ONE of Port Adelaide’s Next Generation Academy players has received glowing praise as a ready-made AFL player who likes to work hard and plays team-first football.

Lachie Jones, 18, who has been playing league football with Woodville-West Torrens this year, received high praise from his captain Luke Thompson during a radio interview on Thursday morning.

At 184cm and 85kgs, Jones has a strong body for a teenager.

He hails from Bute on the Yorke Peninsula and is part of Port Adelaide’s NGA owing to his Indigenous heritage and regional upbringing.

Thompson said he expected Jones to be taken early in the draft, and likely by the Power.

“He’s just that ready-made player that can jump straight into AFL footy because we know it’s a massive jump,” the Eagles skipper explained on Adelaide radio.

“He’s a mature body, he reminds me a lot of a (West Coast defender) Shannon Hurn the way he plays.

“He’s got that really good closing speed, take off speed, he’s a very good one-on-one competitor and he’s just got that body that’s ready to play.

“He’s a great kid as well – a country boy – he’s got a good head on his shoulders, he just wants to work hard and he’s a very good team man as well.”

Jones made his SANFL debut in Round 1 and last month was named the Round 7 Powerade Breakthrough Player for the SANFL after an impressive showing against West Adelaide 

Thompson said he had no doubt Jones would have a career at AFL level.

He said he was a unique character and a valuable team member at the Eagles.

“You don’t often see blokes like that come through,” Thompson said.

“I can’t remember the last time I saw someone like that coming through like him, as a ready-made player.

“He’s just such a relaxed character. He’s very quiet off the field, he pops up and says his two cents worth but he’s just such a relaxed character that is just a country boy, come into the city and loves playing football but just goes about his business.

“He’s very workmanlike and I think at the Eagles we like to think of ourselves as a bit more blue collar than white collar and he’s just the ultimate blue collar player who gets the job done and has a laugh while he does it.”

Port Adelaide will have first access to Jones at the 2020 draft, along with father-son prospect Taj Schofield (son of 2004 Premiership player and current midfield coach Jarrad Schofield).