When South Adelaide Talent Manager/Under-18 Coach Mark Clayton first saw Sid Draper play footy, the youngster’s talent immediately shone through.

But there was one aspect of Draper’s game that caught Clayton’s eye the most.

“I remember Sid coming through the 13, 14, 15 age groups at our program and he’s always had plenty of speed, that was probably the standout, how quick he was,” Clayton said.

“Sid was always really quick, he had plenty of speed and energy on the field, worked really hard and was really driven from the first time he came into the club.

“He was always really talented, he comes from a talented family - we had his two older brothers come through our programs as well.

“He was really coachable, always keen to ask questions and know his role really well, he got along well with the rest of the group and it was a pleasure to have him in the program.”

Clayton spoke to AFC Media ahead of Draper’s AFL debut, with the 18-year-old selected to play his first game as a Crow in Adelaide’s opening round match against St Kilda this Sunday.

Clayton, who has led South Adelaide’s talent program for the past eight years, said Draper’s inclusion in the Crows’ Round One side was a culmination of dedication and determination.

“We were all so proud of Sid, he’s worked very hard, I’ve spent a bit of time with his family over the past five or six years with his older brothers playing for us as well,” Clayton said.

“This is a reward for all the effort he’s put in.

“He played League footy for us at 17, he had some injury concerns at the start of last year but finished the year off playing League again, so I thought the next progression for him would be to play AFL.

“Given how driven he is and how hard he works, I’m not surprised he’s gone in and transitioned into AFL really well.”

And Clayton had this to say to Draper ahead of his first AFL game.

“Enjoy it, relax and just go play footy,” Clayton said.

“He naturally goes after the footy, so I’m sure he’s going to have a good game.”

Upon announcing Draper’s debut to his Crows teammates, Adelaide Senior Coach Matthew Nicks said the youngster deserved his opportunity.

“What you’ve brought mate, you’re a pro, you went early in the draft for a reason, and obviously you’ve got super talent when it comes to your footy,” Nicks said in the team meeting on Thursday afternoon.

“But I reckon he’s (Draper) put his head down and gone to work, not got ahead of himself once throughout the whole pre-season, always asking questions trying to get better.

“Well done on debuting… You should be proud of that mate, you get to pop on the Crows jumper that you barracked for as a kid, so (we're) really pleased for you.”

Adelaide hosts St Kilda at Adelaide Oval on Sunday at 12.05pm.

Tickets available here.