Ok then, while we await the outcome of the Sydney Swans appeal against Collingwood for reneging on a secret trade deal, here is our pick 23:
Pick 23 - Sydney Swans
Tanner Smith
DOB: 9/3/1994
Height: 194cm
Weight: 83kg
Recruited from: North Ballarat
Well it should probably come as no surprise that we will be targeting a key defender with one of our first picks in this draft and With LRT not getting any younger and the Swans defensive stocks not known for their height, they have opted for KPP defender Tanner Smith. Smith is the best of the strict full-backs in this draft and has had a solid 2012, in what was largely a year of development for him.
Typically a pure shut-down defender, Smith has been given the opportunity to play some more attacking roles in the backline, as well as up forward. That said, we are recruiting him to play as the future general in the backline role that LRT has made his own.
He won’t be right to go for a couple of years though as the boy needs to make very good friends with the gym – whilst he is a good height and has proven his strength to be a good closing speed, he has been easily out-bodied by many opponents this year, such as Grundy, who is a great example of the size of players he’d be facing were he to play AFL next year. He is renowned for his tenacity and ability to do the one-percenters as well as win the ball, representing Vic Country well in the AFL Under-18 Championships. Some liken him to a young Dustin Fletcher; spindly arms and legs that go in all directions but make him hard to play against. They see a man growing into his body and we are excited about his prospects.
Essentially, he’s a no-frills defender, with good closing speed and a very good spoil, exactly what will suit the Swans and what they will need in the near future.
