Clubs hope sons are AFL guns

The mid-1990s have proved an exceptional vintage for perpetuating AFL bloodlines.

Last week’s national draft and Wednesday’s rookie selection have featured an unusually-large number of players whose dads also played senior football.

There were six official father-son picks – well above the average of 2.5 – and another six teenagers who also have a direct AFL lineage.

The league’s talent manager Kevin Sheehan said there were no trends or reasons at play.

“It’s an extraordinary number, no doubt,” he said.

“It’s a little bit random – the chances of these dads having boys, rather than girls.”

“That’s what the draft can be, a little bit of luck.”

The father-son bidding system meant Collingwood had to use their No.9 pick on Darcy Moore, whose dad Peter won two Brownlow Medals.

Billy Stretch will follow in Steven’s speedy footsteps at Melbourne and Michael Long, one of Essendon’s most revered figures, was rapt this week when the Bombers confirmed his son Jake would also play for them.

The other official father-son selections were Zaine Cordy (Brian, Western Bulldogs), Alec Waterman (Chris, West Coast) and Josh Clayton (Scott, Brisbane via Fitzroy).

It is one of the AFL’s great traditions, which started with Ron Barassi at Melbourne and Brownlow Medallist Kevin Murray at Fitzroy.

Stars like Gary Ablett, Matthew Scarlett, Tom Hawkins and Travis Cloke all came into the AFL as father-son picks.

To qualify for father-son, the Dad must have played 100 senior games for a Victorian club.

State-based rules also apply for the WA and SA clubs because they are so much younger, while Sydney have been able to take the sons of South Melbourne players and Brisbane have had the same access with Fitzroy.

The rules meant Brayden Maynard fell four games short of potentially becoming Adelaide’s first father-son pick.

His dad Peter needed to play 200 games at SANFL side Glenelg for Brayden to qualify, but he was dropped for the 1990 finals series and ended on 196.

Instead, Collingwood snapped up Brayden with pick No.30 in the national draft.

* This year’s official father-son picks

Darcy Moore (father Peter played 172 games for Collingwood)

Billy Stretch (Steven 164 games for Melbourne)

Zaine Cordy (Brian 124 games Footscray, to Western Bulldogs)

Alec Waterman (Chris 177 games West Coast)

Josh Clayton (Scott 160 games Fitzory, to Brisbane)

Jake Long (Michael 190 games Essendon)

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