. A Gold Coast Suns Academy product, Williams is described no none other than development guru, Kevin Sheahan, that “speed is his X-Factor”. Williams started with the Hermit Park Tigers as a junior in Townsville and is great friends with fellow academy and Cairns players, Bowes and Charlesworth, showing a great northern Queensland bond.

Each year, players from the Northern Territory Football League find their way onto AFL lists…names like Long, Rioli, McLeod and Buckley are some of the greats of the game. This year hasn’t been any different with three NT boys finding their way to clubs. Geelong had snared young Nightcliff Tigers junior, Brandon Parfitt, at pick 26. Always viewed as a X-Factor player, the Cats pounced early on Parfitt.


Two other great NT names were further highlighted with Ben Long, nephew of the great Michael Long, being selected by St Kilda at pick 25 after heading on his journey from the St Mary’s club in the NTFL to be a part of the Footscray Bulldogs premiership team this year in the VFL.

Willie Rioli, another former NTFL junior star and NT Thunder product, who also played for both St Mary’s and the Tiwi Bombers, was grabbed by the West Coast Eagles with their pick 52.

With seven northern talents grabbed at the draft, from The Kimberley, the Top End and the tropical cities of Cairns and Townsville, it shapes as a landmark year for this huge but often underrated part of the football country. The eyes of those regions will also be on Monday’s rookie draft to see if talent like Charlesworth or NT’s Tony Olango can add to that collection.