Shai Bolton profileafldraftcentral.com.auOutside Midfielder/Small Forward | South Fremantle/Western Australia
08/12/1998 | 177cm | 67kg
Player Comparison: Cyril Rioli (Hawthorn)
Snapshot:Shai Bolton is one of the cleanest players to available in the 2016 draft crop and is considered a top 30 pick. Bolton, son of ex-Peel Thunder player Darren, is a special player in the way he can just break games open with his speed and evasiveness. This has been on full display as he has shown this for South Fremantle at WAFL Colts and at the Under 18s National Champioships for Western Australia.
Bolton has really turned it on this year as a small forward at Colts level, with the Bulldogs small is a class or two above his opponents in the way he reads the game. That led to him being selected for the West Australian Under 18s National Championships squad where he continued to impress scouts. During the national championships, he showed glimpses of a player who could follow the foot step of other small forwards who have made it all the way into the AFL.
Bolton is a class above most players as he is evasive, quick and is a really smart player as he often creates opportunities for himself. This really sets himself apart from most of the small forwards in the draft pool. But like Under 18 small forwards, consistency is something Bolton will need to work on as he can fade in and out of games at times. Another improvement for Bolton is his decision making because at times he can rush his decisions, especially when running at line-break speeds.
Statistics:
Strengths Speed
Evasiveness
Goal sense
Footy smartsThe one thing that makes Bolton different to others in his position is his speed and agility on the ground. Bolton dodges, weaves and in basketball terms, breaks some ankles in the way he moves. This makes him close to if not the most mercurial player in this draft whether its creating a scoring shot or selling candy up the ground, Bolton can do it as his bag of tricks is in gravitational proportions.
In an era where breaking the lines is a valued asset, and metres gained is a statistic that is now looked upon more than ever, Bolton is a player that ticks both boxes. While he does play forward of centre, it would not be surprising to see him used further up the field as we have seen with some small forwards in the past, such as Neville Jetta and Leon Davis. Both seemed to reinvigorate their careers as small running defenders, so it will be interesting to see if Bolton adds that element to his game and becomes a versatile player who can do damage at both ends of the field.
Another thing that makes Bolton a good player is his general goal sense. He has an uncanny ability to kick goals from places where you wouldn’t expect. His ability to finish whether its snapping the ball, kicking on the run or even in a set shot is outstanding for a small forward of his calibre. Even when kicking the ball quickly out of a pack situation or just inside the boundary you can back Bolton in as he is a dead eye from every part of the forward line.
To add to his great evasiveness and goal sense is his footy smarts. Bolton is a smart footballer as he knows how to find the ball with little to no effort as a wingman and small forward. He’s always that one step ahead of his opposition player and often finds space for himself by outsmarting his opponents. He knows where to run and when to run as a wingman to break games open for his team. As a small forward he knows exactly when to fly for marks or read where ball spill off hands to crumb. With the game becoming faster at the elite level, Bolton will look at home as he is always thinking ahead of his opposition.
Overall, Bolton does ooze X-factor in the way he moves and adds a point of difference to the game. While he is not going to be a huge prototype midfielder or contested winning beast, Bolton does add a sense of excitement waiting around the stoppages to accelerate away from his opponents.
Improvements:
Consistency
Decision MakingBolton’s biggest aspect that needs addressing is his consistency. At times he can float in and out of games and sometimes struggles to have impact. This can be both week to week or quarter to quarter. While it is the case for many young players and particularly small forwards still crafting and developing their game, it is something Bolton will need to work on when he competes at AFL level.
His ability to find the football and goal kicking week in week out can be inconsistent. This might be due to him relying on others to win the football for now, while he waits for a quick handball on the outside to use his pace, or drift forward to find space for an uncontested mark. At the elite level, he will have to learn to work himself into games in other ways such as through defensive pressure.
With ball retention inside the forward 50 a huge factor in the AFL, Bolton will need to continue to work on his consistency, and further develop his defensive game to match that of his offensive game. No doubt Bolton is a star with the football, but what stands small forwards or indeed smaller players as a whole, out from others, is when they apply frenzied pressure on the ball carrying defenders. If defenders know someone is about to hunt them down, they will rush the kick and will likely lead to an ineffective disposal.
Decision making is another aspect Bolton will look to improve at the top level. At times, Bolton can blaze away with the ball and often does not take time to straighten himself to kick the football. This makes his kicking quite loopy and inaccurate when he can easily take an extra half second to size up his kicks. Generally it is something that can occur to players that are unaware their speed or ball carrying is at a much higher level than their peers often think there is more pressure on them than there is at times. Once Bolton is able to correctly harness this aspect, and have the right balance between knowing when he has time to straighten up and when he does need an extra couple of steps, that will push him game through to another level.
Highlights: https://youtu.be/XHJcCtLh7loSummary:Bolton as a player has traits not too dissimilar to Hawthorn’s Cyril Rioli, with an outstanding step to get around his opponent. Bolton like Rioli isn’t a huge disposal winner, but can be exciting with ball in hand. He will likely land somewhere in the second or third round of the National Draft. Clubs such as Sydney, West Coast and Western Bulldogs could all use small forwards who are creative and could use Bolton’s services.
Bolton is a marvel in the way he glides around the ground using his evasiveness, speed and footy smarts to break games open. He’s a player you would pay to see as he can, on his day, kick goal of the year and take mark of the year in the same game.
https://afldraftcentral.com.au/player/shai-bolton/
