Star 2027 AFL Draft prospect Baxter Sruk has been backed by his junior coach to successfully find his feet in Tasmania if the AFL's 19th team pre-list him ahead of next year.
As well as 11 first-round draft picks between 2027 and 2029 and priority access to local Tasmanian talent, the club can sign as many as 12 17-year-olds across 2026 and 2027.
“He takes it in his stride like most. He's a cool, calm sort of character. I think it would be refreshing for him to be interstate, but he would have a lot of clubs here that would like him too,” Eastern Ranges and Vic Metro coach Lauren Morecroft told Craft of the Draft.
“As much as there's a lot of hype on Baxter, it's not what he's into really; he likes to let his footy do his talking. He really enjoys playing footy and being a good teammate, which is really good in a young player, but now we're working on the defensive side of his game to complement the offensive side, which you see through the midfield and forward line.”
After a toe injury delayed his start to the season, Sruk has played nine Talent League games and one game for Vic Metro at the Under-18s National Championships where he showed his powerful ball-winning ability.
His clean hands and ability to convert his scoring chances are other features of his game as he has averaged ...
“I think his ability to win the ball in contested situations and get on the outside, he does quite well,” Morecroft added.
“(When the game is on the line), he answers the call. There has been a few times I've spoken to him on the bench or in the box and asked him to rise, and he does. It's quite natural to him; he seems to like the big moments, so they're great traits to have.”
Morecroft also spoke on several of Vic Metro's top AFL Draft prospects, the progress of several Eastern Ranges players and a trio of players she has coached who are now in the AFL system.
