With the 2017 NAB AFL Draft looming in the distance, Aaron Naughton put his best foot forward in a match held solely for the nation’s best 17-year-olds on AFL grand final day last Saturday.
The annual Futures game takes 46 of the best underage players in the country and pits them against each other in a grand final curtain raiser.
It is a regular show of top-end talent who remain a year away from being eligible for the AFL draft.
Naughton was selected for the match off the back of a solid 2016 campaign, which saw him play 13 games for Peel Thunder’s colts side and represent WA as a bottom-age player in the NAB AFL under 18s championships.
The centre-half-back said the Futures match, in which he was coached by Sydney Swans premiership legend Tadgh Kennelly, gave him an insight into the AFL world.
“To be around Melbourne and play on grand final day was just a really good experience,” he said.
“Unfortunately because of the weather the game was moved last minute from the MCG to Punt Road, but to be around the city and be able to play on the day was brilliant.”
Naughton said he approached the one-off match with an open mind, trying to soak in as much knowledge as he could.
“The play under someone like Tadgh Kennelly is a big thing for young footballers,” he said.
“He’s been there and done that in terms of winning a flag at the highest level so I just tried to learn from whatever he had to tell us and keep calm under the nerves.”
Naughton played his junior football for the Rockingham Rams before making his way through development squads at Peel Thunder.
In his first season at Peel’s colts level, the defender averaged 14 disposals per game, took 57 marks and showed an ability to hit the scoreboard on occasion with six goals.
Now Naughton is working towards the 2017 draft, where he hopes to be picked up by an AFL club.
“It’s still over a year away so I’ve still got to take it as a week by week process and just play the most consistent footy I can over that time,” he said.
“I feel like I had a pretty strong season this year, so I’ll look to follow that up and go again as a top-age player in the state 18s in 2017.”
His road to the draft now continues through the off-season.
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
