South Australian forward Tyler Welsh is set to join Adelaide as a father-son selection through this year's draft period following a promising 2024 campaign with several teams.

Welsh entered the year as one of the leading forwards in his class, having enjoyed a strong bottom-age year at the U18s National Championships with the croweaters.

The son of four-time Crows leading goalkicker Scott, Welsh earned an invite to the AFL Academy for 2024 and featured against both Coburg and Footscray in the side's two showcase games, with the teenager managing to kick majors in both.

Welsh had already featured against senior opposition this year, making his SANFL debut for Adelaide's reserves in March before ending the year with 10 games under his belt at the state league level.

The young forward was good for a goal per game in that run, playing alongside future teammates and holding his own against mature defenders.

Having balanced his season with commitments for South Australia at the national carnival, Adelaide's SANFL side and the AFL Academy, Welsh did have one game for his U18s team Woodville-West Torrens, which proved to be fruitful as he dominated with an eight-goal outing against Norwood.

The standout performance in the middle of his spell with SA, with Welsh spearheading the state side across their four games. The Crows-tied attacker booted eight goals for the carnival, including hauls of four and three against Vic Country and the Allies respectively.

While standing at 191cm, Welsh manages to play much bigger than his frame suggests, with his power and strong marking a big factor in his game, while his goalkicking doesn't let him down either.

With room to grow and the chance to learn from Taylor Walker and Darcy Fogarty in the coming seasons, Welsh will be well positioned to hone his craft in the SANFL from 2025 - a level he is already accustomed to.

A bid for Welsh is expected to come in the second half of the draft, with the third or fourth rounds looming most likely.

Adelaide Crows SANFL additions Toby Murray (Left) and Tyler Welsh (Right) (Image via Adelaide FC)

Position:ย Forward
Height:ย 191cm
State:ย South Australia
Club:ย Henley

Strengths

Marking
Power
Goalkicking
Senior Experience

Draft Range

Pick 40-Late

Potential Landing Spots

Adelaide (Matched Bid)

AFL Comparison

Jack Darling
Charlie Curnow

Expert Comments

"Powerful forward who is quick on the lead and has strong hands out in front. Also has the ability to use his body to outmaneuver his opponent in one-on-one contests." - Kevin Sheehan