Dayle Garlett returned to senior football for Swan Districts on Saturday. Pcture: Kerris Berrington. Source: PerthNow
AFL RECRUITERS are refusing to put a definitive line through bad boy Dayle Garlett despite overlooking the mercurial talent in all three drafts last year and following his turbulent start to this season.
Garlett made a low-key return to senior football on Saturday and has quietly impressed his Swan Districts teammates with a radical attitude reversal.
It followed the prodigious talent failing to turn up to training or keep fit in the fallout from his AFL snub.
Garlett was rated as a top-10 talent for most of last year before talk of his off-field troubles spread like wildfire.
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The West Australian was axed from the AIS-AFL squad at the start 2012, before photos of him drinking and smoking emerged on social media to further damage his reputation.
Source: HWT Image Library
After missing out at the national draft, Essendon invited Garlett to train at Windy Hill on the premise it would consider handing him a lifeline should he show the necessary commitment.
But the Dons overlooked Garlett after he went on a 4am bender in Perth only three days before the pre-season draft.
Garlett then knocked back invitations to join the VFL, instead opting to stay at WAFL club Swan Districts this year.
The smooth-moving midfielder racked up 13 disposals and booted 2.2 in his senior return on Saturday after starting the season in the reserves due to his poor work ethic.
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"He's actually been training well and his behaviour is much, much better," one of his Swans teammates told SuperFooty yesterday.
One AFL scout said he would be surprised if Garlett didn't generate serious interest in this year's draft, partially owing to the reduced depth in the pool.
Another club's chief recruiter said: "It's very, very early, but if he can show sustained improvement for not just the season, but the months that follow, he'll be back in the mix."
Swan Districts coach Greg Harding last week described Garlett's revival as "fantastic" after his tumultuous summer.
Source: HWT Image Library
Garlett's manager, Jason Dover from Stride Sports, last year told the Herald Sun the left-footer could become an "extraordinary" pick-up for a club "with the right resources".
"There's not many guys that have come along at senior WAFL level at his age and had the impact that Dayle Garlett has had,'' Dover said.
"Steve Coniglio maybe. Daniel Wells - that type of footballer. He's almost unmatched at that age."
The 19-year-old was named All-Australian last year along with top-10 draftees Jimmy Toumpas, Nick Vlastuin, Ollie Wines, Lachie Whitfield, Jono O'Rourke and Joe Daniher.
AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan described Garlett as a "left-footed medium forward-midfielder who can find space to win the ball and shows great evasiveness through traffic. Very smart goalkicker and stoppage player as well."
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