Harvey Langford and Cooper Hynes are best mates, co-captains of the Dandenong Stingrays, lifelong Tigers fans and likely future rivals on the footy field.

They are just two of the more than 1,000 players who’ve nominated for the 2024 AFL national draft, which takes place on Wednesday and Thursday nights this week.

Richmond holds the coveted number-one pick after finishing on the bottom of the ladder this season. The club also traded its way to six more selections inside the first round.

Langford and Hynes — who are widely tipped to finish the week on an AFL list — are outliers among their peers, with both finishing their studies this year at public schools.

Private school students form majority of AFL draft class

In 2023, 17 of the top 30 picks were fresh out of the private school system.

This year, it is likely that 25 players inside the top 30 will come from private schools around the country, primarily from Melbourne.

The numbers do not align with broader statistics that show only about 36 per cent of Australian students attend private schools.

Langford, a 190-centimetre midfield/forward from Mornington, fielded offers from private schools, as is the norm with top-rated players at under-age level.

But the family consensus was to stay put.

Hynes, also standing at 190cm tall, completed year 12 in Rowville in Melbourne’s outer east.

He spoke highly of his time with the Dandenong Stingrays, one of 13 clubs in the AFL’s under-age Talent League.

“It’s an elite environment … [I] definitely don’t think I’ve missed out from a development point of view,” Hynes said.

“Me and Harvs have been pretty lucky to have such good coaches at Dandenong.”

‘Recruiters just go where the talent is’

David Trotter, who was taken at pick nine by North Melbourne in the 2003 draft and now works in talent management, does not think public school boys are at a disadvantage come draft time, despite the numbers favouring the private-school-to-AFL-list pathway.

Trotter grew up in the small town of Lockhart in the NSW Riverina and moved to Kilmore’s Assumption College to finish high school and play for the Calder Cannons.

He says it can be helpful to have connections formed at private schools, where the coaching ranks are often flush with ex-AFL coaches and players.

But he also believes the best players will not be overlooked, no matter what school they attend.

“I think what happens is a lot of talented kids from the country that do get offered the scholarships and move down, I think a lot of those players if they stayed where they were would end up being really good players and early draft picks as well,” Trotter said.

Langford is likely to stay close to home next year, with Melbourne-based clubs holding 10 of the first 11 draft picks. But a move to South Australia could be on the cards, with Adelaide’s first selection at pick four.

Night one of the draft on Wednesday is dedicated to first-round selections, with invited players and their families and friends in attendance at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium.

All remaining selections will be made on Thursday.