The Magpies secured the signatures of Michael Hartley and Jarrod Witts earlier this week, with the pair joining Scott Reed, Tom Young and Nick Perry as potential future Collingwood players.
In 2006 the AFL introduced the scholarship program aimed at attracting the best athletic talent from New South Wales to the AFL, with each club able to select two NSW/ACT youngsters per year and up to six in total.
Clubs provide capped financial assistance towards the players' football development and education, and then have first right to list those players with their final selections in the draft once they become eligible.
Witts, who is from Normanhurst, about 30 kilometres north-west of Sydney, is a 197-centimetre key position prospect who has represented his state in both rugby union and cricket.
“Jarrod is 15 coming from a rugby union and cricket background, and has only played five games of AFL in total. He is playing with St Ives Football Club” Collingwood national recruiting manager Derek Hine told collingwoodfc.com.au.
“At 197 centimetres, our research suggests he’s enormous potential for development. A left footer, he is very much in the learning phase of the game. He’s an outstanding young man with a terrific attitude and has very supportive family.
"The exciting aspect with Jarrod is that he is very athletic and physically will develop into a very strong potential ruckman power forward not dissimilar to Kurt Tippet from Adelaide.”
Hartley, who stands at 190 centimetres, hails from Penrith where he plays for the Penrith Swans.
“Michael lives not far from Nick Perry, so in terms of strategically and geographically trying to develop both boys, it’s advantageous as they can work together,” explained Hine.
“Michael is an elite high jumper, as with Jarrod has a diverse athletic background, a representative cricketer, a natural sportsman Michael excels in athletics where he has competed at the National level.
“Like Jarrod, he has great scope to develop, we see Michael playing either as a centre half back or centre half forward. He’s shown rapid improvement, as have all the boys who have been part of our academy programs.”
Both boys recently visited the Lexus Centre for the first time to sign their contracts and commit themselves to Collingwood.
“The facilities here at the Lexus Centre are amazing, it really is completely different to what I expected,” said Witts.
He went onto describe what type of player he is, his background, and why he’s chosen to pursue Australian rules football.
“This is my first season, I’ve just played the four games. It’s good and I like it, my mates and I got into it. It’s more soccer and rugby around where I’m from, and they don’t have an Australian rules team, that’s why I have to travel about 15-20 minutes in the car to get to St Ives.
“I prefer AFL because it’s free-flowing compared to rugby, there’s more space. I play in the ruck and a bit of full forward, and I enjoy it.”
Hartley, who played soccer for 11 years to go with his stellar cricket and athletic ability, was spotted playing in a school tournament, and after making a state zone team, was identified by Collingwood’s New South Wales-based development coach Rod Carter.
“At my school Australian rules is not very popular, only a few people play, but it’s starting to pick up. I was in the school newsletter, and everybody saw it, and everyone’s been asking me questions about where I play, how to get started.
“I like defending, but attacking whenever I can, playing across half back is good.”
As for the Lexus Centre?
“Unbelievable... so big, it’s great.”
Hine went on to explain the club’s approach to the New South Wales scholarship program.
“Our program has been now active in New South Wales for three years and we have been delighted with the work that Rod Carter and his team have done.
“What we’ve tried to do is identify potentially the taller type of player for the reason that physically they have the potential to have more scope to develop into the key position or ruckman history tells us this type of player are taken early in the draft pool so if we can identify and develop an athlete through the New South Wales scheme it could potentially provide us with greater depth in an area that is very hard to access through the traditional draft system.
“That is not to say that we have neglected the smaller midfielders, we’re hopefully on the verge of signing a potential 14-year-old within the next two weeks, so we’re very excited about him, we’ve put a lot of work into him, so we’ll hopefully have his signature in the not-too-distant future.
Hine also gave an insight into the progress of Reid, Perry and Young.
"It’s pretty well documented we’ve had a program going in New South Wales now for the last three years, of which Scott Reed was the first product of that program.
"Scott’s in a position now where he’s been an AIS player and he’s done enough to suggest we’ll list him at the end of the year, and obviously we need to work through that, but it’s looking very promising for Scott.
"Tom Young and Nick Perry are both 15-year-old boys. Tom was outstanding playing in the New South Wales under 16 team that recently defeated Queensland by 21 goals and is developing very well.
"Nick unfortunately injured his knee but due to his excellent work ethic is now almost fully recovered well ahead of schedule. His position in the squad remains, it’s just a matter of him proving his fitness.
“We are delighted with both Tom and Nick’s progress they are giving themselves every chance of a career in the AFL"
Jarrod Witts
D.O.B: 13 September 1992
Height: 197 cm
Weight: 85 kg
From: Normanhurst/St Ives FC
Michael Hartley
D.O.B: 7 June 1993
Height: 190 cm
Weight: 78 kg
From: Penrith Swans FC
