AFL RECRUITS tend to follow a rigid system.
Auskick, then club footy, then representative teams, then NAB Under 18 Championships, then the draft.
But St Kilda rookie Glenn Chivers took a very different path. The 19-year-old was taken by St Kilda last year after a youth of rowing and school football with St Kevin’s College in Melbourne.
Chivers said he was rapt that the Saints took him with their first pick in the rookie draft.
“I always knew it would be difficult to get noticed. I probably didn’t have high expectations of getting drafted at the start of the season. But with the recruiting systems these days they look all over the place, you’re bound to be seen at some stage,” he said.
The running defender could only manage five games with the Oakleigh Chargers in the TAC Cup last year. But when he managed to be best on ground in three of those games, scouts around the country stood up and took notice.
“I always thought because I wasn’t regularly playing TAC Cup footy I had limited chance. But I had a good season last year and I was more confident because I knew a few clubs were sniffing around,” he said.
Chivers is grateful to be given the opportunity to play AFL but also keeps himself busy by studying a Diploma of Commerce at Deakin University.
“Footy’s unpredictable and you never know what’s around the corner, so it’s handy to be doing something outside,” he said.
Before he was rookied, Chivers had never completed a full pre-season of football, instead relying on rowing training to build his fitness.
A summer with the Saints has given his body a rude shock and he now finds himself with a torn ligament in his foot and a stress fracture in his back.
“It might be because my body is not used to that amount of training. I think because I’ve come from school footy to AFL training, it’s an adjustment thing,” he said.
“It could be because I’m growing a tiny bit. That is a potential cause for a stress fracture.”
The Saints have earmarked Chivers for a tall defensive role, and have had him working closely with fellow defenders Matt Maguire and Sam Gilbert. He says the two have passed on plenty of wisdom, especially Gilbert who is only two and a half years older than him.
“I have discussions with Sam a bit. We talk about how you have to play differently against different teams,” he said.
“He’s a pretty mature person and a smart guy. He knows what he’s talking about and I try to take into account what he says.
“The Saints fitness, doctors and physios have been brilliant to work with and they’ve been shaping my body to recovering and becoming more resilient. Everyone is very supportive at the Saints – they’re a great bunch.”
Chivers, who is still living with his parents in East Hawthorn, managed two NAB Cup games this year against Richmond and Geelong. While he had minimal impact in both matches, he said the games gave him an understanding of what playing at the top level was all about.
“Both those games were really enjoyable and gave me a lot of insight to what it’s like at that level. It was a great experience and I really enjoyed it,” he said.
