‘Jye is the man’: State talent manager backs Busselton’ Jye Amiss to be first WA prospect taken at draft

“If they are looking for a key forward, Jye is the man.” That’s the message from West Australian Football Commission State talent Manager Adam Jones to the Fremantle Dockers on Jye Amiss — the Busselton forward who looms as the South West’s highest draft pick since Anthony Morabito in 2009. Speaking on The West Australian’s Hard Ball Gets podcast, Jones predicted Amiss would be the first West Aussie taken in this month’s draft and said the former Magpie had received “some interest” from clubs inside the top 10. “Being a key forward, there are not a great number of them in the draft,” he said. AFL DRAFT: JYE AMISS PROFILE, HIGHLIGHTS, STATS AND MORE “He is an exciting key forward prospect, with a heap of upside, enormous upside. “He is still living in Busselton, just finishing Year 12 this year and I think the value that is held in the key forwards might mean he is read out first.” The Dockers currently hold pick six in the National Draft and are likely to target a marking forward, with Amiss and Subiaco prospect Jacob Van Rooyen the best of the local hopefuls. “We always love seeing our WA boys stay local and there is no better year for West Coast and Freo to go local,” Jones said. The talent manager said it is likely between 10 and 15 West Aussies will be picked up by clubs in the draft, which is set for November 24, given some Victorian talents have only a handful of games in the past two years. “What’s hurting the Victorian kids is two years of missed footy,” he said. “Some players they’ve only got six or seven games worth of data on. “We’re learning the overall draft numbers are going to be really low, around 55 or 60, with only a handful of rookies. “Anything above 15 would be outstanding.” Morabito, who played for both Harvey-Brunswick Leschenault and the Harvey Bulls as a youngster, was the last South West player to be taken in the first round, landing at Fremantle with pick four at the 2009 draft. But the midfielder’s career was riddled by multiple knee reconstructions and he finished with just 26 games to his name in seven years on the list. Five players have been drafted from the Magpies since Zach Beeck in 2000, but only former Fremantle ruckman Scott Jones was taken in the National Draft. Amiss’ former Magpies teammate James Tunstill, who made his league debut for the SWFL club on the same day this season, is also a chance to find himself on an AFL list.