The sliding-doors moment for Jackson ahead of State 16s trial game

AAMI WA Football State Talent Manager Adam Jones recalled the sliding-doors moment on the eve of a State 16s trial game when he convinced Luke Jackson’s family to get the now Fremantle superstar to take part.

Jones was alerted about Jackson’s potential by East Fremantle talent manager David Depane, with the towering ruck-forward then getting involved in some talent squad sessions over the summer.

The year was 2017 and the WA under-16s were preparing for their first trial game at Claremont Showgrounds.

Jackson, a multi-talented athlete who starred Australia at the 2018 FIBA U16 Asia Championship, had been invited as a train-on ahead of the AFL Under-16s Championships.

RELATED ARTICLES

• From Busso to the big stage for Amiss
• From Subi Colts premiership teammates to a Freo grand final
• Where the WA-bred Dockers contingent have come from
• How drought-breaking WA 18s title propelled current Dockers to the AFL
• WA teens to feature in AFL Grand Final curtain-raiser
• EGT WAFL Colts Team of the Year
• Sharks prevail in EGT WAFL Colts decider
• Chace the ace! Bottom-aged Bulldog wins Jack Clarke Medal

His mum was reluctant due to the talented teen’s basketball commitments, but Jones managed to convince him to be involved in the trial game.

The athletic tall dominated the match and ended up being part of WA’s national under-16s title and two years later, the drought-breaking national under-18s triumph, both alongside current Dockers teammates Jeremy Sharp and Nathan O’Driscoll.

“In his 16^th year he didn’t play any WAFL Futures (under-16s) games due to basketball commitments,” Jones recalled.

“Dave Depane mentioned at the time that there was a kid that we should maybe have a look at or somehow get involved.

“He did some summer program sessions with us and I had some notes on him that he looked like a promising prospect.

“We ended up inviting him down as a train-on, just to see what he might be like and on the eve of the program starting his mum called and said he couldn’t commit to all of the sessions so it’s unfair on the other kids if we’re not fully committed.

“I said to his mum ‘sit tight, let’s pencil in this trial game and if he’s as good as what I think he might be, then we’ll just make allowances for him to be able to train when he can and play in the (AFL Under-16s) Championship games.

“They agreed to that and he played in the trial game and absolutely dominated, his ruck work was just outstanding and there was a natural connection with the rovers who he hadn’t played with and barely trained with.

“His natural athleticism and willingness to compete were outstanding.”

Jones said AFL recruiters took notice “straight away”.

Jackson ended up getting drafted by Melbourne with pick three in the 2019 AFL National Draft and won a premiership in just his second year in the system.

Now the East Fremantle and Bullcreek-Leeming product, who was recently named in the AFL All-Australian Team, looms as one of the key players in Fremantle’s quest for a maiden flag against Brisbane at the MCG on Saturday.