Cameron Newbold: Jacob Blight’s footy journey has been a rollercoaster but clubs would be mad to pass him up

A note to AFL clubs taking part in Wednesday’s mid-season rookie draft — don’t leave Jacob Blight’s name on the table. Having watched Blight in his footy journey over the past decade, it has certainly been a rollercoaster ride — from a scrawny teenager with long legs and arms playing in the worst of an Albany winter to being among the top fancies hoping to find their way on to an AFL list. But if there is one player you want to take a chance on, Blight is the one. Getting to this point has not come easy, a statement that might sound strange given he was part of the State 16s academy. Blight was part of the State program but unlike many other young footballers, it never led to him getting drafted. He started out as a gangly key position player in his junior years and then showed small glimpses of his potential when playing seniors with Railways in the Great Southern Football League. I remember him clunking a couple of big pack marks as a 16-year-old playing just one of his four league games in 2018 and thought “there is something about this kid”. He had raw potential but you could tell it was still a long way off and the following year he made the move to have a crack in the WAFL. I had my doubts if he would even get a spot on the colts list at Claremont, let alone see the year out. However he proved me and plenty of others wrong but opportunities were limited, playing only five games. Blight played nine colts games in a frustrating 2020 season but he began to develop and show his worth in 2021, making his league debut. However managing only four more league games, taking his tally to seven in two seasons, left the ambitious young defender wanting more. The switch to Peel Thunder came as a surprise but it was a calculated and worthwhile risk with the attraction of being involved with a team that was Fremantle’s WAFL affiliate and the promise of more league footy. And the rest is history. He quickly cemented his place in the Thunder side playing 22 games last year, including their losing grand final team. This year he averages nearly 19 disposals and nine marks at league level and made an eye-catching State debut for WA with 17 touches and 13 marks in a losing affair. It is Blight’s resilience and determination to achieve his goals that stands out head and shoulders above most others. He was never the most talented or the flashy junior player, he never had it easy in his WAFL colts days and frankly it appeared he might have been destined to play a lot of reserves footy. But none of that ever worried him. He worked extremely hard at improving his game, got fitter and stronger and simply never took no as an answer. He is now one of the best defenders in the WAFL competition and more than likely will find an AFL home — a realisation of a dream that for a long time seemed so far away. Blight has done everything he can to impress potential AFL suitors and I hope that someone takes a chance on him. He is mature beyond his years for 22 and no doubt can make immediate impact. You only have to look at the impact John Noble is having for reigning premiers Collingwood and throw in Hawthorn midfield star Jai Newcombe and Essendon young gun Sam Durham, to see what value these mid-season draftees can bring. Kalin Lane was first Great Southern product to get picked up in the mid-season draft by Brisbane and if Blight is selected, he joins a long list of AFL players from the region. This draft throws up some wonderful stories and I only hope that Jacob Blight is one of them come Wednesday night.