North Adelaide forward Jacob Bauer tipped to be certain selection in AFL mid-season draft as recruiters circle

A high-flying prospect from New South Wales capable of playing at both ends of the ground shapes as a certain selection in next week’s AFL mid-season draft. Jacob Bauer went undrafted last year out of the Swans’ Academy but has piqued the interest of at least six AFL clubs with a blistering start to the SANFL season for North Adelaide. The 19-year-old is one of 14 prospects who will undergo medical testing ahead of the June 1 draft, with players requiring multiple clubs to nominate them. Most of that group is tipped to find an AFL home on Wednesday week. Bauer has requested an 18-month contract if he is drafted, which would take him through to the end of the 2023 season. It’s believed both Sydney clubs – the Giants and Swans – Collingwood, Essendon, Richmond and Carlton are all showing interest in the 191cm swingman, who’s kicked 15 goals in five senior games this year. Bauer’s averaging nine disposals, almost three marks inside 50 and five score involvements per game. After the teenager starred down back in a pre-season trial game against the Crows’ reserves then started the season in the reserves, the Roosters swung him forward with great effect. The only match Bauer’s missed since was because of a concussion. Among his 15 goals were consecutive bags of five, with his North Adelaide coach Jacob Surjan, who played 121 AFL games for Port Adelaide, saying he had matured with his move from Sydney to Adelaide. The knock on Bauer from clubland is his ground-ball and contested work, but Surjan said he was already showing improvement. “He has a great ability to mark the ball and read the flight of the ball in the air. He’s really competitive as well and he’s a beautiful set shot,” Surjan told News Corp. “He knows the areas of the game that he needs to get better at, but he’s got a lot of things that AFL clubs need and like. “I don’t think he needs to get bigger, but he just needs to get stronger in his body and with his contest, and if he gets into an AFL environment, he’s got plenty of time for that.” As opposed to other state league coaches who have been disgruntled about losing promising players during a season, Surjan could not be happier for Bauer. North Adelaide has targeted Sydney as a fertile recruiting ground but Bauer actually contacted the club after seeing some of his peers head there. “I’m going to be very excited if Jacob is potentially the first development kid drafted through the mid-season draft from North Adelaide,” he said. “Part of our job is obviously to win premierships at our club, but we still know that we’re a feeder competition to the AFL and we need to try to develop kids to try and get into the AFL as quickly as possible. “Jacob’s development in the last little bit has been great. He’s very driven, he wants to get the best out of himself and he’s a really humble kid.” MID-SEASON DRAFT MEDICALS LIST Connor Ballenden (Woodville West Torrens) Jacob Bauer (North Adelaide) Josh Carmichael (West Adelaide) Lachlan Carrigan (Richmond VFL/Sandringham Dragons) Jai Culley (Dandenong Stingrays) Kallan Dawson (Williamstown) Massimo D’Ambrossio (Western Jets) Wade Derksen (Peel Thunder) Mutaz El Nour (Northern Bullants) Oskar Faulkhead (Bendigo Pioneers) Ethan Grace (GWS Academy) Hugo Hall-Kahan (Sandringham Dragons) Max Ramsden (Sandringham Dragons) Brynn Teakle (East Fremantle)