#35 - Harrison Wigg

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I have a nickname for him already...

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Cleric said:
Its safe to say we didnt downgrade our pick 10 to 14 for Wigg. Lol
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that's irrelevant, we got who we would have taken at 10 at 14 while increasing the chances of getting whoever we wanted with our second pick.

if that didn't come to be then so be it, but we're not behind in this process... we addressed two crucial needs in the trade period as well.
 

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Bio says lightly framed. Doesnt look that light here. Player comparisons are heath shaw. From all I've heard (but I havent seen him at all) sounds like a stewy dew clone. Nuggetty left foot cannon.

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FWIW, was listening to the SEN coverage of the draft, their comment when Harrison's name was read out, 'Harrison Wigg is the best kick of the football I've ever seen come out of the system.'
 
What are people's thoughts on his best position in the team? Laird or Brown might be in trouble unless he can take Smithers spot, just hight might be an issue.
 
That first video is basically every single bad kick he had in the carnival crammed in to 3 mins.

There's a second one where he hits **** every time, runs to space and bombs em from 60.

He's clearly identified as a good kick by the scouts.

Nuggety Jordan Lewis-type potentially. A tad short?
 

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danger_to_walker said:
FWIW, was listening to the SEN coverage of the draft, their comment when Harrison's name was read out, 'Harrison Wigg is the best kick of the football I've ever seen come out of the system.'
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Oh great another Johnston on our hands. :confused::D
 
danger_to_walker said:
FWIW, was listening to the SEN coverage of the draft, their comment when Harrison's name was read out, 'Harrison Wigg is the best kick of the football I've ever seen come out of the system.'
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Sounds like Lewis Johnston. Many will become fond of this kid.
 
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DOB: 16-10-1996
Height: 177cm
Weight: 72kg

Chris25 said:
Harrison Wigg
Height: 179cm
Weight: 74kg
From: North Adelaide, South Australia
Position: Defender, Midfielder​
I think it's about time we had another South Australian get a profile, so who better than the All Australian and MVP for South Australia at the U18 Championships? And with those two honours, Harrison Wigg is finding himself with a lot more admirers and has gone from not being spoken about to being considered a possible first round selection. So lets take a closer look...
Wigg has been in and around the South Australian set up since his U16 days, and has always been a consistent performer. It doesn't matter what level it is, he is just a composed player and gets about his game as per usual. I'll start with the U18 Championships, before I touch on his arguably more interesting SANFL form, as that's what everyone has seen. Playing in all 6 matches for SA, Wigg spent most of the tournament in the back lines and averaged a tick under 20 disposals a game - with almost 70% of those disposals being kicks. And he also finished the Championships with a disposal efficiency of around 80%. It's very much a favourite position of the SA coach Brenton Phillips, and it was Wigg who was given the role of general down back. He took the kick ins after a behind, he'd zone off while others took on more defensive roles, take intercept marks and a lot of the play coming out of the back half was directed through him. It was very much like Sam Colquhoun back in his SA days. He did play more of a midfield role in the Round 5 game against Vic Country, but otherwise he spent most of his time down back.
What the vast majority of people wouldn't have seen however, were his matches in the SANFL prior to the Championships - 3 in the U18s and 1 in the Reserves for North Adelaide. There, he played a lot more up the ground and showed another side to his game. An absolute ball magnet in the midfield, Wigg averaged 27 disposals, 7 marks, 3 tackles and 5 clearances a game in the U18s. While in his one Reserves game, he played across half back and the wing to finish with 16 disposals at 100% efficiency. It's this midfield game that I'm more interested in seeing for the remainder of the season.
In terms of his strengths as a player, well it's pretty obvious - his kicking. It's his biggest asset, and that one ability has played a massive role in his football to date. I've seen a few people label him the best kick in the draft, and even more have compared him to Matthew Suckling from Hawthorn as a result. I'm not sure I would quite go that far, as although Wigg can kick 50m+, he doesn't quite have the same power that someone like a Suckling or Trent McKenzie has. He just has a good technique, and can execute more often than not. And I think a large part of what makes him such a good kick is his decision making and composure. I'd compare him more to someone like Shaun Higgins than Suckling in that regard, with his actual boot being more along the lines of Nick Suban from Fremantle. He sums up the situation really well, rarely appears rushed and just finds his target. Like Suban, he can try to do too much at times and turn the ball over but he always looks good in doing so. So is he the best kick ever? No, but he's in the top handful in this draft. And similarly, it's that ability to read the play that lets him be such a successful 'mopper upper' down back. He is good at filling holes and helping out his teammates.
When it comes to negatives, it's more a bunch of question marks as opposed to glaring weaknesses in his game. Wigg isn't the biggest player going around and with his frame may not put on a bunch more weight - it's not a huge issue, with a lot of skinnier players getting around nowadays but it does still make people question how high your ceiling is. He has shown a good midfield game at U18 level, but is that something that can translate against bigger bodies? And down back, how will he perform when forced to play a more defensive role against much quicker opposition? He does have good endurance, but probably only average speed.
So where is his home at the top level? Well, personally I see it as being high half back/wing as opposed to purely defence. I'd still like him taking the kick ins in the long run, but I want him delivering the ball inside 50. He'll never have the size of a Suckling, McKenzie or Garrick Ibbotson - guys who can drop back and play the loose man role. So in order to play down back, he will have to play more of a traditional small defender role and I just don't see that as being his strength. I've said it before, but I think Harrison Wigg compares to the likes of past South Australian players Tim Broomhead and Sam Colquhoun - which I suppose means his draft range could be anywhere from 20-25 to the PSD. But, if I had to guess, then I'd be banking on his name being called out in the second round.
​
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Jaksch2Yarran said:
http://www.afl.com.au/video/2014-09-10/harrison-wigg-highlights

Father was found dead in the backyard. :thumbsdown::(
http://www.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL Tenant/AFL/Files/2014-Under-18-All-Australian-Profiles.pdf
http://www.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL Tenant/AFL/Files/2014-Under-18-All-Australian-Profiles.pdf
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DOB: 5.3.1996
Height: 193cm
Weight: 84kg





Knightmare's writeup:
10. Jake Lever (VIC –KPD)
Height:192cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 05/03/1996
Recruited from: Calder Cannons
Draft range: 3-15
Best position/role: Centre half back.
Strengths:
Terrific 2013 season – In 2013 Lever performed very strongly and was by position one of the standout performers in the TAC Cup. While he has not got the performances on the board this year his strong performances from 2013 are more than enough to suggest he should get drafted and drafted early draft.
Ability to read the flight of the ball – Lever does a terrific job of consistently reading the flight of the ball off the boot and knowing where it will go before it gets there. With this ability it helps Lever determine when he can or cannot leave his direct opponent and it helps Lever significantly as an intercept marking threat down back. With the ability to read the flight of the ball it also helps him in the 1v1 contests to protect the drop zone and take some 1v1 marks in the back half. Lever is also terrific in the air and can get the spoil in but is also a significant marking threat in the air and is willing to fly for it and aggressively go at the marking contested and attack it like a forward when the opportunity is there showing strong hands overhead and great timing of his jumps for the mark, more often than not coming down it with.
Rebounding ability – Lever is a significant intercept marking threat down back but he also gets very involved in the play out of the back half. Lever for a tall is a very good run and carry player and is willing to take on games with his run. He looks comfortable with ball in hand and he will get involved in linkup chains out of the back half and is willing to run both ways and be involved in transition. He is not afraid to take on the game and push up the field and be a part of linkup chains as essentially another running defender. Lever moves well with ball in hand and looks very much at ease when he has the ball, rarely getting caught and has excellent evasive movement and agility as well as using some nice ball fakes, often showing a player the ball and going past them. By hand Lever looks for the most damaging runner. By foot Lever demonstrates good vision finding some good targets and in the most part hitting his targets out in front for them to easily lead onto it.
Competitiveness – Lever is a strong bodied key defender who seems to enjoy and win the majority of his 1v1 contests. He has the core strength to hold his position in the contest and has a good feel for when he can take the mark and when he needs to get the spoil in. While Lever is a very good rebounder by position he is also a capable stopper and can as well as beat them 1v1 also stick with his opponents on the lead and in the air.
Leadership and work ethic – Captained VIC Metro in 2013 as an underager which is a significant endorsement of his leadership ability and suggests he is if not captain material in the future then certainly leadership group material. He is also considered a hardworking, high character guy so it is highly likely he will get the best out of himself. He is capable of giving on field direction in the back half. Lever this season while working diligently on getting his body right this season on the sidelines has also shown a commitment to the game by getting involved in the coaching side of the game which demonstrates his maturity and interest in furthering his knowledge about the game.
Midfield potential – I cannot help but think there could be some scope to possibly pinch-hit through the midfield down the track if a club wants him to. He seems to have the cleanness below the knees, aggression and attack on the ball and some real evasiveness. He can run and carry the footy and use it cleanly and offensively by hand, looking comfortable with ball in hand. So he ticks the boxes from a trait standpoint and at his height if he can put all those things together then he could have an impact.
Weaknesses:
No 2014 form to reflect on/evaluate – As Lever has missed the 2014 season with injury it is difficult to evaluate where he is at and what if any improvement he has made.
Stopping ability – Lever while he seems a competitive type who does not like to get beaten he is overall more a rebounder and at 192cm it will be a challenge for him coming up against the super tall and more dominant key forwards.
What I expect will improve:
Lever will continue to put size onto his frame and develop both down back as a rebounder and stopper. I also anticipate his leadership ability to continue to grow.
Who he can become?
Lever has the scope to become something like a stronger but less freakishly athlete Michael Johnson as a real rebounding key defender. When will he be ready to play?Lever likely will take a couple of years to develop but he has the talent to be ready to play regular senior AFL footy in season three.
How to best utilise him?
Lever is best utilised at centre half back.
Interpretation of his numbers:
Lever’s 2013 numbers were exceptional and demonstrate that by position he is an excellent rebounder and willing to get involved in the play down back. His strong contested and uncontested marking numbers suggesting that he is not only involved as a rebounder from the back half but one of the central reasons for the ball getting rebounded
 
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