North Melbourne’s top draft pick Jason Horne-Francis has been a constant storyline for the media recently. The turbulent start to the young gun’s AFL career reinforces sports’ fascination with being the top Draft pick, which can be both a blessing and a curse.
It’s a title that brings great prestige. For those who are fortunate enough – and good enough – to become a number one pick, there are the assurances of becoming a household name before playing a single game. It means a lucrative rookie contract and endorsement deals from prominent brands. It’s no doubt a goal, a motivator, through formative years; just look at NBA stars Jalen Green and LaMelo Ball, who’ve previously cited that they hoped to be taken as a first pick.
But for all the honour and stature that stems from being a first overall selection, it can also seem like a burden once Draft day coverage subsides. Right from the moment an athlete becomes a #1 pick, they’re handed a label which has connotations of being the saviour. The recent media coverage that surrounded North Melbourne’s Jason-Horne Francis underscores this.
Host of The Sports Media Microscope podcast Dr Sam Duncan points this out, as he emphasises that being picked first has always held astronomical expectations, even in the AFL.
“Historically, the AFL has taken particular interest in the number one draft pick. If you are performing, if they [the media] deem that your progress and your behaviour is aligned with their expectations, they probably don’t say much. ” Dr Duncan said.
“You are going to quite naturally receive a lot more scrutiny.”
Embed from Getty ImagesSince Martin Leslie was selected as Brisbane’s top pick at the first AFL Draft back in 1986, the interest in who goes pick one has transformed into one of the major events of the sports’ calendar over time. With the AFL Draft’s origins starting off as ‘humble beginnings’, according to AFL Talent Manager Kevin Sheedy in a recent article, the league moved quickly to more closely align its model to the NBA and NFL. It will never quite reach those lofty heights, but its feel has drawn closer to the US counterparts, over time.
A sports media expert, Dr Duncan says that while there are some similarities between the top Australian and overseas prospects, the attention is on a completely different scale.
Coverage in American prospects is further amplified through the profile they gain via the college sports system. The majority of Australian draftees are younger and aren’t typically under an intense spotlight from the media.
“But every now and again, you’ll get a really high draft pick who perhaps acts outside the norms of what the expectations are. Jason Horne-Francis is an example of that, because he is an animated young man on the football field,” Dr Duncan said.
“A lot of people don’t expect that of a first year high draft pick.”
Embed from Getty ImagesAlso an academic at Holmesglen Institute and Swinburne University, Dr Duncan said that many of the first year Draft picks are celebrated through initiatives like the Rising Star Award. But often, the media highlights players ‘not fitting the stereotype,’ which can result in them coming under more scrutiny.
For Horne-Francis, this rings true after weeks of criticism aimed squarely at him. Among the complaints for North Melbourne’s top Draft pick were him liking an Instagram post with a trade hypothetical, failing to follow club protocols after a visit home for Mother’s Day and visible on-field frustration.
Embed from Getty ImagesAcross the 12 games played so far, Horne-Francis currently averages 17 disposals, 10.1 kicks, 6.9 handballs, 2.5 marks, 3.3 tackles and 4.2 clearances per game. He recently served a two weeks suspension following a hit on Giants’ star Josh Kelly.
“I think the media has leveraged that because they don’t expect that from a young player,” Dr Duncan continued.
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“There seems to be this stereotype that first year players will do as they’re told, show respect and listen to their more experienced senior players. So to see somebody with the confidence as a young man to express himself, I think made him the target of criticism.”
Some had predicted that fellow 2021 draftee Nick Daicos would hold a heavy burden as the son of former Collingwood player Peter. But 16 rounds into the current AFL season, Horne-Francis is the one in the furnace, similar to what Jack Watts and Tom Boyd previously felt. Their careers were notably impacted by those pressures.
Embed from Getty ImagesWatts, who was Melbourne’s top draft pick in 2008, has had an AFL career full of ups and downs. Since retiring from football in 2020, he has since spoken about the mental toll he suffered in his 12 years in the league. Similarly, Boyd recently spoke about the intense media scrutiny surrounding his lucrative contract offer from the Western Bulldogs, pointing out the situation was “unique to [him]”.
Along with Horne-Francis, another number one pick who has recently attracted heightened media interest is Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. The Bulldogs top pick back in 2020 saw ignited criticism for not fulfilling expectations after playing a handful of games and not making the Grand Finalist’s best 22 last year. Criticisms continue into the current season as a result of him only playing eight games so far.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhen asked whether he thinks the media needs to change the way it covers young prospects and first-year players, Dr Duncan added that the media needs to be mindful that these young men are developing as players, teammates and human beings.
“I think the media do potentially go too hard on too many individuals. It’s entertainment. [Horne-Francis] is 19, he has much to learn and this year is part of his journey. So I caution the media in being too hard on people, particularly at that stage of their development,” he said.
“The media coverage [on draftees] needs to fit in the context of who these young draftees are.
“They are young people, not just young footballers, who have much to learn about not just football, but life.”