No player in this year’s draft class started the season better than Taj Hotton. But his football world came crashing down in an instant on a nondescript night in May.
Hotton was playing through plantar fasciitis in his right foot, and excelling but not training. So with his school side Haileybury College preparing for a bye, he also chose to sit out the Sandringham Dragons’ game that weekend.
Taj Hotton in action for the AFL Academy in April this year.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
It was supposed to be a mini-reset after a whirlwind start to the season. The plan was to put in a week of hardcore training to try to make up for the lost ground on his fitness.
But on that night in May, at training for Haileybury and under instruction from coach and ex-AFL legend Matthew Lloyd to take the game on more, Hotton’s right knee and draft year took a wicked turn.
“I remember I took the ball [in match simulation] and took three bounces going forward,” Hotton told this masthead.
“As I was about to kick it, someone came at me to smother, and at the last second, I tried to change direction and sell the candy a bit, but as I planted my foot, it slid on the grass, and I just collapsed on my knee. I pretty much knew straight away that it wasn’t very good.”
Scans confirmed that Hotton had ruptured the ACL in his right knee, and his season was over. A month later, after the swelling subsided, the renowned Julian Feller operated on him.
“It was a bit of a shock at first. You always hear about these knee injuries, but you never really think it could happen to you,” Hotton said.
“I was obviously really disappointed, and sort of my hopes of getting drafted were on hold for a little bit. But that night, I got a few texts from clubs and whatnot, which reassured me that I’d probably be all right, so that’s made it much easier to swallow.
“I just turned grateful that I was able to actually have those three months of good footy because if I had done the injury three months earlier, you never know what could have happened.”
Hotton’s wish to become a midfielder – after already being on recruiters’ radars as a high-leaping, athletic forward – had come true before his ACL devastation thanks to a scintillating summer in which he convinced Dragons coach Rob Harding to give him a shot on-ball.
The 18-year-old was so impressive, including a 32-disposal, four-goal game against Jagga Smith and his Oakleigh Chargers, that he forced his way into the AFL Academy for games against senior opposition.
Hotton kept on dominating in those matches, too, and scouts had him pegged as a top-10 selection.
Lloyd still thinks Hotton is a top-five talent in next week’s draft and that whichever club takes the punt might even get the best player. That kind of support is why Hotton regards Lloyd as “the best coach I’ve ever had”.
The son of ex-Magpie and Blue Trent, who played 78 AFL games between 1994 and 2002, should still be selected on the draft’s opening night on Wednesday, but his knee injury adds a layer of mystery to his prospects.
Hotton had follow-up surgery in late September to clean out some scar tissue, which is common among ACL victims and may set him back a few more weeks, but won’t be a decisive factor in which club picks him.
“It’s a bit up in the air for me. Not many clubs have given much away, but everyone that I’ve asked has definitely lent on the more cautious side of it,” he said.
“I’m sure that they’re not going to take any risks when I get there, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t even play me next year because they’re not looking for a player next year – they’re looking for a 10-year career.”
Hotton is set to be the third member of his family to be on an AFL list, behind his father and brother, Olli, who spent two seasons at St Kilda.
Olli’s effort to be drafted was the catalyst for his younger sibling to believe his dream could become a reality, too, so he ditched basketball last year to fully commit to football.
“Dad’s definitely proud of us, but you probably wouldn’t know that he’s a footy player. He’s very laid back, and he just loves watching us play, to be honest,” Hotton said.
“He’s really supportive of us, of whatever we want to do. There’s been no pressure to pursue footy whatsoever … even if I was a gamer, Mum and Dad would also be really proud of that, so no matter what I did, I’m in a good position, so I’m very lucky.”
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