A quartet of rising South Australian football stars were put through their paces at Crows training this week, as Adelaide’s pre-season ramps up.

It’s all part of giving 2026 AFL Draft hopefuls a behind-the-scenes look at life as a professional footballer.

And for AFL Academy members Ethan Herbet, Gabriel Patterson and Jack Gordon, and Crows NGA Academies' Anthony Long, it’s been a week filled with surprises, challenges and lessons.

The four have been spending the week at West Lakes participating in all training, recovery and conditioning sessions, as well as sitting in on team meetings, immersed with Crows coaches, players and staff.

Central Districts defensive mid, Jack Gordon, said what had surprised him most was how much was involved in the life of an AFL footballer. 

“You’re watching a day in the life of what I’m aspiring to be, in front of me, with my own eyes. The players are up at 6am, every morning coming here, there's five gym sessions a week, it’s like a proper job,” Gordon said.

“You’re not just playing footy anymore, there’s so much to it; the boys have to do pressers, media, school clinics and then they have to push their bodies through these scenarios. 

“But probably, the nutrition has been most surprising part of the week and that’s something I need to work on … I need to eat a lot more than I do.” 

For Glenelg small forward Gabriel Patterson, the nutrition required of an AFL footballer has also been the most surprising learning to come from this experience. 

“They are massive days: waking up at 6am and getting home at 4pm and the amount of food these boys eat,” he said. 

“But also, the little things that are still so important like the recovery afterwards and injury prevention stuff in the gym.”

West Adelaide forward Anthony Long said he had been made to feel welcome from the moment he stepped into the Club.

“The boys are really welcoming and have made me feel like it’s home and they’ve really made me want to play AFL,” he said. 

“This week has made me want to see how far I can go and if I do get drafted this year, then I’ll already know what it’s going to be like coming into it and I’ll be ready for it.”

North Adelaide ruck Ethan Herbert said he had relished the challenge of coming up against the likes of Reilly O’Brien on the training track.

“Obviously, as a ruck, I’m coming up against Reilly O’Brien and the big boys when we’ve done a bit of ruck craft, but I think they’re going easy on me and giving me a bit of help there,” he said.

“But the physicality is on another level, and is showing me the level I have to get to as a key position player.

“It’s been good fun though, and awesome to get that experience against AFL bodies” 

Crows’ SANFL and Academies Manager Jarrod Meers said it was pleasure for the Club to host the quartet of up -and-coming footballers and with 11 players on the Adelaide list who had also participated in the in-Club experience through the AFL Academy.

“As an AFL Club we feel we have a responsibility to support the next crop of emerging talent by providing them with an ‘inner sanctum’ AFL club experience,” he said.

“Once again, this year we have the opportunity to support four exciting young players who are deep into their talent pathway footballing journey.

“Like the 11 current AFL players we have on our list who still to this day reflect upon their own AFL Academy In-Club Training week, we hope Jack, Ethan, Gabrielle and Anthony have a similar positive experience.”

Those 11 Crows are Ben Keays, Izak Rankine, Darcy Fogarty, Chayce Jones, Riley Thilthorpe, Josh Rachele, Max Michalanney, Tyler Welsh, Sid Draper, Dan Curtin and, most, recently Archie Ludowyke.

The final send-off for the four draft hopefuls will be on Saturday morning when they complete a conditioning session with the full squad.

And if there’s one thing they each agree on, it’s that the week’s experience has made them more determined than ever to work hard to fulfill their football dreams.