Delisted Collingwood midfielder finds new home
The 20-year-old was one of six Magpies players cut from the club.
Delisted Collingwood midfielder Arlo Draper has returned to his former side South Adelaide for the 2024 season following his Magpies departure.
Draper was drafted out of the Panthers and into the AFL system alongside teammate and 2021 No.1 draft pick Jason Horne-Franics two years ago, with the Willunga junior selected 45th overall.
The 20-year-old wouldn’t play a game of senior football at the Magpies and would manage 31 appearances for Collingwood’s VFL team across his two years a the club, which were impacted by injury.
Draper was one of six Magpies players delisted this off-season, with the midfield-forward hybrid now returning to South Australia to play for the Panthers next year.
“I’d say I’m most excited to be back in an environment I’ve grown up in with good people all throughout the club,” Draper said in a club statement.
“We have a really exciting young list so it’s a great opportunity to be a part of hopefully some really positive development as a club.
“I was obviously pretty privileged to be involved in a fairly successful organisation over the past two years, I joined Collingwood after they finished 17th the year before, so I was there to witness their resurgence and learnt a lot.
“Hopefully I can use some of the knowledge I gained to help the team on the field as well as off.”
Draper’s return to Flinders University Stadium could see him play alongside his brother Sid, who looms as one of the leading draft prospects for the 2024 draft.
Sid played three games for South Adelaide’s senior side this year and would earn a spot in the U18 All-Australian team for his efforts for South Australia at the National Carnival.
His brother’s decision to return to the Panthers was influenced by the idea of the pair playing together at South Adelaide.
“The opportunity to play with Sid was one of the biggest things that pulled me to come back home,” the ex-Magpie revealed.
“He’s hopefully in for a really big year so to be able to be a part of that and help him through it is really special”
South Adelaide finished in ninth on the ladder this year, recording five wins from their 18 matches.
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