@SamLandsberger -
"Meet Liam Duggan, the classy mid the Tigers want at No. 12."----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pick Me: Liam Duggan matured quickly after teammate’s death, set to be first-round draft pick Sam Landsberger
Herald Sun
November 11, 2014 8:00PMLIAM Duggan remembers running Ballarat’s Eastern Oval centre square perimeter trying to keep warm as his under-16’s qualifying final was brought to a dramatic halt.
Bacchus Marsh teammate Nathan Prince had collapsed in a forward pocket and Duggan — a hot chance to land at Richmond or North Melbourne early in this month’s draft — at first thought he had fainted.
But when Prince went into cardiac arrest and required resuscitation the game was called off and the gravity of what was unfolding immediately hit Duggan, his Cobra teammates and coach, Western Bulldogs legend Doug Hawkins.
Prince, 17, lost his fight for life 11 days later.
Five days after his funeral and a tear-filled training session, Duggan, then 14, kicked two of Bacchus Marsh’s eight goals on his non-preferred right foot as Hawkins’ side beat the undefeated North Ballarat to win a premiership dedicated to Prince.
It remains Hawkins’ sporting pinnacle. He said he was more proud of that moment than breaking Ted Whitten’s games record or his six flags at Braybrook.
Hawkins said it also capped the four weeks Duggan matured from a boy to a man.
“His finals performances against all odds with young Nathan lying in hospital … I watched that kid grow,” Hawkins said.
“He reminds me so much of Robbie Flower. Duggan might be a left-footer, but he’s got this outstanding balance and he ticks every single box.
“He kicks both sides, he’s got good vertical leap, he’s strong overhead and has the tank of a marathon runner.
Liam Duggan has been compared to Nick Dal Santo. Picture: Stuart Milligan“One-on-one he’s hard to beat. He can outmark a smaller bloke and a taller bloke he’ll get it to ground and beat them on the run.
“When he started training I said to his dad, ‘your kid’s going to play league footy’.”
And Duggan wasn’t the only one.
Of Hawkins’ 2011 side left-footer Dillon Viojo-Rainbow will find an AFL home in the second round and gangly forward Brenton Payne — grandson of 184-game Bomber Charlie Payne — is a chance at the back end.
“Viojo-Rainbow is an absolute jet, As soon as I saw these boys they screamed AFL straight away, straight away,” Hawkins said.
“I picked the three of them. And that grand final that those boys were a part of had a lot to do with their development, don’t worry about that.”
Liam Duggan led St Pat’s College to its fifth-straight Herald Sun shield. Picture: Colleen PetchRichmond has spoken to Duggan several times and wants to add to its growing band of classy ball users at pick 12, while draft sources believe Duggan won’t get past North Melbourne at pick 16.
Duggan said that while a few of his teammates started thinking about their mortality on the football field after Prince died, he learned not to take anything for granted.
“The ultimate was taken away from Nathan that day, so live in the now and don’t take anything for granted and just be grateful for what you’ve got,” he said.
“I actually go out with (Prince’s) younger sister.”
Duggan — who keeps his premiership medal in his room with a team photo and newspaper article — captained Western Jets this year and led St Pat’s College to its fifth-straight Herald Sun shield.
An AFL recruiter noted he was among the most impressive interviewees seen, with clubs believing he is the safest selection in this year’s pool.
Liam Duggan was captain of the Western Jets this season. Picture: David SmithLIAM DUGGANAGE: 17
HEIGHT: 183cm
WEIGHT: 75kg
CLUB: Western Jets
POSITION: Midfielder
SUPERCOACH AVE.: 120 pts
PLAYS LIKE: Nick Dal Santo
PREDICTED DRAFT RANGE: 8-16
IN THE MIX: Gold Coast (8/15), West Coast (11), Richmond (12), North Melbourne (16)
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/pick-me-liam-duggan-matured-quickly-after-teammates-death-set-to-be-firstround-draft-pick/story-fnau1fjg-1227119874846-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WATCH DUGGAN’S “PICK ME” VIDEO:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/video/id-1vZjVucTpTEm-giav4GO5hZW70jsfb2Q/Pick-Me-for-AFL-Draft:-Liam-Duggan