WITH less than 24 hours until the NAB AFL Draft Peel Thunder product and draft hopeful Joshua Schoenfeld can’t wait.
Schoenfeld, a 187-centimetre wingman, said he was nervous ahead of the November 24 event but hopeful his name would be called.
“I’ve just been counting down,” he said.
“There’s a decent break [between the combine and draft] – it’s not the best.”
Schoenfeld said his year 12 high school exams at Comet Bay College had been a good distraction.
“I completed them last week, they were good to keep my mind of it [the draft],” he said.
The 18-year-old improved his chances of being drafted after a record-breaking national combine.
He broke the three-kilometre time trial record set last year by three seconds in a time of 9.15 minutes and set the second best beep test time in combine history with a 16.2.
Following the combine Schoenfeld said another two or three clubs had spoken to him after speaking to six or seven clubs before and during the combine.
“I’m happy to go anywhere,” he said.
“I’m hoping for the best, it’s what I’ve been working towards, it’s my dream.”
Schoenfeld said he would watch the draft with family and friends.
“My family is going to get Foxtel for a couple of weeks and watch,” he said.
“Hopefully I’ll be called.”
Peel Thunder Colts coach Beau Wardman said Schoenfeld had the talent and work ethic to make it in the AFL should he be selected.
“Certainly his ability to cover the ground and get where the ball is [is elite],” he said.
“His aerobic capacity and ability to find the footy have him in good steAd to translate to AFL footy.
“He’s accumulated a lot of possession through hard running.”
However Wardman said Schoenfeld was a hard worker off the field as well.
“Over the pre-season he showed a determination to improve,” he said.
“He’d take a notebook into coaching sessions.
“Despite playing only five games [for Colts in 2014] he showed great persistence.”
Wardman said Schoenfeld played in a similar vein to an Andrew Gaff or Nick Dal Santo.
“His foot skills are a bit more elite than Gaff’s,” he said.
“He’s hard working and a good leader around the club.”
Other local players who could have their names called out include Shane Yarran and Brad Walsh.
Yarran, 26 years old, backed up his 39 goals from 20 games in his first season of WAFL football last year with Subiaco after playing with South Mandurah in 2013.
This year Yarran has improved on his tally kicking 54 goals from 19 games, his biggest bag of the year coming in round eight against Perth where he kicked six goals.
Walsh (19) has found himself delisted after just one season on the Rookie list with Carlton.
It was a disappointing result for Walsh who won Carlton’s VFL best and fairest award.
It has been some time since Farren Ray has played for Peel Thunder but he also could find himself at a third AFL club after being delisted by St Kilda.
In a worse case scenario Ray has been offered a rookie spot with St Kilda should he not already be selected.
Ray (29) was drafted from Peel Thunder with selection four in the 2003 draft.
The NAB AFL Draft will be held in Adelaide on Tuesday, November 24 and will be followed by the Rookie and Pre-season Draft on November 27 where players not selected will have another chance to be selected.
