HOW DO recruiters think? What do they see in players? How do they assemble successful lists and spot talent?

Get a special insight into the life of an AFL recruiter on this week's Road to the Draft podcast, when AFL.com.au's Callum Twomey and Nat Edwards are joined by James Fantasia in the studio for an extended chat.

 

Fantasia was Adelaide's recruiting manager between 1995-2007, before joining the Western Bulldogs as the club's football boss.

 

He left the Dogs to take on the same role at Hawthorn last season but illness forced him to quit the role.

 

During the chat, Fantasia takes listeners through how the Crows discovered Taylor Walker and how Ben Rutten, Marty Mattner and Nathan Bock landed at Adelaide via the rookie draft.

 

He also touches on luring Wayne Carey to the Crows in 2002 and the behind-the-scenes strategies that went into building the Crows' 1997 and 1998 premiership sides.

 

The recruiting world is shrouded in mystery, with Fantasia offering a rare insight into what makes a scout tick, how they assess talent, and how they get to the point of reading out a prospect's name at the draft table.