Phantom draft profiles of Vlastuin:#9 Richmond – Nick Vlastuin (VIC – Mid/Def)
Height: 187cm, Weight: 83kg, DOB: 19/04/1994
Recruited from: Northern Knights
Style: Michael Voss
Player comparison:
Range: 9-19
Profile: Midfielder who consistently wins the contested footy and just consistently goes harder than the next player. Big time clearance player. Skill level is exceptional, uses it well by both hand and foot and rarely makes mistakes. Particularly stands out by foot and has nice penetration. Has also been noted for leadership and really leads by example out on the field so there is a lot to like. Marking ability forward of centre very good for a midfielder. Consistently plays to a high level. Athletically only average and endurance still a work in progress and will need to improve before he develops into a full time midfielder. Tackles hard and willingly works both ways. Looks like a very low risk, solid pro who is worthy of a high draft position. Probably didn’t produce the numbers at the u18 champs that many expected but still a very desirable prospect and a guy you can play through the midfield or off a back flank tomorrow which will appeal to a number of clubs. One of those guys you’d love to have around the club.
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/knightmares-2012-mock-draft.956129/# 9 Richmond
Nick Vlaustin
Northern Knights
187cm / 83kg / ‘93
I really like this kid and he will appeal to a club as a potential Luke Hodge type player. That might be a big call but he is a terrific player. He is very highly rated individual who was a standout at the AIS and is a real on field leader. Has played HB and midfield predominantly but I think he will start more in the back half. Very efficient dual sided player who is a great height, has great hands, and is very aggressive at the stoppages and contested ball. Just seems to make good decisions and he seems to always be in the play. He never seems overly flustered either, just has that ability to take his time. Seen a fair bit of him now and have always walked away thinking he will be a player. Locked in on him and he is unlikely to go higher.
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/snoop-dogs-2012-mock-national-draft.980620/Pick 23 – Sydney
Assuming Tippett is not the pick here Sydney are in a position where they can pretty much wait and just take whoever falls. They do have a few midfielders getting older and although Mitchell is waiting in the wings they could stand to add another decent ball winning midfielder to their squad. Vlastuin and Hrovat are two I think will come into contention and I have gone with Vlastuin because of his better size and ability to play back to start his career. A KP is also not out of the question.
Nick Vlastuin
DOB:19/4/94 Ht: 187 Wt: 86
Vlastuin is being talked up by some as a top 10 selection particularly to Richmond at 9. I don't agree with that ranking myself but Richmond do like to reach for this kind of player (eg Conca a couple of years ago). Vlastuin has a few nice things going for him but also a few inherent limitations which would see him fall to the mid 20s I think were he not the Vic Metro captain. Unfortunately a lot of teams share the bias toward Metro players and he will probably end up going higher than I think he deserves.
Okay first the good. Vlastuin provides a good physical presence no matter where he is playing on the park. He goes in hard and gets the ball and is not afraid to take a hit or two. He is a nice size and should develop into a powerful bodied player who can play the same way at AFL football. Despite lacking a yard of pace he moves through traffic well and to use a NFL term he identifies the seam and attacks it very nicely. He is not a big stepper but he swerves through traffic well enough and takes advantage of those who are not in a position to tackle him effectively. His ability to get through traffic is definitely a strength of his. The other big selling point for him is his leadership. He has captained at every level as far as I am aware and he leads both with actions and words. He was the guy doing the talking in the circle at the Champs and feedback from his coaches have been glowing on his leadership ability. He is also a player who does the team things that open the game up for others.
His kicking is also often talked up as a strength of his. Personally I think it is solid but not near the elite category. He is a right footer who can use his left but is a bit dubious with it. He needs to flatten his kicking out a bit as at the moment he has a bit too much loop. He has good penetration on his kicks and uses his long kicking about 80% of the time. Personally I do not really like his tendency to bomb long to a contest on most occasions. This might get him an effective kick in the stats line but it often does not do his team a lot of good. He needs to lower his eyes and start to pick out targets more in the short to intermediate range. Currently the hurt factor is not there on his kicks and if he starts to pick out targets more this should go up.
By hand he is often more damaging than by foot. He is probably the best exponent of the long handball in this draft and I watched him bring out a 30m ripper at the Champs to hit the man in stride and put him away. In contested situations he has shown nice quick hands and hits the receiver with a chance to use it. With the ball on the ground his hands are soft and he gathers or controls the ball nicely. In defence the ability to collect cleanly and go is an underrated skill and is something I am sure coaches would be interested in. At the back Vlastuin does nicely getting back and cleaning up messes.
Above his head his hands are a bit above average but probably not a lot more than that. His hands often look better than that because he has superior ability to judge the ball in the air and he works well into position to mark the ball. He drifts in front of contests and does not mind flying for the ball if it is warranted. When he flies he controls his body nicely and gives himself every chance to mark the ball. His hands are pretty soft but he does spill his share of marks many of which you would expect him to take.
Athletically is where a lot of the concerns are. Although he does gut run pretty well his tank seems pretty poor for a midfield prospect and given his experience and time in elite programs including the AIS I am inclined to think it always would be relative to other AFL players. He will get better for sure with focus on the problem but I would suggest he would have endurance levels below average and when we are likely moving into an era with capped interchanges that has to be considered. The other issue for him is pace. Although he does do some things nicely at pace he has a pretty low top end speed and looked slow compared to a few forwards he played against at the Champs like Mason Wood for one.
So where will he go? Take a step back and consider that we are dealing with a player who is athletically challenged and played predominately as a small defender at the Champs. When he went into the middle he did so to tag an opposition player as far as I could see and did not have the endurance to play there for extended periods. Then consider where you are going to play him next year. At the moment he does not have the endurance to play in the midfield at AFL level and small forwards are likely to beat him pretty easily for pace at the back. For those issues alone there should be no way he would be considered a top 10 pick.
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/quigleys-2012-mock.980920/12. GWS - Nick Vlastuin (187cm midfielder - Northern Knights)
Nick Vlastuin is an interesting prospect this year, he almost seems to be the forgotten man. At the start of the year he was very highly regarded, including as a possible top 5 pick. But it seems that people have just gone cold on him, and I don't know why. It can't be based on performances, because he has been excellent this year - All Australian in the U18 Championships, TAC Cup Team of the Year and generally just starring in every game he's played. Perhaps it's because he played largely off of half back for Vic Metro as opposed to the midfield, so people have stuck the tag of 'medium defender' on him? He isn't the most athletic player going around, but he offers so much. He is exceptionally strong and always hits the packs hard, he wins his own ball and brings his teammates into the game. Even in close, he is always clean with his hands and has a nice kick on him too. I'd be pretty confident in saying that he will captain whatever team drafts him, and he is the type of player who could really set the tone of a club on the field. AFL Comparison: Luke Hodge.
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/young-talent-time-a-2012-mock-draft.956131/PICK 16 – GEELONG: NICK VLASTUIN
Height: 187cm, Weight: 86kg, DOB: 19/4/1994
Recruited from: Northern Knights
Vlastuin is another one of my favourites in the draft, and if Ollie Wines hadn’t have been available at Richmond’s pick 9, this is where I would have placed him.
For some reason, talking to a lot of people, they don’t regard him as a top ten pick. Obviously I don’t have him top ten in this draft, but if I were to do it ‘power rankings’ style, he’d most likely be in there. It’s almost like he’s ‘unfashionable’. Why? I have no idea.
Vlastuin is the closest thing to Luke Hodge I have seen coming through the junior ranks. The half-back Hodge, and the midfield Hodge.
It’s everything from his big size, excellent foot skills, manic attack on the ball and leadership qualities that remind me of Hodge. Hopefully he doesn’t have as many injury issues, although I think this is the reason why he isn’t talked about a bit more.
He’s been playing sore nearly all season, and as a result we didn’t get to see much midfield time from him in the National Champs, but he still made the All-Australian side. He consistently used the footy above 75% and cut off lots of attacks off half back, showcasing his ability to read the play and take intercepting marks in space or contested.
In the TAC Cup it was much the same, playing 10 games and averaging 18 disposals, 5 marks and 6 tackles at a healthy efficiency rate.
At his best, and fittest, Vlastuin is a legitimate inside midfielder. He craves the contested ball and you’ll struggle to find many players who go in harder at the footy (Steve Morris is a good example).
With his big size he’s able to position himself well and win those clearances with ease, and that will only translate into the AFL.
On the outside, he’s polish, which is why I rate him so high. He’s not the absolute best kick in the draft, but he’s up there. He’s very safe with short distance kicking and he has very good penetration on his long kicks, safely covering 50m.
Aerially he doesn’t have the biggest jump as he’s not really an athlete as such, but I really, really like his overheard marking. I think it will become a feature in his game at AFL level.
The reason he probably isn’t that ‘fashionable’ is because he’s not a pure athlete. He’s not overly quick and doesn’t have the spring in the air that some others have.
At the Combine he didn’t test for any of the jumps or sprints, but he ran a 13.2 shuttle run in 30 degree weather, and was in the top 40% in the 3km time trial. He clearly isn’t at his fittest, so the myth that he doesn’t have a tank is officially put to bed.
What Vlastuin is, is a natural footballer. I have no doubt he’ll become an AFL captain one day. He leads on the field by example, and supporters will love him because he gives his all at every contest.
http://www.footytragic.com/blog/2012-post-season/kristians-2012-phantom-draft/13. Gold Coast (compensation pick) - Nick Vlastuin (Midfielder)
Height: 187cm
Weight: 83kg
Club: Northern Knights
Range: 5-20
Description: Vlastuin is a real hard nut inside midfielder. Someone who a GC, Richmond, Carlton would love to have. Wasn’t hugely productive in the Champs but was playing a new role off a HBF. For a big bodied inside mid he has some pretty neat kicking skills. The downside to him would be that he isn’t the most athletically gifted player going around in that he isn’t very quick, he doesn’t have a big leap and he’s already very physically developed. However, he is already a pretty high level player and has the added bonus of good leadership quality as well.
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/tigs-first-ever-mock-draft.960168/
