rfctigerarmy
3 Oct 2003, 10:36
The Draft Camp standouts
8:13:13 AM Fri 3 October, 2003
Matt Burgan
afl.com.au
The focus on the second day of the 10th National AFL draft camp turned to sprints, agility and vertical jumps, with the gruelling shuttle run also on the agenda.
The results were varied, but AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan said many of the outcomes were pleasing for the recruiting managers and the many AFL officials at the camp.
“We’ve seen some terrific all round performances,” Sheehan told afl.com.au.
“They were some of the players that really put themselves under notice of all of the clubs that were here and there would be more than 80 representatives from the 16 clubs, including virtually all of the AFL coaches.”
Sheehan, one of the doyens of talent spotting, offered his thoughts to afl.com.au on some of the standout performers at the draft camp on day two.
Colin Sylvia
“Probably in all of the tests – that’s the power tests – the speed, the vertical jump and those things that suit the power athlete, he was outstanding. So he was ranked in the top ten over the 20 metres in the vertical jump – whether it be standing or running – and certainly in the agility run as well. That just supported the handsome reputation he developed this year, as a powerful midfielder. He’s probably in the Mark Ricciuto role, (when you) try and describe him to someone at an AFL level that’s similar. He’s got a big chest on him and attacks the ball and is strong in the air and is capable of running through the midfield or going forward to mark and kick goals. He just completed a fantastic year with some of the test results he achieved.”
Farren Ray
“We also saw a wonderful effort from Farren Ray from Western Australia from Peel Thunder – Daniel Wells’ (former club). His endurance result of 15.3 ranks up in the best half-a-dozen of all time. It puts him in the Chris Judd category in terms of his speed endurance. That beep test does require speed plus endurance, because it quickens and quickens and you need to just have that acceleration to keep going when you’re tired. He showed that and just kept pushing and pushing and it also showed his competitive nature, because it’s easy when the rest are starting to fall away, to just do one more and think that you’ve done enough. But he strove right until there was nothing left. It resulted in a strong ovation from the clubs that were there. It was a marvelous performance.”
Jacob Surjan
“Jacob Surjan from Western Australia was also very impressive. His quickness was noted up in the top ten, but in particular his agility run, with an 8.08. It ranked him No.1. (He is) from South Fremantle and was an impressive member of the (Western Australian) under-18 side mid-year and put in some strong performances.”
Michael Pettigrew
“Michael Pettigrew from Western Australia produced three of the very good performances. His speed ranked him up in the top half-a-dozen of all time as well and for a boy that’s 193 or 194cm and a key position player, who is so quick over the ground, it really makes the clubs have a good hard look at how his footy’s been going in the last couple of years. You don’t just adjust your assessment on him, because he’s certainly got that speed to play at a higher level, in those vital key position roles.”
Andrew Walker
“Andrew Walker is the other that was super in his endurance testing, with his beep score of 14.11, putting him right up in the top bracket, while building on his handsome reputation. He had an excellent year playing mainly across the half-back line for the Bendigo Pioneers and he comes from Echuca and he’s had a pretty tough year. He finished playing his year in the Echuca senior finals side in the Goulburn Valley just the other day, after playing in the previous week with the Bendigo Pioneers in the TAC Cup final at the MCG. He was a Victorian Country representative mid-year and played against the Irish earlier in the year, so he’s had a long year, but he continues to just impress, even in his final couple of workouts for the year.”
8:13:13 AM Fri 3 October, 2003
Matt Burgan
afl.com.au
The focus on the second day of the 10th National AFL draft camp turned to sprints, agility and vertical jumps, with the gruelling shuttle run also on the agenda.
The results were varied, but AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan said many of the outcomes were pleasing for the recruiting managers and the many AFL officials at the camp.
“We’ve seen some terrific all round performances,” Sheehan told afl.com.au.
“They were some of the players that really put themselves under notice of all of the clubs that were here and there would be more than 80 representatives from the 16 clubs, including virtually all of the AFL coaches.”
Sheehan, one of the doyens of talent spotting, offered his thoughts to afl.com.au on some of the standout performers at the draft camp on day two.
Colin Sylvia
“Probably in all of the tests – that’s the power tests – the speed, the vertical jump and those things that suit the power athlete, he was outstanding. So he was ranked in the top ten over the 20 metres in the vertical jump – whether it be standing or running – and certainly in the agility run as well. That just supported the handsome reputation he developed this year, as a powerful midfielder. He’s probably in the Mark Ricciuto role, (when you) try and describe him to someone at an AFL level that’s similar. He’s got a big chest on him and attacks the ball and is strong in the air and is capable of running through the midfield or going forward to mark and kick goals. He just completed a fantastic year with some of the test results he achieved.”
Farren Ray
“We also saw a wonderful effort from Farren Ray from Western Australia from Peel Thunder – Daniel Wells’ (former club). His endurance result of 15.3 ranks up in the best half-a-dozen of all time. It puts him in the Chris Judd category in terms of his speed endurance. That beep test does require speed plus endurance, because it quickens and quickens and you need to just have that acceleration to keep going when you’re tired. He showed that and just kept pushing and pushing and it also showed his competitive nature, because it’s easy when the rest are starting to fall away, to just do one more and think that you’ve done enough. But he strove right until there was nothing left. It resulted in a strong ovation from the clubs that were there. It was a marvelous performance.”
Jacob Surjan
“Jacob Surjan from Western Australia was also very impressive. His quickness was noted up in the top ten, but in particular his agility run, with an 8.08. It ranked him No.1. (He is) from South Fremantle and was an impressive member of the (Western Australian) under-18 side mid-year and put in some strong performances.”
Michael Pettigrew
“Michael Pettigrew from Western Australia produced three of the very good performances. His speed ranked him up in the top half-a-dozen of all time as well and for a boy that’s 193 or 194cm and a key position player, who is so quick over the ground, it really makes the clubs have a good hard look at how his footy’s been going in the last couple of years. You don’t just adjust your assessment on him, because he’s certainly got that speed to play at a higher level, in those vital key position roles.”
Andrew Walker
“Andrew Walker is the other that was super in his endurance testing, with his beep score of 14.11, putting him right up in the top bracket, while building on his handsome reputation. He had an excellent year playing mainly across the half-back line for the Bendigo Pioneers and he comes from Echuca and he’s had a pretty tough year. He finished playing his year in the Echuca senior finals side in the Goulburn Valley just the other day, after playing in the previous week with the Bendigo Pioneers in the TAC Cup final at the MCG. He was a Victorian Country representative mid-year and played against the Irish earlier in the year, so he’s had a long year, but he continues to just impress, even in his final couple of workouts for the year.”