Daniel Connors [merged]

[mightytiges]

 

[mightytiges]

Bendigo 22/09/1988 183.1 78.5

[Bulluss]

From Bluey's Post

26. Richmond - Daniel Connors
Style like: Heath Black
My Ranking: 14

Very hard-working midfielder who has a very solid all-round game with no standout flaws. Plays like a genuine centreman and finds plenty of the ball. Has a good work rate and can play as an in and under ball winner or a runner. As an inside midfielder he has quick hands and good vision. In space he will run hard and kick long to advantage. Very strong and courageous overhead mark which adds to his appeal. Good composure under pressure and very versatile midfielder, however needs to improve tackling. Tough customer who can also play a run-with role, but prefer him as an attacking player. Rate him very highly, and if he slips through to our pick I will be salivating. Perfect fit for us as he can feed the run of Lids, Tambo and co, while also being able to carry the ball himself. Getting Collard and Connors in my book is basically two first round picks.

[Bulluss]

38 - BRISBANE LIONS - DANIEL CONNORS
Bendigo Pioneers, 25 October 1988, 183.7cm, 74.1kg

Like O'Keefe, Connors could bob up anywhere from the first to third round in this year's draft. Several clubs have shown interest - including Richmond, Carlton (both believed to be inside the top 20), Hawthorn, Adelaide and St Kilda - while the Lions have also kept an eye on him. He is also seen as a player that could slip down the order and be somewhat of a bargain selection before 40. It would not surprise at all if he went early, yet don't be surprised if he is around the 30 to 40 mark.

Highlights/achievements: Classy left-footed midfielder who is both strong in the air and clean at ground level. Had outstanding NAB AFL U18 Championships for Vic Country winning All-Australian honours and picked in TAC Cup Team of the Year. From Echuca F.C.

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=307324

[wayne]

Sounds like a steal.

[cub]

Thanks for your wisdom guys as I have NFI 

[one-eyed]

From thedrafter.net

DANIEL CONNORS

Position: Midfield
D.O.B.: 22/9/1988
Club: Bendigo Pioneers/Echuca
Height: 182cm
Weight: 77kg

Echuca youngster Daniel Connors looks set to be snapped up in the first round of this year's AFL National Draft. The left-footed youngster has already drawn obvious comparisons to St Kilda star Nick Dal Santo who also plied his trade for the Bendigo Pioneers in the TAC Cup.

Connors strengths, like Dal Santo's, lie in his skills by hand and foot. He tested well in his speed, leap and agility at the Draft Camp and while not overly tall he is certainly strong overhead.

A prolific ball gatherer, Connors topped the Pioneers in average disposals in season 2006 with more than 22 per game. He finished the season with 14 games under his belt racking up 5 marks per game and averaging 4 tackles.

Daniel also enjoyed a superb National Under 18 Championships where he starred for Victoria Country and capped off a fine carnival with an All Australian selection on the wing. He also pulled in one of the marks of the championships. He capped off his carnival with an impressive six marks in extremely wet conditions in the final match.

While not a noted goal-kicker and prone to the occasional lapse in concentration Connors is certainly a prospect with almost limitless potential.

[Ramps]

Outstanding get at 58. No complaints here. A real bonus and a good pick by FJ & GM.

[mightytiges]

They showed some highlights of Connors on Ch 10. Sheesh the kid is a good mark for his size and loves to run and break the lines. The 50m pass inside 50 they showed was awesome. We've got a bargain at 58 if he reproduce this at AFL level.

[Gordon Bennett]

I don't know the reason why he dropped to pick 58. I'm absolutely delighted that we got him for such a relatively lowish pick - the highlight of our draft, without a doubt. This guy suits our game plan down to the ground. I really like the way he plays.

[one-eyed]

From Weaver's phantom draft on BF:

7. Daniel Connors - Connors has the appeal of being able to play both inside and outside. In close he has quick reflexes, vision and awareness to thread handballs through gaps only he sees. Outside he can tuck the pill under his arm, carry and kick with penetration and accuracy. Also has a handy high-mark in his locker. Not completely dissimilar to Heath Black and should be a solid third / fourth best midfielder in the AFL for 150 games. Ordering the midfielders is always tough but Connors should be one of the first to go.

[one-eyed]

And another good profile on Connors from BF by LukeHodge15:

DANIEL CONNORS

Height-Weight-Age

182cm-77kilos-22.09.88

AFL LIKE

Simon Black ( SILKY ) with Luke Hodgish FOOTSKILLS

CHAMPIONSHIP POSITION

HFF-HBF-WING-ONBALL-KICKING OUT . Wish coaches of the under18 teams would put players onball that are likely to be darfted instead of mature aged men with no chance of being drafted all in the hope they can win the championship title. Professional recruiters must get so ****ed with the champiobship sometimes and the process.

AFL POSITION

RUCKROVER-CENTRE-QUARTERBACK(at worst) - will make it as a very very good centreman/ruckrover but if that fails could always be used in the new AFL position, Quarterback/HBF.

KICK

LEFT - 50+ m distance. 9.5 / 10. Spearing left foot laser kick. First rate balance and timing with kicking

HANDBALL

9 / 10 – awesome by hand and will only get better when he builds on his 77 kilo frame. Once he adds power to his skills.

NOTES

this kid just oozez class, lightly framed midfielder who rarely ever wastes a possession. Must be noted early that this kid has a killer left foot. No up and under kicking on conners, just a powerful left foot with great kicking action and awesome results. If this kid falls to us in the second round I will be doing cartwheels in my loungeroom.

plays both midfielder roles very well. Would have loved to see him playing a whole game onball. Awesome at stoppages and everything he does is clean and SILKY. He seems to do everything at ¾ pace, but have put this down to the fact he has more time that others on the footy field.

Watched him at the champs run in2 a contested situation at full pace, pick the ball up one handed. Sprint away from pack and deliver a perfet kick of his left foot. 5 minutes later he repeated his one hand pick up and delivered a spot on handball 20 m to a teammate in space. Conners just has that touch of class about him.

Not ur huge possession gatherer. But would take 20 of his touches up against 30 of just about any other onabller in the draft.

Skinny frame, so upside is there. Another 10 kilos on his frame and he adds more power to his foot and hand skills. Just finished watching the replay on foxtel, commentators likened him to ellis. Nothing like ellis in my opinion. He reads the play well and is very clean like ellis but conners has it in spades over ellis with his kicking and hurt factor on the opposition.

WEAKNESSES

Tackling need some work and needs to add 10-12 kilos to his frame, but scope is there for him to improve in these areas.

RANKING – 10 - AND MOVING UP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5423269&postcount=23

[one-eyed]

I don't know the reason why he dropped to pick 58. I'm absolutely delighted that we got him for such a relatively lowish pick - the highlight of our draft, without a doubt. This guy suits our game plan down to the ground. I really like the way he plays.

No idea either GB. The only "excuse" around on the web (BF) is baseless innuendo about his attitude at the draft camp interviews ???. Sounds crap to me as I can't see Miller or Wallace ignoring any bad character traits.

[blaisee]

has a bit of a poor attitude at times but the truth is on pure ability is a 1st round pick.

great speed, agility and tremendous skill.

can get his own ball as well and has a little bit of c@nt in him, which the fans will apprciate him.

going into the draft I was hoping for connors at 13. An absolute joke at 58.

[Gordon Bennett]

I've since read that there were concerns about his speed, having only been so-so in his testing at the draft camp, and this is one reason for his fall from favour. Miller thought that that the test results weren't a true reflection of what they'd seen in "live" play.

I'm wrapped we got him, especially at 58. He's creative, and his left foot is superb. He also sets up play with well-timed handball.