Francis Jackson on SEN / Draft: What the Tigers say

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Francis Jackson on SEN:

* Ellis - rebounding right-foot defender. Had a great year for Vic Metro and Calder Cannons. Impressive quality young man who will step up quickly.

* Elton - rated Todd highly especially in the AIS where he played against bigger bodies. Good leg speed to use up forward and he can also pinch hit in the ruck.

* Arnot - took our eye from earlier in the year with his competitiveness which is top of the tree. Tough inside midfielder. Good kick.

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Draft: what the Tigers say
By Adam McNicol
10:05 PM Thu 24 Nov, 2011


In summary
Tigers coach Damien Hardwick loves players who are tough and have skill, and in Brandon Ellis he certainly got one of those at pick 15. Renowned for being able to read the play across half-back, Ellis is expected to develop into an elite midfielder in the future. Richmond has a dearth of good ruckmen, so they addressed that issue by nabbing 197cm youngster Todd Elton. Their final selection, Matthew Arnot, is another big-bodied player.

What the recruiter said
"Our strategy was to take the best players available. We felt that the depth of the draft, given GWS already had 12 picks taken out, was a little bit compromised, but walking away with the players that we did, we're very happy with the different mix we got." Richmond recruiting manager Francis Jackson.

Pick 15: Brandon Ellis, Calder Cannons/West Coburg
Jackson says: "He's a terrific story. He's one of the best kicks in the draft, which was a high priority for us, and he's a terrific contested-ball player. Given the importance of that, we think he'll settle into our team very, very quickly. I love his competitiveness and the way he kicks the footy. To complement that, he's got fantastic character. His interview was one the best I've ever done. It was terrific. His father having throat cancer - obviously such a serious illness - and how that affected the family, and the role Brandon played in that, was terrific."

Pick 26: Todd Elton, Dandenong Stingrays/Somerville
Jackson says: "We went for big Todd because we think he's got AFL attributes all over him. He's very athletic for a player of his size. In particular, his two AIS games against Essendon's and Geelong's VFL teams were terrific. He actually rucked against Trent West and had a really standout game. He'll be able to play that forward/ruck role."

Pick 55: Matthew Arnot, Oakleigh Chargers/Vermont
Jackson says: "He took our eye because of his competitiveness. He increased his ability to win the contested footy over the course of the year, and we think that's the type of player that will stand up at AFL level in the future. He's an ultra-competitive and very driven kid, and although he's got a little bit of work to do in a couple of areas, we think his competitiveness will enable him to be the best that he can."

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/126469/default.aspx