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AFL draft 2022: Peel Thunder defender Jed Adams’ rise from injury hell to league debut and draft combine

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Jordan McArdleThe West Australian
Jed Adams will make his league debut for Peel Thunder against South Fremantle.
Camera IconJed Adams will make his league debut for Peel Thunder against South Fremantle. Credit: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Key defender. Police cadet. Training DJ.

Jed Adams is already a youngster wearing many hats. But the rising Peel Thunder talent will add another at Lane Group Stadium on Saturday - league debutant.

The 194cm stopper has overcome a couple of years of injury hell to emerge as a draft prospect ahead of his senior berth against last season’s grand finalist South Fremantle and a match-up with Jimmy Miller.

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Just days after he was one of a dozen West Aussies invited to attend the AFL Draft Combine in Melbourne in October, the 18-year-old got the call up to the Thunder’s seniors to replace premiership backman Joel Hamling.

“It will be a good experience playing against the bigger boys,” Adams told The West Australian.

The Game AFL 2024

“I’ve got the job on Jimmy Miller so I’ll have my work cut out for me.

“I’ve been pretty happy with what I’ve been able to do this season after being injured for the last two seasons.

“To come in over the pre-season, get a few trial games with the league boys, play some consistent colts footy, get a State call up and now play league footy, I’m feeling pretty good.

“I was just trying to cement my spot in the colts side before everything because we had some good key defenders, so I didn’t even know if I was going to get a spot.

“It all has come pretty quickly, going from not thinking I was going to get a game at Peel to AFL clubs contacting me and a combine invite.”

The double dose of good news happened again in March when Adams was accepted into WA Police as a cadet on the same week he was added to the WA under-18s squad for the recently-concluded national championships.

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA - JULY 17: Jed Adams of Western Australia and Aaron Cadman of Vic Country compete for the ball during the 2022 NAB AFL National Championships U18 Boys match between Vic Country and Western Australia at GMHBA Stadium on July 17, 2022 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Camera IconJed Adams stretches for a ball against Vic Country’s Aaron Cadman in Geelong. Credit: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images

It was his first time representing the State since under-12s back in 2016, alongside first-round draft fancy Jedd Busslinger, West Perth captain Kane Bevan and Peel teammate Josh Draper, but there was a nightmare injury run in between.

“I only played three colts games last year because of a knee injury, I suffered a tear of my PCL,” Adams recalled.

“The year before that I played four games of local footy for South Mandurah because of tight tendons through my hip which was really painful when I pushed them too hard and they could’ve snapped so I basically had to rest.”

While his most important duties for the Thunder colts this season have been keeping the opposition’s best forwards quiet and rebounding the ball out of defence, the booming left-footer is also regarded as a bit of a hype man and the group who sorts out pre-game and training tunes.

“It was a bit quiet during the pre-season so I thought I’d get a bit of music happening,” Adams said.

“I got a big JBL speaker for Christmas so I brought that down every training session and played my music to get everyone up and about and in the mood to have a good session.

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA - JULY 17: Jed Adams of Western Australia in action during the 2022 NAB AFL National Championships U18 Boys match between Vic Country and Western Australia at GMHBA Stadium on July 17, 2022 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Camera IconJed Adams is a youngster already wearing plenty of hats this footy season. Credit: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“Whenever we’re about to run on a quickly chuck on Thunderstruck, that gets everyone up.”

Adams is stopping goals on the field but also kicking goals off it, accepting WA Police’s cadetship offer where he’s been training the past three weeks.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do growing up because no two days are the same and I didn’t want to be stuck behind a desk,” Adams said.

“I’m really enjoying it so far and if I don’t make it into the AFL, I’ve got this to fall back on.”

The Kalgoorlie-born Adams is one of five inclusions for the Thunder alongside AFL-listed trio Jye Amiss, back after serious kidney surgery, Karl Worner, Travis Colyer and younger James Ewing.

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