Top draft prospects - midfielders
Fri 23 November, 2007 | Jason Phelan | afl.com.au
Trent Cotchin – Northern Knights, VIC, 185.6 cm, 79.5 kg, DOB 7/4/90Honours
Vic Metro representative - NAB AFL Under-18 Championships 2007
AIS-AFL Academy graduate
Kevin Sheehan, AFL National Talent Manager says…
“Trent had an injury through the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, but finished in fantastic form at the Northern Knights until he had a foot fracture. He showed wonderful ball-winning ability with 38 possessions in finals games under heavy watch because he’s such a highly-credentialed player. He took all of the pressures of being heavily tagged and produced some excellent performances throughout the finals.
“He’s 185cm, so he’s not your small midfielder. He’s going to end up as a good bodied, inside midfielder that’s got attributes like a young Gary Ablett Jr through traffic; he’s able to swerve through, spot targets, his hands and feet are very, very good. He kicks brilliantly on his left and right side – he’s a natural right footer – but his use of the football separates him from many of the other players.
“He’s quite brilliant around goal and he can take the contested mark, he can stand on their shoulders at times, so he’s a very gifted, very quick, inside, medium midfielder.”
Rhys Palmer – East Fremantle, WA, 181.4 cm, 79.8 cm, DOB 13/2/89Shuttle run – 14.8 (5th overall)
3 km time trial – 10.25 (2nd overall)
Brad Ebert – Port Adelaide Magpies, SA, 188.2 cm, 85.4 kg, DOB 2/4/90Chris Masten – East Fremantle, WA, 179.6 cm, 77.3 kg, DOB 2/5/89Cale Morton – Claremont, WA, 191.5 cm, 78.7 kg, DOB 18/1/90Honours
Michael Larke Medal – Div 1 best player at NAB AFL Under-18 Championships 2007
NAB AFL All-Australian Under-18 Team 2007
Western Australia representative – winners of the 2007 NAB AFL Under-18 Championship
AIS-AFL Academy graduate
NAB AFL Draft Camp highlights
Shuttle run – 15.2 (1st overall)
3 km time trial – 10.32 (3rd overall)
Jon Haines, Talent and Coaching Manager WA Football Commission says…
“Cale is from a really strong footy family and he was outstanding in the Championships as well; he was All-Australian and won the Larke Medal. He’s a difficult sort of player to [categorise], he’s about 192 cm with really good marking strength and really good endurance as well.
“As well as having a big tank, he’s really skilfull, a good decision maker and you’d expect him to go very early in the Draft I would think. Once he fills out he’s got the sort of build that should see him able to play any area of the ground really [similar to Chad Cornes]. Certainly clubs are becoming more and more willing to play those taller players through the midfield part of the ground.”
Patrick Dangerfield – Geelong Falcons, VIC, 186.9 cm, 82.8 kg, DOB 5/4/90Honours
Vic Metro representative - NAB AFL Under-18 Championships 2007
AIS-AFL Academy graduate
NAB AFL Draft Camp highlights
Repeat Sprints – 23.96 sec (2nd overall)
Vertical Standing Jump – 73 cm (3rd overall)
20 m Sprint – 2.92 sec (7th overall)
Alan McConnell, AIS-AFL High Performance Coach says …
“Patrick has played his best football as a midfielder, although he’s played a range of positions over the last couple of years. He’s very quick and he’s grown about five centimetres and put on about 10 kilograms in the last 12 months, so in terms of how he presented physically a year ago at the under-16 nationals compared to what he’s like now; he’s a totally different lad.
“He has excellent speed, is quite courageous and more of an inside player than an outside player at this stage despite his pace. He is a strong-willed young man who has clear ideas and has good balance in his life. At this stage he’s still completing year 11 so he has another year of schooling to complete.”
One to watch: John Williams – Morningside, Qld, 188.4 cm, 82.5 kg, DOB 8/10/88Full profiles at:
http://www.afl.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=208&newsId=53505