Taj Schofield

CLUB: Woodville-West Torrens

JUNIOR CLUB: Sorrento-Duncraig (WA)

DATE OF BIRTH: 7th September 2002

HEIGHT: 177cm

WEIGHT: 74kg

POSITION: Midfielder/Forward

PORT ADELAIDE has added midfielder/forward Taj Schofield to its rookie list with pick 37 at the National Rookie Draft on Thursday.

The 18-year-old is the son of 2004 Premiership player and current midfield coach Jarrad Schofield and was an automatic selection under the AFL’s father-son rules.

Taj Schofield has impressed with Woodville-West Torrens in the SANFL Under 18 competition in 2020 and came through Henley High School’s football program.

Born in South Australia but raised in Perth, he played his junior football with Sorrento-Duncraig before playing colts with Subiaco, where his father won multiple Premierships as coach.

Renowned as composed and a good user of the ball, Schofield will get the chance to work with his father at Alberton in 2021.

Port Adelaide’s National Recruiting Manager Geoff Parker on Schofield:

“He’s been able to interact with the club through the father-son program. Paul Stewart has done a really good job with him, working with him on game preparation. He’s done a little bit of training with us – not a lot because of COVID rules – but Paul’s been able to work with him, watching some video back.

“I’d watched him play when he was back at Subiaco as well because of who he was and being part of our program. We’ve also watched his development through the Eagles.

“He’s had some injury issues but he’s a really really good user of the ball, maybe that’s because he’s a bit like his dad, he sees the game really well, understands where the ball should move to and he’s able to kick it with pinpoint accuracy and really use his hands well.

“He doesn’t have to get a lot of the ball to impact on a game.”