Dylan Grimes [merged]

[one-eyed]

Dylan Grimes bound for Richmond Tigers in pre-season draft
Sam Edmund 
Herald Sun December 14, 2009 10:26PM

LAST year there was the Ben Cousins saga and the Graham Polak rookie-list transfer fiasco, but today's pre-season draft will be a vastly different affair for Richmond.

The Tigers' second pick shapes as one of the few unknowns in a seven-club draft that is largely expected to follow the script.

Melbourne is committed to former Brisbane Lions defender Joel Macdonald with the first pick, Fremantle is set on regaining Adam McPhee at No. 3 and the Swans will take veteran full-forward Daniel Bradshaw at No. 4.

The experienced trio have all been training with their prospective clubs in recent weeks.

Richmond would not comment yesterday, but new coach Damien Hardwick is determined to take an untried youngster after the club dramatically abandoned its youth policy this time last year to recruit Cousins.

It's believed the Tigers will use their pre-season pick on Northern Knights defender Dylan Grimes, who has been one of a dozen hopefuls training with the club during the past fortnight.

Grimes, the brother of star Melbourne half-back Jack, is a quick 193cm, 82kg defender renowned for his closing speed.

The 18-year-old was surprisingly overlooked in last month's national draft, despite assurances from one Melbourne-based club that it would draft him.

Geelong Falcons defender Joe Dare, South Australia's Matthew Panos and Calder Cannons forward Serhat Temel were also left to take their chances in today's drafts.

Grimes said last night he was rapt to be given a chance to impress at Punt Rd.

"I'd love to play for Richmond, and if they'd like to have me there, then that would be good," he said.

"Obviously I was pretty disappointed after the draft, and luckily Richmond gave me a call pretty much straight afterwards. It's amazing how quickly the boys make you feel at home and how they embrace you.

"Even though I've only been there two weeks I almost feel part of the group. It makes you want it more after missing out on the (national) draft."

Dumped Eagle Jamie McNamara is clinging to hope West Coast will re-draft him via pick No. 5. Cameron Cloke and one-time Swan James Meiklejohn have been linked to Port Adelaide's pick No. 6, while Essendon is understood to like either Werribee midfielder Michael Barlow or former Hawk forward Mitch Thorp at No. 7.

Richmond has created room on its list for five more selections in the rookie draft after Hardwick's off-season clean-out, with Graham Polak certain to be offered a lifeline.

Gold Coast recruiting manager Scott Clayton is expected to use almost all of the club's five priority picks in the rookie draft on ex-AFL talent, with Luke Ablett and Daniel Harris linked to the AFL's 17th team.

Melbourne looks like having to honour promises it made to Michael Newton and John Meesen that it would rookie-list the delisted pair if they did not get drafted elsewhere.

The Dees have five ruckmen on their list, but have been unable to offload Meesen, who still has another year on his contract to run.

The pre-season and rookie drafts will be conducted over the internet from 11am today.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/dylan-grimes-bound-for-richmond-tigers-in-pre-season-draft/story-e6frf9jf-1225810385309

[one-eyed]

It's official ...... Welcome Grimesy 

[one-eyed]

Dylan Grimes
D.O.B:   16-Jul-1991
Club:   Northern Knights
State:   VIC
Height:   192cm
Weight:   81kg
Position:   Defender
Quick tall defender with great closing speed. Task orientated with strong defensive skills and a sound ability to read the play. Vic Metro U18 representative in 2009. From Hurstbridge FC.

Video: http://offseasondraft.championdata.com/afl_off_season_draft/offSeasonDraft/player_profile.jsp?player_id=114417

[torch]

welcome Dylan!

he becomes Hardwick's 8th!

 

[Stripes]

I was surprized he was never taken in the ND. Looks a player for mine. Ready made defender. Will be another Moore and Thursfield for us.

[one-eyed]

2009 National Draft - Dylan Grimes (Pick 2)
richmondfc.com.au

DOB: 16/07/91
Height: 192.5cm
Weight: 81.7kg
Club: Northern Knights, TAC Cup

More video: http://bigpondvideo.com/AFL/230210


What the recruiters say:
Dylan is a highly competitive and committed player from the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup. Coached by former Kangaroos premiership coach Denis Pagan in 2009, Dylan was mainly used as a close checking defender but was also versatile enough to play in the midfield. Dylan is the brother of Jack (drafted by the Melbourne Football Club in 2007) and is highly rated for his leadership skills both on and off the field.

Dylan played 16 games for the Knights in 2009 averaging 14 possessions per game with a split of 7:7 contested to uncontested possessions and 4 rebound 50’s per game. In round 5 against the Gippsland Power, Dylan had 22 possessions with 8 rebound 50’s. Dylan was named best on ground in the round 18 clash against the North Ballart Rebels with an 18 possession, 9 tackle performance in his sides tight fought 5 point win.

At the AFL Draft Camp in Canberra, Dylan highlighted his athletic ability recording impressive times of 2.95 sec for the 20m sprint and 24.69 for the repeat sprint. Dylan also recorded a very strong 14.0 level on the endurance based beep test and was quick through the cones on the agility test with an 8.20 sec time.

Dylan brings an extremely strong competitive nature to the Richmond Football Club and a strong discipline to make himself the best player he can be. He will look to be groomed as a defender in his early time at the club with the athletic ability to make a natural progression to the midfield group in years to come.



Dylan Grimes in his own words:

What type of player are you?
Key-position defender that runs off and can use his pace in the midfield. Plays a lot as a “shut-down” type player, but likes running off the lines and attacking as well. Not particularly solid, so I use my run and jump rather than body on body.

Which AFL player do you feel you resemble, and why?
Probably Harry Taylor – he is a young, developing backman, who uses his pace and judgment to counter-attack and be a good “three-way-player”.

What are your strengths as a footballer?
Probably leg speed and versatility as a defender in that I can play on a tall, marking forward or crumbing, resting midfielder.

What parts of your game would you like to improve?
Probably my forward skills. I haven't had a lot of experience there, but would definitely like to develop that area of my game.

Which AFL team do you support and how did you come to barrack for them?
Passionate Melbourne supporter. I have barracked for them all my life and, after my brother Jack got drafted to them, it made me follow them even closer.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career so far, and why?
Probably my brother Jack, or Denis Pagan.  I have been pretty close with Jack since we were young, and I have learned a lot from his experience. Denis was my coach at the Knights this year and he has passed a lot of his experience and wisdom as a player and a coach to me as a person and a footballer.

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/Season2010/2009NationalDraft/DylanGrimes/tabid/15513/Default.aspx

[Ramps]

Good selection here. Could become a handy player.

[one-eyed]

Tigers grab Grimes
richmondfc.com.au
By Tony Greenberg 11:50 AM Tue 15 December, 2009


Richmond has selected young Northern Knights defender Dylan Grimes with its pick in today’s 2009 AFL pre-season draft.

Grimes, 18, played 16 games for the Knights in 2009 under the coaching guidance of Denis Pagan, averaging 14 possessions per game, with a season-high 22 possessions and eight rebounds in the round 5 match against Gippsland Power.

He was named best-on-ground in the round 18 clash with the North Ballarat Rebels, following an 18-possession, nine-tackle performance, and also impressed when representing Vic Metro in the ’09 under-18 championships.

At 192.5cm and 81.7kg, Grimes is regarded as an athletic, tall, disciplined defender, with great closing speed.  He has strong defensive skills, but also knows when, and how, to effectively run off his opponent.

“We were surprised to see him slip through the national draft.  We’re thrilled he was available to us at pick two (overall) in the pre-season draft,” said Richmond’s Recruitment Manager Francis Jackson.

“He has been training with the main group for the last two weeks and has fitted in really well.

“We think he will be a really competitive and versatile player for us, who can play on ‘talls’ and ‘smalls’.”

Grimes is the younger brother of Melbourne on-baller, Jack Grimes, who was the Demons’ second selection in the 2007 national draft.

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/88156/default.aspx

[tiga]

A caller on SEN rang up and said that his son played in the same team as Grimes and stated that he is a specialist defender and not a defender/midfielder like many others are. All of his training and playing has been focused purely on developing his defensive skills. MMM a genuine key defender of the future. sounds like a Fletcher/Lake/Thornton type which we so desperately need. 

[cub]

Anything like his bro and a good get will be 

[one-eyed]

Denis Pagan in Inside Football (Grimes' coach at Northern Knights):

"Dylan has probably been disadvantaged a little this year because he's had to play in a key defensive spot but he's better suited to a wing/half back flank. It's been tough for him because he hasn't got huge body strength but he's got all the requirements to play AFL football"

[one-eyed]

A pre-draft article on Grimes.

Grimes doesn't mind getting hands dirty
Inside Football, November 2009

Dylan Grimes put his older brother Jack under the hammer leading up to the draft camp.
   
"I had a few questions I was willing to shoot at him," said Dylan.

"He said to try and enjoy it. While you are there to do a job you need to enjoy the experience and get something out of it.

According to Kevin Sheehan, Dylan is a different player to his brother at Melbourne.

"He's a taller player," Sheehan said. "We saw him play some very good football deep in defence for the Northern Knights. Also had some time down forward and in midfield.

"He's a rapidly developing player who makes great decisions in defence - when to run off.

Grimes, like so many camp attendees, has a full agenda with study and sport.

"I'm doing Year 12 at the moment," he said. "It's not too bad. The second week of the holiday is gone because of this but 1 wouldn't swap this for anything. We're get­ting now to the business end of the year in footy and school.

Footy wise, he has finished on a high.

"I feel like I've got better as the year has gone on," he said. "I had a shaky start because I didn't do the whole pre-season because of injury. I've started to hit form at the end of the year."

He had a broad spectrum of experience this year with Northern Knights.

"I've had a bit of experience as a defender. But my previous coach had planned to play me up the ground a bit more in the mid­field and on the wings.

"We were riddled with injuries this year and had a couple of key defenders out so I spent most of my time back there.

"This is my fourth or fifth year in defence. I enjoy it."

Originally from Hurstbridge as a junior, Grimes did not initially dream of a career in the AFL.

"I did my first big pre-season at Hurst­bridge and that was the first time I really started to take my football seriously," he said.

"I'd played basketball for nine years and was never going to take that seriously but I wasn't sure whether football was the right thing for me either.

[one-eyed]

Fallout from the NAB Challenge practice match took another twist late yesterday amid allegations teenage Tiger recruit Dylan Grimes had been bitten on the back.

It was unclear last night whether the Tigers would take any action.

A Richmond official last night declined to comment on allegations that Grimes had been bitten.

Contacted by the Herald Sun on the Grimes allegations, a Collingwood spokesman said it was the first he had heard of it.

Herald-Sun Links

[Mr Magic]

Cloke is a dog. Weak as pee.
He has opened Pandora's Box by breaking the code.
Fair enough that we 'bite' back.
He said, she said is not evidence IMO.

[Owl]

Someone said he touched their special area.