A new SANFL initiative is giving hope to young players overlooked in the draft with one already getting the opportunity to train with the AFL side at Alberton.
Kye Roberts had expected to line up with West Adelaide in the SANFL in 2022 but has instead signed with Port Adelaide as a SANFL contracted player after a special arrangement between the clubs.
Under the SANFL’s rookie program, Roberts will go back to play for the Bloods if not selected for the Magpies.
The 18-year-old also gets to train with Port Adelaide’s AFL side once per week to help with his development.
He told portadelaidefc.com.au he didn’t have to think twice about taking up the opportunity when it arose.o help with his development.
“One night I went to West Adelaide training and Brad Gotsch, my senior coach at West Adelaide, pulled me aside and just told me Port Adelaide had contacted him and obviously this opportunity was hard to turn down,” Roberts explained.
“He told me to go away and think about it, so I did that, but I knew straight away what I was going to do.
“I’m really grateful that the SANFL has allowed me to do this because I get this great opportunity to come out here with the more experienced blokes.”
The SANFL’s initiative is targeted at players turning 19 or 20 overlooked in their draft year, allowing them to train and play with Port Adelaide or the Crows to aid their development and give them the best chance of having their name called in the following year.
If not, the hope is that they will return to their SANFL club as a ready-made league player.
Roberts said he had not lost hope of playing AFL football despite missing out in the 2021 draft.
“I’m a very motivated and driven person so I wasn’t out of the picture when I knew come draft night and I wasn’t picked. I was still in with a hope,” he said.
“My hope this year is to just play as many SANFL games as possible and then win a premiership with the Maggies and then we’ll see from there.”
Roberts has trained with Port Adelaide’s AFL and SANFL group over the last three weeks and enjoyed the experience.
He said there were some key things he had learned, including the need to be on time.
“I train once a week with the AFL side and also three times a week with the SANFL side and that is also broken up with gym sessions,” Roberts explained.
“It’s been really good. It’s really great to have this opportunity to come out with some elite athletes and train alongside them.
“I’ve learned about how disciplined you’ve got to be and you’ve got to be really punctual out here.
“The training has been really good. Everyone has been really friendly. If I’ve made a mistake, they all get around me and I’m really appreciative of all of the boys.”
