Should clubs psychologically test draftees?

Ahead of the 2011 National Draft Josh Bootsma was labelled by AFL recruiters as a Dustin Fletcher like defender- big wraps for a kid who, midway through the 2011 season, was only playing junior footy in the Western Australian bush.

At the 2011 AFL combine, the 190 centimetres and 74 kilogram Bootsma was simply a scrawny teenager with a mop of blonde hair – and described by many a scout as a draft bolter.

Josh, the son of former Fremantle Docker midfielder Brad, came from absolutely nowhere.

Initially Fremantle showed some interest in securing the ungainly teenager, but eventually it was Carlton who swooped on Bootsma.

The Blues viewed Bootsma as a long term prospect in the club’s ongoing battle to fix their fragility in the back half.

In 14 games over two and a bit seasons Bootsma had shown only glimpses of that talent, but Carlton was hopeful his best was still yet to come.

But not even three years after being taken with the Blues’ first round pick (22nd overall), the best of Bootsma will never come to fruition.

The 21 year-old finds himself without an AFL home – or a job for that matter – after the Carlton Football Club terminated the youngster’s AFL contract last week, after a series of off-field issues, which boiled over Bootsma’s misuse of social media.

So where did it all go wrong for Bootsma and the Carlton Football Club?

The scrawny kid was an interesting package.

With exceptional running power, great closing speed and an elite reach to spoil, Bootsma, physically, ticked plenty of boxes.

But mentally, emotionally and socially the kid was obviously struggling and not ready, or maybe not suited, to the cut-throat nature and demands of the AFL system.

This drastic decision by Carlton to terminate Bootsma’s contract, 18 months before it expired, was purely a social one – not a physical one.

Can football clubs do more in the screening process of footballers (particularly teenagers), to safeguard themselves against such circumstances?

After all, the Carlton Football Club is now another soldier down going in to the second half of an AFL season, following the retirements of Heath Scotland and Nick Duigan.

Football clubs have historically invested heavily in the physical side of a footballer’s game, particularly when it comes to recruiting and analysing players at draft time. But is as much emphasis being placed on screening the psychology of a footballer?

Former North Melbourne Football club psychologist Greg Buck, who also works as a consultant for AFL clubs at draft time, still believes that the majority of recruiting departments will ultimately go with physical attributes over personality attributes when choosing a footballer.

“Draft rankings are pretty much based on ratings of physical talent first and foremost,” Buck said.

“Obviously exceptional physical attributes are a player’s entry ticket into the AFL – so to a certain degree players pick themselves in this regard.

However, Buck concedes the drafting of player is a lot more complex than this, and recruiters plucking out a name on draft day based primarily on the individual’s physical qualities is flirting with danger, and other factors and qualities – such as personality – need to be taken very seriously when drafting a footballer.

Buck is adamant that understanding the psychological nature of an individual will often determine whether the player can actually go on to reach their full potential at AFL Level.

“Whether physical talent is the best predictor of longer term achievement in the AFL is questionable,” Buck said.

“The way I view it is when physical talent is more or less equal between two players, actually understanding psychological make-up, such as a player’s particular personality, becomes critical in differentiating between which player will make the most of their physical potential in the longer term.”

Unless you were in the inner sanctum at the Carlton Football Club – when initially they screened Bootsma and then drafted the 18 year-old – it is difficult know how much psychological information the Blues had first gained from interviewing and testing Bootsma, and secondly if any of it was taken into consideration when coughing up a prized first round pick to grab the youngster.

Although Buck admits that psychology testing is not always bullet proof – and players such as Bootsma may slip under the guard – Buck is resolute that psych-testing, conducted properly at both the AFL combine and administered pre-draft day, is essential in modern day recruiting and list management.

Buck also believes that a footballer’s longevity in game – in terms of getting the best out themselves – can be determined by thorough psych-testing.

“It definitely provides you with essential and objective information about a player’s personality and other mental attributes,” Buck said.

“Key attributes such as emotional intelligence, aptitude for learning, leadership potential, capacity to manage stress and working in teams should be taken very seriously when selecting players.

“For example, if the results of a good personality test are interpreted correctly, it can provide important insight into how well that player may adjust to the rigours of AFL, or in the longer term, whether that player is more or less likely to get the most out of their potential.”

Although still relevant, Buck insists that the days of recruiters drawing opinions on footballer’s psychological make-up solely from interviewing the player, talking to coaches and looking at how a player prepares for a game are gone, and these general observations need to be compared with formal psychological testing.

“While the interview process and player observations are all important – when it comes to high stake selections – it’s probably not enough, and it’s prone to bias,” Buck said.

“Ideally you want to try and match-up the results of formal testing with reliable anecdotal sources.”

Buck is also of the belief that some clubs who are better resourced and educated in this area are more willing to go that extra length with formal psychological testing and view the process positively and as a reliable and necessary component of the recruiting formula.

As Bootsma is left to contemplate the next stage of his life there is little doubt the Carlton Football Club will continue to ask questions about their recruiting processes and whether the club did their due diligence in drafting a kid who was cut prematurely from the system, not because of his ability, but because of his personality.

Buck is under no illusions that dealing with so many different personalities, particularly in an environment such as the AFL, is extremely difficult, but the workplace can be made a hell of a lot more viable with getting the right mix footballer, through the front door, with more diligent psych testing.

“Getting the process right at screening time may be the difference between a player struggling or thriving in the AFL,” he said.