Adelaide Crows draftee Sid Draper has revealed the “power move” that helped secure his passage to the AFL club he supported as a boy.
The South Australian midfielder was in the mix to be taken almost anywhere inside the top 10 when the AFL draft opened on Wednesday night, with the Crows’ decision proving crucial.
He was overlooked by Carlton (pick No.3) and if Adelaide (No.4) opted to pick Victorian midfielder Harvey Langford, Draper could have slipped down to St Kilda (No.8).
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But so it proved that the Crows took the SA product who they later argued was the best player available at the time.
It certainly helped, though, that Draper was evidently desperate to get to Adelaide the city and Adelaide the club.
“I couldn’t tell you what was going through my head. It was more just the emotions I was feeling,” he told Triple M on Thursday.
“That relief, staying at home and playing for the club I’ve grown up supporting, it was just so exciting and complete disbelief. So much joy. Awesome.”
Adelaide board member Mark Ricciuto then revealed the moment Draper improved his reputation with the club.
“I’ve been at the Crows for a little while, I’ve never heard of this happening before,” he began.
“I’m not breaking too much confidence, I think you’ll be alright with it, but you actually rang the coach Matty Nicks a couple of days ago and said how much you wanted to play for the Crows to try and get it across.
“How did that go, that conversation, and was it your idea?”
Draper laughed and conceded the truth of his draft ploy.
“Look, it was my idea, and I just wanted to get my point across that I’d be more than happy to play for the club and how much I respect and admire Nicksy,” he said.
“I just wanted to let him know. Separate myself from the rest.”
Triple M co-host Lauran O’Callaghan described it as a “power move” while Ricciuto noted its impact on his thinking.
“You went up in my expectations after you did that. I thought it was a very brave call,” the Crows champion said.
Draper and Ricciuto shared a laugh when the teenager revealed he was not interested in celebrating the draft by going to Schoolies.
“I was going to say stay away from my daughter. Nah only joking, Sid, only joking mate,” Ricciuto said.
His co-host Chris Dittmar joked: “It could be a good career move for you to actually take his daughter out.”
Ricciuto added: “You’ll be in the team that way, don’t worry about that.”
Draper might just force his way into the starting midfield regardless.
He starred for South Australia’s under-18 side as a bottom-age player in 2023 before playing six SANFL games this year.
“That would be absolutely unreal but not up to me. I’ll put my best foot forward and do what I can but Nicksy’s got the final call,” Draper said.
Draper said he met with 16 out of the AFL’s 18 clubs in the lead-up to the draft.
“I was pretty busy,” he said.
“You have your football commitments, which are pretty massive. Then you have your school on the side and then also having to make time for those club interviews. Your head’s in many different places.”
