Western Australia hoping to buck worrying trend with more than half of top draft prospects Indigenous

Western Australia is on track to buck a concerning fall in Indigenous numbers in the AFL, with Aboriginal players making up more than half of the state’s potential draft prospects this year. Some of the country’s greatest-ever Indigenous players have highlighted the worrying decline this week, with just 63 First Nations people listed on a list this season amid a drop of almost 30 per cent across the past five years. There are at least 10 West Aussie young guns predicted to be taken in this year’s draft and six of those are Indigenous players. The West Australian can also reveal both the Eagles and Dockers are pushing to boost their Next Generation Academy (NGA) programs, designed to nurture junior talent from Indigenous or multicultural backgrounds. “Our Indigenous history as a code is rich and we need to ensure it continues into the future as custodians of the game,” Walyalup Executive General Manager of Football Joe Brierty told The West. “It’s all about our investment; getting the right structure of resourcing right from a talent pathway perspective is really important, greater engagement in remote communities and the talent pathway. “Then the next piece is how we assist in transitioning players, particularly from remote areas, into an AFL environment so they can be exposed to the expectations and requirements at the elite level and also those of state league programs. WA Football chair Ian Callahan told The West the WA clubs have their full support in making that happen. “We are aware of the work being done behind the scenes by the two WA clubs on the NGAs and addressing the decline in Indigenous numbers and are fully supportive of it,” Callahan said. It’s understood part of those conversations revolve around providing more access to linked players throughout the year and greater resources for regional talent. Koby Evans, Wes Walley, Basil Hart, Tom Phillips, Ryda Luke and Tylah Williams are considered genuine draft chances this year, with all six linked to the two WA clubs through their NGA programs. “They’re definitely all chances to get drafted, all of them,” State talent manager Adam Jones told The West. “They’ve all got great talent, and depending on how they play this year, genuinely think they could all go if they have a good enough year.” WA could have 10 or more players taken overall this year, based on early predictions ahead of the U18 National Championships next month. Evans, considered one of the state’s top overall prospects, Walley and Williams are tied to Waalitj Marawar (West Coast), while Hart, Phillips and Luke are linked to Walyalup (Fremantle). Evans, who will miss the carnival through injury, said his experience training with the Eagles through the pre-season had been “outstanding”. “The professionalism, the high standards. They’re well-driven, hard working and all of them were good blokes,” Evans said. “Having that dream as a little kid and coming this far and getting to train with the AFL boys, it was remarkable and something I’ll hold close with me forever.” Among the 17-year-old’s football heroes are Dockers star Shai Bolton and Hawthorn great Cyril Rioli and while he said the dwindling number of Indigenous players was “a bit sad”, he hoped to be part of a strong cohort to join the league at the end of this year. “It would be an awesome achievement,” Evans said. It comes after the AFL last year lifted the restriction on bids for NGA products, which had prevented clubs from matching bids on players from their programs within the top 40. The Eagles voiced frustrations after losing NGA product Lance Collard to St Kilda in 2023, while the Dockers missed out on Mitch Edwards to Geelng before that rule was lifted. The changes have incentivised clubs to greater invest in players in their NGA programs, according to Jones, with the likelihood of ending up on their list much higher. “We have started to see that already with our two local clubs, who have supported some of our Indigenous boys in many respects,” Jones said. “You’ve got Basil Hart at Peel (as an example), who’s had some time at (Walyalup head of development) Geoff Valentine’s house because he’s based Bunbury way. “So there’s those sorts of opportunities in the NGA programs that clubs open up, as well as the opportunity to train at AFL clubs over pre-season, to get a really good understanding of the level that the guys need to get to, is of great benefit. “I think we’re loosely aware that the clubs and WA Football are pushing for our two AFL clubs and other AFL clubs to have greater access to the NGA players over pre-season.” Jones said that would put the WA clubs in line with the northern academies, who feed Gold Coast and Brisbane and are designed to help those clubs encourage local talent in non-AFL markets. The Suns currently have the most Indigenous players on their list with seven, narrowly ahead of Euro-Yroke, Yartapuulti and Waalitj Marawar with six. The Eagles are represented by Liam Ryan, Tim Kelly, Tyler Brockman, Tyrell Dewar, Coen Livingstone and Malakai Champion. Champion was one of three Indigenous players added to a list in the national and rookie drafts last year, taken as a category B rookie. Walyalup have five, lead by Alex Pearce - one of only two Indigenous captains in the AFL - Michael Walters, Shai Bolton, Quinton Narkle and Isaiah Dudley, while the remaining 13 clubs have four or less. Of the 63 players that identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander in 2025, more than a third of them are from WA. Jones said the Indigenous numbers “coming out of the AFL compared with what’s going in” was concerning. “We’re definitely looking at ways to try and improve that because we obviously want many Indigenous players playing our great game because they’re so well suited with their skill level and athleticism and excitement,” Jones said. “With the talent committee that’s going on in the background at the moment, I know a big focus of theirs is our Indigenous talent and ways which we can improve those numbers.” Jones said it’s always been a focus for WA Football to have Indigenous coaches as part of their program, with Sharrod Wellingham, Antoni Grover and Jon Griffin all involved in the talent pathways. “They’re able to build such a good connection with the Indigenous boys and families,” Jones said. “They’re fantastic resources for all the boys, not just the Indigenous boys.” But Jones said young Indigenous players in regional areas were at a “disadvantage”. He said those prospects tend to fall behind when it comes to the physical demands in their draft year, which can be difficult to make up at that age and lead to players walking away from the game. “If you’re not going super well then it makes playing less enjoyable and and the draw to go back home is can be strong,” he said. “So it’s working out how we can give those guys same opportunities that the metro kids are getting, so that when they do get to Perth, they’re at a really good level.”

Western Australia hoping to buck worrying trend with more than half of top draft prospects Indigenous

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