A couple of Riverina's most promising footballers have been urged not to give up on their AFL careers despite missing out selection in the drafts.
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It was another bleak year for the Riverina with no players being picked up in the AFL National Draft on Wednesday and Thursday, or the Pre-Season and Rookie Drafts on Friday.
Coolamon's Liam Delahunty, Leeton's Cooper Sharman and Henty's Nick Murray had all built strong cases to be given a chance at an AFL club.
ACT and Southern NSW AFL talent and coaching manager Cam Bernasconi conceded it was a disappointing result for the region.
"No it was a bit disappointing not having any players called out across the three days," Bernasconi said.
"Unfortunately that's the way footy goes sometimes."
Bernasconi admitted the result surprised him.
"Yeah it was a bit surprising to see that a number of players in the Riverina didn't get called out," he said.
"There was a few of them that had really good seasons and I thought did everything right to put their hand up to be drafted but unfortunately it's extremely hard thing to do is to get drafted and find yourself on an AFL list.
"The players, they're resilient kids, there is so many other opportunities through the state league pathways, over age systems that these kids will have further opportunities to end up on a list next year."
It was a wipe out for the entire state with Canberra's Tom Green the only player from NSW-ACT to get selected when he was picked up with selection 10 on Wednesday night.
It was a tough draft for young players. Only 65 players were taken in the national draft and just 14 new faces found homes in the rookie draft.
Fifteen of the 79 players that attended the AFL Combine also missed out.
But the likes of Mick Gibbons have proven there is hope for players after their teenage years.
Bernasconi explained there are more avenues to the AFL than ever before.
"The plan B method is proven that it works," he said.
"A lot of players are getting drafted as mature aged players and you don't have to look far to see the Marlon Pickett situation being a mid-year draftee then wins a grand final. Obviously that's an extreme case but it just shows there's not just opportunities at the draft each year but also the mid-season draft and pre-season draft.
"So the players just need to get some feedback, probably off some recruiters and some coaches, about what they need to do to go to the next level and in 2020 put that into action."
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