Don't restrict rookie list: Podsiadly

The AFL Rookie Draft has come under recent scrutiny and Geelong premiership forward James Podsiadly thinks sides shouldn't be restricted on who they pick.

Geelong premiership forward James Podsiadly has said any restriction introduced to the AFL’s Rookie List would be detrimental.

Podsiadly, who was drafted through the draft twice early in his career to Collingwood and Essendon respectively before getting a third crack with Geelong at 28, said you can’t predict a players’ growth.

“I just think you can’t predict everyone’s physical and mental maturity when it comes to being an elite athlete,” he told The Inner Sanctum.

“Some develop quicker than others and why should we put any restrictions on any of the pathways we’ve got to make it to the elite level.

“I don’t think restrictions is the right way to go about it.”

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The Rookie List has come under scrutiny in recent years, with West Coast using it to select former North Melbourne veteran Drew Petrie and Port Adelaide with his former teammate Lindsay Thomas.

However, there have been a number of players and mature aged recruits receive lifelines and opportunities through the Rookie Draft.

Nick Holman at Gold Coast and Cal Wilkie at St Kilda recently, while Podsiadly, Jono Beech and other mature-aged recruits had landed their chances through the Rookie Draft.