Past #32: Jacob Edwards - drafted w/ #1 in '20 MSD - delisted end '23 w/ 0 NM games & 0 NM goals

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Engimal v3 said:
Jeez there's some rough posts above lol

Not everyone is cut out for AFL. If I were gifted an opportunity, there is absolutely nothing I could possibly do to get to the required level.

I'm sure Edwards would have loved to have been a highly paid celebrity athlete.
Click to expand...
The knock on Jedward is a lot of people reported he didn't even try. Trained poorly and didn't have a good enough attitude to be in the AFL system.
He probably did belong at the level. But was just too lazy to stay there.
 
Freomaniac said:
I just think North Melbourne got unlucky.

Yeah Hawks got Jai Necombe. Essendon got Sam Durnham, a 185 cm midfielder and defender that probably would of been good for north melbourne.

Then Again, Jackson Callow was taken at the Hawks too and he was a 195 cm tall forward that only played 3 AFL games.
Click to expand...
IIRC some people were upset we didn't take Callow.
 

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From No.1 pick to park footy: What happened to Jacob Edwards, and his plans for another AFL crack​

Three years back, Jacob Edwards’ name was everywhere in AFL mid-season draft discussions. Now, you’ll find it in the small print of suburban football scores. The former No.1 picks speaks to PAUL AMY about his rise, fall and the future.

Paul Amy

6 min read
May 28, 2024 - 12:00PM
https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/l.../36f5ea2d9ede5decca2ce50dc4cee044#share-tools

Jacob Edwards, the former No.1 AFL mid-season draft pick, playing for Cheltenham.

Jacob Edwards, the former No.1 AFL mid-season draft pick, playing for Cheltenham.

This time three years ago, Jacob Edwards’ name was everywhere in AFL mid-season rookie draft discussions.

Now, you’ll find it in the small print of suburban football scores; he is playing for Cheltenham in Division 1 of the Southern league.

A few of his opponents this year have reminded Edwards, 21, that he was the No.1 pick in 2021, selected by North Melbourne.

“Yeah, they let me know about it,’’ he says with a laugh. “Doesn’t bother me though.’’

He might have heard it again last Saturday, when Cheltenham met Springvale Districts.

It was hard to miss the 202cm Edwards, who wore the No.20 jumper for a team that could call on the quality of two other former AFL players, Jack Lonie and Sam Dunell. The Cheltenham side also included his brother Harrison and his Mentone Grammar School friend Declan McComb.

Edwards was in the middle of his Year 12 studies at Mentone Grammar when the Kangaroos drafted him in June, 2021.

The story of his rise at the Dragons had been widely reported. Talent manager Mark Wheeler had come across Edwards when he was playing Division 3 junior football at Beaumaris and eased him into the Sandringham program.

With Covid killing off football in 2020 and restricting the 2021 season, Edwards had played only three matches in the Under 18 competition and some school games when the Kangaroos claimed him. They said they regarded him as a “project’’ player; his best would be seen later rather than sooner.

“We are really excited to bring Jacob to North and look forward to seeing him develop in the coming years,” then-Roos national recruiting manager Mark Finnigan said.

“He fills a need on our list at 202cm, and gives us flexibility as a key forward or ruckman – both positions he’s excelled at in NAB League and school footy.

“His contested marking has been a strength, he reads the play well and his kicking ability for his size, in general play or for goal, is a real asset.’’

Picture: Getty Images

Picture: Getty Images

It was a tidy mid-season draft. Jai Newcombe (Hawthorn) was the No.2 pick, Ash Johnson (Collingwood) No.3 and Sam Durham (Essendon) No.9.

Edwards’ AFL career realised less.

Concentrating on Year 12, he saw little of Arden St in 2021, dropping in on school holidays. He played for the Roos’ VFL team in 2022 and ’23, didn’t win an AFL call-up and was let go late last September.

Edwards says he was “pretty flat’’ when he was delisted but insists he bears no resentment towards North. He was “pretty proud’’ to be a No.1 mid-season pick, enjoyed the experience of the draft (“It was a crazy time’’) and was grateful to spend two-and-a-bit years as a full-time footballer.

“A lot of learnings, and I made a lot of friends at North,’’ he says.

“Even though I didn’t get to play a game, it was still enjoyable.

“It’s a kid’s dream job so you can never really complain doing that.

“The professionalism – and I’m not saying I wasn’t being professional – like my first year there, it was all amazing. I just didn’t expect how serious everything would be. Because, before Dragons and that start of the year in 2021, I didn’t have a high level of footy under my belt or anything. I was just playing local footy for Beauie Sharks. That was really about it.’’

Of course, he was hoping for more as a Kangaroo, just as the club was eager for him to kick on.
“Definitely. I’m sure everyone who gets delisted wishes they didn’t get delisted. I’d have loved to keep playing there but it’s just the harsh reality of footy,’’ he says.

“That’s what happens sometimes. I put pressure on myself to be better and to get better, and looking back, if I see myself in my first couple of days at North and then my last days at North, I can see I’m bigger in size, skills are better, fitness is better, strength as well.’’

He says Todd Goldstein was a mentor – “He taught me a lot about footy and my craft’’ – as was Tristan Xerri, who himself had been described by North as a project player.

Jacob Edwards rucking against [PLAYERCARD]Brodie Grundy[/PLAYERCARD] in the VFL last season. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Jacob Edwards rucking against Brodie Grundy in the VFL last season. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos via Getty Images

One AFL recruiter says the Kangaroos weren’t alone in rating Edwards highly, recalling a performance against Oakleigh Chargers early in 2021 when he kicked two goals and moved more like a midfielder than a ruckman.

That outing had Dragons coach Jackson Kornberg fizzing after the match: “It’s exciting to see a big bloke who has been so underexposed from a NAB League point of view come in and interest a few onlookers.’’

The recruiter tells CODE Sports: “Everyone had him high in that draft … it looked like he was going to be anything. But for whatever reason, he never really fired at North.’’

Wheeler recalls that most clubs believed Edwards would have been a high draft pick if he had opted to nominate for the 2021 national draft. He says he was “always going to be a long-term, developing ruck’’.

“I hoped the system was going to help him, because he was a pure athlete who could do things with the footy that others couldn’t do,’’ Wheeler says.

“He kicks it really well – and one thing you rate a tall on is how well they kick the footy – and he had a Naitanui-style leap and his hands were really good. If you go back to that draft and you talk to every AFL club, nearly everyone said they would have taken him, because what he was doing for us was just phenomenal.

“But he just didn’t develop. Maybe he wasn’t quite ready at the time. What we’d hoped for was a four to five-year development program, to get him ready for that next level, because he was lightly framed.’’

Wheeler notes that Max Heath, another Dragons ruckman taken in the 2021 mid-season draft, continues to develop at St Kilda, playing at Sandringham in the VFL.

Jacob Edwards rucking for Cheltenham.

Jacob Edwards rucking for Cheltenham.
*****

After his delisting, Edwards decided to have a year in local football and “try to enjoy it more with a few mates and hopefully win a flag’’. He says his friends at Cheltenham assumed he would join them at the Rosellas.

“They were like, ‘Surely you’re going to come and play with us’.

“It’s been awesome. Great culture, a lot of good mates, my brother. Really enjoyable.’’

Winning helps. The Rosellas, premiers last season, are unbeaten after seven matches and have a percentage of 238.86. They look not streets, but highways ahead of their rivals.

Edwards did some concreting with his father when he came off North Melbourne’s list. Now he’s a personal trainer, having completed a three-month course.

Three weeks ago, he played for the Southern league representative team coached by former Richmond defender Des Ryan.

Edwards was no more than handy. But Ryan again saw his natural talent. He won’t be surprised if Edwards re-emerges; Ryan makes the point that few ruckmen dominate as young players.

Ryan first encountered Edwards when he filled in for a Beaumaris junior team. He watched him again at Mentone Grammar, where Ryan’s son, Finn, also attended.

“He could definitely come again if he wanted to. That’s the thing, whether or not he wants to go through that sort of environment again. I don’t see why he wouldn’t but some people come out the other end not that in love with the game,’’ Ryan says.

“If he’s answered the question that he’s not bitter about it, there’s a real opportunity for him to come again, isn’t there? Not many blokes can get their hands down below their knees as cleanly as he can. His below-the-belly-button game is pretty good and his skills are good.’’

​

Ryan adds: “When you pare it all back, he’s still a kid. And he probably should do himself the justice of trying again.’’

Edwards confirms he still has ambitions for his football.

“Yeah, definitely. See what happens at the end of this year,’’ he says. “Maybe I’ll go back into the VFL and try to go back up.’’
 
giantroo said:



From No.1 pick to park footy: What happened to Jacob Edwards, and his plans for another AFL crack​

Three years back, Jacob Edwards’ name was everywhere in AFL mid-season draft discussions. Now, you’ll find it in the small print of suburban football scores. The former No.1 picks speaks to PAUL AMY about his rise, fall and the future.

Paul Amy

6 min read
May 28, 2024 - 12:00PM
https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/l.../36f5ea2d9ede5decca2ce50dc4cee044#share-tools

Jacob Edwards, the former No.1 AFL mid-season draft pick, playing for Cheltenham.

Jacob Edwards, the former No.1 AFL mid-season draft pick, playing for Cheltenham.

This time three years ago, Jacob Edwards’ name was everywhere in AFL mid-season rookie draft discussions.

Now, you’ll find it in the small print of suburban football scores; he is playing for Cheltenham in Division 1 of the Southern league.

A few of his opponents this year have reminded Edwards, 21, that he was the No.1 pick in 2021, selected by North Melbourne.

“Yeah, they let me know about it,’’ he says with a laugh. “Doesn’t bother me though.’’

He might have heard it again last Saturday, when Cheltenham met Springvale Districts.

It was hard to miss the 202cm Edwards, who wore the No.20 jumper for a team that could call on the quality of two other former AFL players, Jack Lonie and Sam Dunell. The Cheltenham side also included his brother Harrison and his Mentone Grammar School friend Declan McComb.

Edwards was in the middle of his Year 12 studies at Mentone Grammar when the Kangaroos drafted him in June, 2021.

The story of his rise at the Dragons had been widely reported. Talent manager Mark Wheeler had come across Edwards when he was playing Division 3 junior football at Beaumaris and eased him into the Sandringham program.

With Covid killing off football in 2020 and restricting the 2021 season, Edwards had played only three matches in the Under 18 competition and some school games when the Kangaroos claimed him. They said they regarded him as a “project’’ player; his best would be seen later rather than sooner.

“We are really excited to bring Jacob to North and look forward to seeing him develop in the coming years,” then-Roos national recruiting manager Mark Finnigan said.

“He fills a need on our list at 202cm, and gives us flexibility as a key forward or ruckman – both positions he’s excelled at in NAB League and school footy.

“His contested marking has been a strength, he reads the play well and his kicking ability for his size, in general play or for goal, is a real asset.’’

Picture: Getty Images

Picture: Getty Images

It was a tidy mid-season draft. Jai Newcombe (Hawthorn) was the No.2 pick, Ash Johnson (Collingwood) No.3 and Sam Durham (Essendon) No.9.

Edwards’ AFL career realised less.

Concentrating on Year 12, he saw little of Arden St in 2021, dropping in on school holidays. He played for the Roos’ VFL team in 2022 and ’23, didn’t win an AFL call-up and was let go late last September.

Edwards says he was “pretty flat’’ when he was delisted but insists he bears no resentment towards North. He was “pretty proud’’ to be a No.1 mid-season pick, enjoyed the experience of the draft (“It was a crazy time’’) and was grateful to spend two-and-a-bit years as a full-time footballer.

“A lot of learnings, and I made a lot of friends at North,’’ he says.

“Even though I didn’t get to play a game, it was still enjoyable.

“It’s a kid’s dream job so you can never really complain doing that.

“The professionalism – and I’m not saying I wasn’t being professional – like my first year there, it was all amazing. I just didn’t expect how serious everything would be. Because, before Dragons and that start of the year in 2021, I didn’t have a high level of footy under my belt or anything. I was just playing local footy for Beauie Sharks. That was really about it.’’

Of course, he was hoping for more as a Kangaroo, just as the club was eager for him to kick on.
“Definitely. I’m sure everyone who gets delisted wishes they didn’t get delisted. I’d have loved to keep playing there but it’s just the harsh reality of footy,’’ he says.

“That’s what happens sometimes. I put pressure on myself to be better and to get better, and looking back, if I see myself in my first couple of days at North and then my last days at North, I can see I’m bigger in size, skills are better, fitness is better, strength as well.’’

He says Todd Goldstein was a mentor – “He taught me a lot about footy and my craft’’ – as was Tristan Xerri, who himself had been described by North as a project player.

Jacob Edwards rucking against Brodie Grundy in the VFL last season. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Jacob Edwards rucking against Brodie Grundy in the VFL last season. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos via Getty Images

One AFL recruiter says the Kangaroos weren’t alone in rating Edwards highly, recalling a performance against Oakleigh Chargers early in 2021 when he kicked two goals and moved more like a midfielder than a ruckman.

That outing had Dragons coach Jackson Kornberg fizzing after the match: “It’s exciting to see a big bloke who has been so underexposed from a NAB League point of view come in and interest a few onlookers.’’

The recruiter tells CODE Sports: “Everyone had him high in that draft … it looked like he was going to be anything. But for whatever reason, he never really fired at North.’’

Wheeler recalls that most clubs believed Edwards would have been a high draft pick if he had opted to nominate for the 2021 national draft. He says he was “always going to be a long-term, developing ruck’’.

“I hoped the system was going to help him, because he was a pure athlete who could do things with the footy that others couldn’t do,’’ Wheeler says.

“He kicks it really well – and one thing you rate a tall on is how well they kick the footy – and he had a Naitanui-style leap and his hands were really good. If you go back to that draft and you talk to every AFL club, nearly everyone said they would have taken him, because what he was doing for us was just phenomenal.

“But he just didn’t develop. Maybe he wasn’t quite ready at the time. What we’d hoped for was a four to five-year development program, to get him ready for that next level, because he was lightly framed.’’

Wheeler notes that Max Heath, another Dragons ruckman taken in the 2021 mid-season draft, continues to develop at St Kilda, playing at Sandringham in the VFL.

Jacob Edwards rucking for Cheltenham.

Jacob Edwards rucking for Cheltenham.
*****

After his delisting, Edwards decided to have a year in local football and “try to enjoy it more with a few mates and hopefully win a flag’’. He says his friends at Cheltenham assumed he would join them at the Rosellas.

“They were like, ‘Surely you’re going to come and play with us’.

“It’s been awesome. Great culture, a lot of good mates, my brother. Really enjoyable.’’

Winning helps. The Rosellas, premiers last season, are unbeaten after seven matches and have a percentage of 238.86. They look not streets, but highways ahead of their rivals.

Edwards did some concreting with his father when he came off North Melbourne’s list. Now he’s a personal trainer, having completed a three-month course.

Three weeks ago, he played for the Southern league representative team coached by former Richmond defender Des Ryan.

Edwards was no more than handy. But Ryan again saw his natural talent. He won’t be surprised if Edwards re-emerges; Ryan makes the point that few ruckmen dominate as young players.

Ryan first encountered Edwards when he filled in for a Beaumaris junior team. He watched him again at Mentone Grammar, where Ryan’s son, Finn, also attended.

“He could definitely come again if he wanted to. That’s the thing, whether or not he wants to go through that sort of environment again. I don’t see why he wouldn’t but some people come out the other end not that in love with the game,’’ Ryan says.

“If he’s answered the question that he’s not bitter about it, there’s a real opportunity for him to come again, isn’t there? Not many blokes can get their hands down below their knees as cleanly as he can. His below-the-belly-button game is pretty good and his skills are good.’’

​

Ryan adds: “When you pare it all back, he’s still a kid. And he probably should do himself the justice of trying again.’’

Edwards confirms he still has ambitions for his football.

“Yeah, definitely. See what happens at the end of this year,’’ he says. “Maybe I’ll go back into the VFL and try to go back up.’’
Click to expand...

First interview with an ex-player that hasn't mentioned that his new club trains harder than us!
 
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