I found this outline of Swift in a few places. He seems like he could play this year and i think would make an impact if given the chance.
Tom Swift (West Coast Eagles)
191 (questionable) /85 mid-age right foot (dual-sided) midfielder / flanker.
*STYLE LIKE: Judd - Wanganeen
*MY RANKING (not meant to reflect appropriate draft pick to use): 2
*PROBABILITY OF AFL CAREER: Definite. Ready year 1.
- Within an AFL team list, could prove capable of SUSTAINING a ranking of 1-2.
*HURT FACTORS (Offensive/Defensive/Negative): MH / MH / LM
*TRADEMARK:
- Clean gather inside traffic, a la Judd then, keeping the ball out of reach of opponents a la Judd while maintaining good balance a la Judd, explode out of the traffic a la Judd, then powerful feed to well spotted target.
- Strong contested mark
*MAIN SELLING POINTS:
- Range of attributes.
- Explosiveness
- Clearance efficiency and frequency
- Poise / vision / decisions.
- Read play / read ball/ ball magnet
- Overhead
- Professionalism / intelligence
- Versatility
*MAIN QUERY:
- Durability (knees)
- Kicking reliability
- (Currently) plays on his own terms.
*SUMMARY ASSESSMENT, RECOMMENDATION:
- Potential top 5 in the AFL. Injury the only risk.
What does he do? IMPACT.
How does he do it? EXPLOSIVELY.
How often? ALMOST ROUTINELY.
What is he? SPECIAL.
- Classy natural footballer with an almost full tool kit ...current kicking reliability being the glaring exception.
Natural inside mid but with zip. Capable of adeptly playing any small-mid role.
Injury record makes him a risk but is also likely to result in him being available at a cheaper price. The two trademark plays (above) sum up what he brings to the table. I likened his style to a cross between Judd and Wanganeen. He has explosiveness and "See if you can get the ball off me" arrogance inside/at a contest like Judd (and with Judd-like efficiency at getting his own the ball at stop plays and either streaming away or feeding off to advantage) but so many other aspects (especially balance, deftness, "rubber man" flexibility, coolness, body shape and posture) remind me of a taller version of a young Wanganeen.
- Very impressive ball magnet in '06 U16 Champs. '08 Colts and trial form was patchy but I was prepared to treat anything he did well in '08 as a bonus. I don't usually like relying on U16 form but I am reasonably comfortable doing so with Swift. I am extremely confident that Swift has the footy ability, let alone athleticism, to be an AFL gun. My only fear is his durability (knees). Left knee reconstruction early '07 after ACL injury in AIS trial game and season-ending (although I see no reason why it needed to be) right knee injury early May '08.
- DC testing suggests he has come back as good as ever athletically and, in particular, being able to repeat his 14-01 beeps from 2006/2007 was an encouraging sign as the knees get a decent workout by the later stages of a 14+ beep test.
His '08 form when resuming after his '07 injury was patchy rather than poor. His stats don't tell the real story:
Only 10d in R3 (vs Swan Districts) but the rain pelted down virtually the entire game and he played BP in q1 (on Johnson) and thereafter HBF? (on Wilson).
17d R4 (vs E Perth) but that flatters him a bit as he played BP all game and didn't have the impact and nor was he (or his opponent, Farrell) even in the play anywhere near what 17d might suggest.
In those games, he didn't play in his best-fit role of midfield and he appeared to spend at least 15min on the bench.
I didn't see his subsequent Colts games (Peel 14d, Swan Districts 24d).
That 24d game would seem to be a good sign and he followed up with another 24d then a 17d in his last games (both being trial games) before injuring his other knee. I'm not reading much into his trial games. His 24d trial game against Subiaco's witches hats was fruitful and a reasonable test of his freedom of movement but his mum could have got kicks against that opposition.
That's about the best you'd hope for after such a layoff, albeit not to his U16 quality. In judging Swift's games this year after 12 months off, it is of course important to distinguish between being rusty and being no longer capable of what you used to do. Swift's feet hadn't slowed up this year but he was struggling for his '06 U16 split-second timing and touch e.g. Swift has very reliable hands overhead yet dropped a virtual sitter against E Perth (Q2). His knee problems had no impact on his hands yet here was a kid who was a reliable 186cm pack mark in '06 who, returning from 12 mths layoff, was in completely open space yet had a ball slip straight through his waiting hands, seemingly without even a finger touching it. You don't lose naturally clean hands - it just takes some time to regain your feel and sense of timing. Similarly, he was getting nailed a fair bit in '08 games, not through lack of pace but because he lacked his normally sharp ability to think through situations and his normally ultra-sharp anticipation and evasive timing. His brain was telling his body and reflexes to show off like they used to but they in turn kept wasting valuable time having to check the 2006 instruction manual. Touch and timing were the only (albeit significant) differences I noticed between Swift '08 and Swift '06. At his age, you get those fully back just with ground time. I saw no evidence of physical impediment resulting from his knee reco, just some rustiness.
- Seems to be one of those kids who could probably take up any sport and be good at it. (e.g. Is quite a good swimmer and tennis player). Has the smarts to pick new info up quickly and the application and initiative to ensure he gets the most out of himself.
- Height: Officially, has grown 8cm since '06 U16 Champs but I don't believe that. Listed as 183cm in '06 U16 Champs but visually looked about 186cm at the time. Height at '08 DC was recorded as 191cm so, as a formality, I've listed him here as 191cm. However, I strongly suspect he's actually a bit shorter - 187-188cm. Reach measurement at '08 DC is consistent with 188-189cm and he visually looks shorter than 191cm. I labour that point a bit, not so much to debate 3-4cm but in case anyone might get the impression from official measurements that he is (or has been) going through a huge growth spurt over the last 2 years.
- I struggled with where to rank him re what allowance to make for the durability of his knees. In the end, I bit the bullet and ranked him where I would have had he had no injury cloud hanging over him. I'm convinced he is in the 2 best kids in this draft if he can come back right injury-wise so I ranked him at 2. His medical reports are apparently positive so that's good enough for me. Even players with less than positive medical reports have a habit of turning the tables on a sceptical prognosis. Swift, fit and at his best, would be in the best handful of kids I've seen since 2001. It comes down to upside vs risk and, although the risk is not insignificant, I believe his upside is well and truly worth it.
I would definitely draft him myself. Other than pick 1, IMHO any club that used their first pick (assuming their following pick is after about pick 12) on someone other than Swift (if available) would be reducing its risk of nil return on investment but at the same time passing up the opportunity to grab a potential "top 5 in the AFL" player. Naitanui is a freak and could finish up being anywhere between good and exceptional X-factor ... and has been durable. I ranked him at #1. Ignoring Naitanui, Swift is the only player in this draft who I think has the potential to become "top 5 in the AFL". That's the clincher for me. Those two kids have the potential to become genuine superstars (i.e. even beyond "A grade") .... and Swift is very much further along the development curve than the other (Naitanui), despite losing 2 years.
It's not an easy decision for a Recruiting Manager to make. If an early pick who has an injury history breaks down, you are likely to cop it in the neck (fans, media, perhaps even club board level) for taking such a risk. On the other hand, if you play safe and overlook a potential gun player and he subsequently does a Judd, you are likely to cop it in the neck anyway for passing up the opportunity to pick up a "once in 5 years or so" special talent.
Plenty of top picks with no injury priors have succumbed to chronic injury after being drafted. Judd and Selwood are prime examples of the flipside.
Personally, I would take Swift ... in a heartbeat. Don't hold your breath waiting for the next Swift to come along.
*DISPOSAL:
- Elite by hand - reliability, accuracy, appropriate power, hurt factor.
- Kicking has been mixed bag. To date, disappointing reliability by foot.
Note that IMO he has the potential to be a reliable kick. Quite a few of his kicks are excellent, including a decent number of pin-point passes that have high hurt factor. It's just that, for a player of his overall class, he does too many turnovers, most of them inexcusable. You typically associate multiple turnovers with a player who bangs the ball onto his boot under pressure (and/or on the run) or who is a poor decision-maker or who simply has terrible kicking technique. None of those is the case with Tom. Almost all his turnovers etc have been when under no pressure, and most of those are set kicks and very few have been on the run. That's what frustrates me so much with him so far. A decent percentage of his inaccurate kicks have been due to lazy (cocksure at underage?) "party trick" efforts, often off 1 step. He goes about his general footy in a very professional manner so I'm fairly confident he will take into AFL a more professional (less casual) approach to his kicking.
- Very good depth.
- Genuinely dual-sided.
- Kicking action is often economical but I'd like to see him address his tendency to fall away (which can affect accuracy as you aren't kicking "square on" and have less margin for error). Ball grip, release and drop are not *routinely* sound either.
- Not a noted goal kicker as he has rarely ventured very close to goals and his norm is to create opportunities for others. Seems at least an OK shot from the relatively few shots I have seen him take (including a couple of terrific goals).
*DECISION-MAKING, SMARTS:
- Serious footy smarts. Excellent vision, regardless of pressure. Routinely shows appropriate poise and looks for options. Usually picks the right option. Does some quick thinking, "instinctively" clever things. Very sharp ability to think his way through a situation, regardless of pressure. Reads both play and ball extremely well and knows where and when to position himself, both around the ground generally and when at a play.
- Elite evasive skills, regardless of pressure - sharpness, timing, balance, poise, ball protection. Elite traffic management. IMHO, Rob Harvey is the benchmark for ability to create space. Swift's ability in this regard is as good as (if not better than) any kid I can recall since 2001 and is very Harvey-like, even down to the Harvey-patented twinkle-toes dance step. Importantly, Swift can do so with genuine zip.
*HANDS:
- Almost routinely clean, all levels. Excellent ball control.
*OVERHEAD MARKING:
- Very strong overhead. Was a more than competitive pack mark in U16 Champs and is possibly slightly taller now. Very good hands, and judgement. Can mark from any position. Attacks his marks and holds his ground.
*ATHLETICISM:
- Elite all-round athleticism package. Has all athletic traits well and truly covered.
- At his injury-free and match-fit best, he is lightning quick - explosive off the mark and also quick over ground. Recorded 1.01 / 2.89 at '08 DC but his '08 DC median times were 1.12 / 3.00 and median times are usually a much better guide. On-field pace in '08 did look around 3.00 (as per median times) but his U16 on-field pace was pretty close to the 2.89 DC best time. His anticipation is so good that he is often on the move while those around him are still mentally clicking in.
- Very balanced in all aspects. Keeps his balance body on body.
- Very good leap.
- Not classic AFL build (low shoulder line and sloping shoulders a la Carey) but will have a very strong build for AFL. He is very strong through the core.
*INTENSITY, ETHIC:
- Only negative I have in this category is that, at least to date, he plays at his own tempo / on his own terms. i.e. He is a bit too often selective about when he will "bother". I don't mean that in the sense that he is a player who doesn't exert himself. He does. He does cover heaps of ground and, when he goes for man or ball (which is quite frequently), he REALLY goes for man or ball. It's just that there are a few too many times when the team needs him to go (e.g. to sprint a few metres to block, or to run on, or to pressure sundry opponents) yet he chooses to instead take a smoko. I don't expect him to run flat chat all day. I do expect him to routinely do more of the team stuff when the team needs it, not just when it suits him. In the little time he has spent in a defence role, he has surprised me with commendable and effective accountability. When onball though, he tends to free-wheel, at least at under-age level. I don't want a creative explosive player to always keep a watchful eye on his "direct" opponent when onball. Judd doesn't. However, when it's time for Judd to "go", he goes and I just want a bit more consistency in that from Swift.
He's a level-headed kid who is committed to an AFL career so I'm confident he will address this for AFL centre stage. I strongly suspect it's currently an "arrogance of a young gun playing in comps that don't challenge him enough" thing but that's just speculation of course. Nevertheless, it is a current weakness so I feel compelled to acknowledge it.
- When he tackles, they stay tackled. Displays physicality and isn't physically intimidated.
When he goes for the ball he not only really attacks it, he usually gets it (regardless of pressure).
- Vey dedicated off-field. Very fitness-conscious, prepares well. Has always presented in great shape and is already in elite condition for an U18, both build-wise and aerobically.
- Perhaps some leadership potential. Sometimes shows initiative at huddles. Academically intelligent.
*CONSISTENCY:
- Ultra consistent when injury-free and match-fit. Has such a wide range of both footy and athletic attributes that he has too many weapons for most opponents to be able to contain him. A quick opponent had better be handy overhead. A marking opponent had better have decent pace. Any opponent had better have decent aerobic capacity, defensive agility and concentration.
*AFL VERSATILITY:
- Natural onballer or "wing" but capable of being very versatile. Capable of giving plenty of run out of defence yet has shown accountability in a defence role. Would be dangerous as HFF creating goal opportunities. Plays short or tallish.
*CSI (COMPARATIVE SCOPE for IMPROVEMENT):
- Above normal. Despite being through the system on paper (U16 Champs, AIS, Colts), any U18 who has played only about 7 games in 2 years has to have above average scope for development - even a well-rounded footballer like Swift.
*SOME STATS:
- Stats summary '08 WA :
Averaged 17 disposals in 4 local games. Total goals 0-2 .
12 kicks per 20 disposals.
At least: 20 disposals in 1 games.
*OTHER STUFF:
- AIS
- Left knee reconstruction early '07 after ACL injury in AIS trial game when trying to change direction on the run.
Right knee injury (grade 2 tear of lateral ligament due to hyperextension) early May '08 (trial game vs WA Country) - ruled him out of '08 Champs but actually didn't play again in '08 although he presumably could have as it is omly a 6-8 week injury and I am told there were no complications
Tom Swift (West Coast Eagles)
191 (questionable) /85 mid-age right foot (dual-sided) midfielder / flanker.
*STYLE LIKE: Judd - Wanganeen
*MY RANKING (not meant to reflect appropriate draft pick to use): 2
*PROBABILITY OF AFL CAREER: Definite. Ready year 1.
- Within an AFL team list, could prove capable of SUSTAINING a ranking of 1-2.
*HURT FACTORS (Offensive/Defensive/Negative): MH / MH / LM
*TRADEMARK:
- Clean gather inside traffic, a la Judd then, keeping the ball out of reach of opponents a la Judd while maintaining good balance a la Judd, explode out of the traffic a la Judd, then powerful feed to well spotted target.
- Strong contested mark
*MAIN SELLING POINTS:
- Range of attributes.
- Explosiveness
- Clearance efficiency and frequency
- Poise / vision / decisions.
- Read play / read ball/ ball magnet
- Overhead
- Professionalism / intelligence
- Versatility
*MAIN QUERY:
- Durability (knees)
- Kicking reliability
- (Currently) plays on his own terms.
*SUMMARY ASSESSMENT, RECOMMENDATION:
- Potential top 5 in the AFL. Injury the only risk.
What does he do? IMPACT.
How does he do it? EXPLOSIVELY.
How often? ALMOST ROUTINELY.
What is he? SPECIAL.
- Classy natural footballer with an almost full tool kit ...current kicking reliability being the glaring exception.
Natural inside mid but with zip. Capable of adeptly playing any small-mid role.
Injury record makes him a risk but is also likely to result in him being available at a cheaper price. The two trademark plays (above) sum up what he brings to the table. I likened his style to a cross between Judd and Wanganeen. He has explosiveness and "See if you can get the ball off me" arrogance inside/at a contest like Judd (and with Judd-like efficiency at getting his own the ball at stop plays and either streaming away or feeding off to advantage) but so many other aspects (especially balance, deftness, "rubber man" flexibility, coolness, body shape and posture) remind me of a taller version of a young Wanganeen.
- Very impressive ball magnet in '06 U16 Champs. '08 Colts and trial form was patchy but I was prepared to treat anything he did well in '08 as a bonus. I don't usually like relying on U16 form but I am reasonably comfortable doing so with Swift. I am extremely confident that Swift has the footy ability, let alone athleticism, to be an AFL gun. My only fear is his durability (knees). Left knee reconstruction early '07 after ACL injury in AIS trial game and season-ending (although I see no reason why it needed to be) right knee injury early May '08.
- DC testing suggests he has come back as good as ever athletically and, in particular, being able to repeat his 14-01 beeps from 2006/2007 was an encouraging sign as the knees get a decent workout by the later stages of a 14+ beep test.
His '08 form when resuming after his '07 injury was patchy rather than poor. His stats don't tell the real story:
Only 10d in R3 (vs Swan Districts) but the rain pelted down virtually the entire game and he played BP in q1 (on Johnson) and thereafter HBF? (on Wilson).
17d R4 (vs E Perth) but that flatters him a bit as he played BP all game and didn't have the impact and nor was he (or his opponent, Farrell) even in the play anywhere near what 17d might suggest.
In those games, he didn't play in his best-fit role of midfield and he appeared to spend at least 15min on the bench.
I didn't see his subsequent Colts games (Peel 14d, Swan Districts 24d).
That 24d game would seem to be a good sign and he followed up with another 24d then a 17d in his last games (both being trial games) before injuring his other knee. I'm not reading much into his trial games. His 24d trial game against Subiaco's witches hats was fruitful and a reasonable test of his freedom of movement but his mum could have got kicks against that opposition.
That's about the best you'd hope for after such a layoff, albeit not to his U16 quality. In judging Swift's games this year after 12 months off, it is of course important to distinguish between being rusty and being no longer capable of what you used to do. Swift's feet hadn't slowed up this year but he was struggling for his '06 U16 split-second timing and touch e.g. Swift has very reliable hands overhead yet dropped a virtual sitter against E Perth (Q2). His knee problems had no impact on his hands yet here was a kid who was a reliable 186cm pack mark in '06 who, returning from 12 mths layoff, was in completely open space yet had a ball slip straight through his waiting hands, seemingly without even a finger touching it. You don't lose naturally clean hands - it just takes some time to regain your feel and sense of timing. Similarly, he was getting nailed a fair bit in '08 games, not through lack of pace but because he lacked his normally sharp ability to think through situations and his normally ultra-sharp anticipation and evasive timing. His brain was telling his body and reflexes to show off like they used to but they in turn kept wasting valuable time having to check the 2006 instruction manual. Touch and timing were the only (albeit significant) differences I noticed between Swift '08 and Swift '06. At his age, you get those fully back just with ground time. I saw no evidence of physical impediment resulting from his knee reco, just some rustiness.
- Seems to be one of those kids who could probably take up any sport and be good at it. (e.g. Is quite a good swimmer and tennis player). Has the smarts to pick new info up quickly and the application and initiative to ensure he gets the most out of himself.
- Height: Officially, has grown 8cm since '06 U16 Champs but I don't believe that. Listed as 183cm in '06 U16 Champs but visually looked about 186cm at the time. Height at '08 DC was recorded as 191cm so, as a formality, I've listed him here as 191cm. However, I strongly suspect he's actually a bit shorter - 187-188cm. Reach measurement at '08 DC is consistent with 188-189cm and he visually looks shorter than 191cm. I labour that point a bit, not so much to debate 3-4cm but in case anyone might get the impression from official measurements that he is (or has been) going through a huge growth spurt over the last 2 years.
- I struggled with where to rank him re what allowance to make for the durability of his knees. In the end, I bit the bullet and ranked him where I would have had he had no injury cloud hanging over him. I'm convinced he is in the 2 best kids in this draft if he can come back right injury-wise so I ranked him at 2. His medical reports are apparently positive so that's good enough for me. Even players with less than positive medical reports have a habit of turning the tables on a sceptical prognosis. Swift, fit and at his best, would be in the best handful of kids I've seen since 2001. It comes down to upside vs risk and, although the risk is not insignificant, I believe his upside is well and truly worth it.
I would definitely draft him myself. Other than pick 1, IMHO any club that used their first pick (assuming their following pick is after about pick 12) on someone other than Swift (if available) would be reducing its risk of nil return on investment but at the same time passing up the opportunity to grab a potential "top 5 in the AFL" player. Naitanui is a freak and could finish up being anywhere between good and exceptional X-factor ... and has been durable. I ranked him at #1. Ignoring Naitanui, Swift is the only player in this draft who I think has the potential to become "top 5 in the AFL". That's the clincher for me. Those two kids have the potential to become genuine superstars (i.e. even beyond "A grade") .... and Swift is very much further along the development curve than the other (Naitanui), despite losing 2 years.
It's not an easy decision for a Recruiting Manager to make. If an early pick who has an injury history breaks down, you are likely to cop it in the neck (fans, media, perhaps even club board level) for taking such a risk. On the other hand, if you play safe and overlook a potential gun player and he subsequently does a Judd, you are likely to cop it in the neck anyway for passing up the opportunity to pick up a "once in 5 years or so" special talent.
Plenty of top picks with no injury priors have succumbed to chronic injury after being drafted. Judd and Selwood are prime examples of the flipside.
Personally, I would take Swift ... in a heartbeat. Don't hold your breath waiting for the next Swift to come along.
*DISPOSAL:
- Elite by hand - reliability, accuracy, appropriate power, hurt factor.
- Kicking has been mixed bag. To date, disappointing reliability by foot.
Note that IMO he has the potential to be a reliable kick. Quite a few of his kicks are excellent, including a decent number of pin-point passes that have high hurt factor. It's just that, for a player of his overall class, he does too many turnovers, most of them inexcusable. You typically associate multiple turnovers with a player who bangs the ball onto his boot under pressure (and/or on the run) or who is a poor decision-maker or who simply has terrible kicking technique. None of those is the case with Tom. Almost all his turnovers etc have been when under no pressure, and most of those are set kicks and very few have been on the run. That's what frustrates me so much with him so far. A decent percentage of his inaccurate kicks have been due to lazy (cocksure at underage?) "party trick" efforts, often off 1 step. He goes about his general footy in a very professional manner so I'm fairly confident he will take into AFL a more professional (less casual) approach to his kicking.
- Very good depth.
- Genuinely dual-sided.
- Kicking action is often economical but I'd like to see him address his tendency to fall away (which can affect accuracy as you aren't kicking "square on" and have less margin for error). Ball grip, release and drop are not *routinely* sound either.
- Not a noted goal kicker as he has rarely ventured very close to goals and his norm is to create opportunities for others. Seems at least an OK shot from the relatively few shots I have seen him take (including a couple of terrific goals).
*DECISION-MAKING, SMARTS:
- Serious footy smarts. Excellent vision, regardless of pressure. Routinely shows appropriate poise and looks for options. Usually picks the right option. Does some quick thinking, "instinctively" clever things. Very sharp ability to think his way through a situation, regardless of pressure. Reads both play and ball extremely well and knows where and when to position himself, both around the ground generally and when at a play.
- Elite evasive skills, regardless of pressure - sharpness, timing, balance, poise, ball protection. Elite traffic management. IMHO, Rob Harvey is the benchmark for ability to create space. Swift's ability in this regard is as good as (if not better than) any kid I can recall since 2001 and is very Harvey-like, even down to the Harvey-patented twinkle-toes dance step. Importantly, Swift can do so with genuine zip.
*HANDS:
- Almost routinely clean, all levels. Excellent ball control.
*OVERHEAD MARKING:
- Very strong overhead. Was a more than competitive pack mark in U16 Champs and is possibly slightly taller now. Very good hands, and judgement. Can mark from any position. Attacks his marks and holds his ground.
*ATHLETICISM:
- Elite all-round athleticism package. Has all athletic traits well and truly covered.
- At his injury-free and match-fit best, he is lightning quick - explosive off the mark and also quick over ground. Recorded 1.01 / 2.89 at '08 DC but his '08 DC median times were 1.12 / 3.00 and median times are usually a much better guide. On-field pace in '08 did look around 3.00 (as per median times) but his U16 on-field pace was pretty close to the 2.89 DC best time. His anticipation is so good that he is often on the move while those around him are still mentally clicking in.
- Very balanced in all aspects. Keeps his balance body on body.
- Very good leap.
- Not classic AFL build (low shoulder line and sloping shoulders a la Carey) but will have a very strong build for AFL. He is very strong through the core.
*INTENSITY, ETHIC:
- Only negative I have in this category is that, at least to date, he plays at his own tempo / on his own terms. i.e. He is a bit too often selective about when he will "bother". I don't mean that in the sense that he is a player who doesn't exert himself. He does. He does cover heaps of ground and, when he goes for man or ball (which is quite frequently), he REALLY goes for man or ball. It's just that there are a few too many times when the team needs him to go (e.g. to sprint a few metres to block, or to run on, or to pressure sundry opponents) yet he chooses to instead take a smoko. I don't expect him to run flat chat all day. I do expect him to routinely do more of the team stuff when the team needs it, not just when it suits him. In the little time he has spent in a defence role, he has surprised me with commendable and effective accountability. When onball though, he tends to free-wheel, at least at under-age level. I don't want a creative explosive player to always keep a watchful eye on his "direct" opponent when onball. Judd doesn't. However, when it's time for Judd to "go", he goes and I just want a bit more consistency in that from Swift.
He's a level-headed kid who is committed to an AFL career so I'm confident he will address this for AFL centre stage. I strongly suspect it's currently an "arrogance of a young gun playing in comps that don't challenge him enough" thing but that's just speculation of course. Nevertheless, it is a current weakness so I feel compelled to acknowledge it.
- When he tackles, they stay tackled. Displays physicality and isn't physically intimidated.
When he goes for the ball he not only really attacks it, he usually gets it (regardless of pressure).
- Vey dedicated off-field. Very fitness-conscious, prepares well. Has always presented in great shape and is already in elite condition for an U18, both build-wise and aerobically.
- Perhaps some leadership potential. Sometimes shows initiative at huddles. Academically intelligent.
*CONSISTENCY:
- Ultra consistent when injury-free and match-fit. Has such a wide range of both footy and athletic attributes that he has too many weapons for most opponents to be able to contain him. A quick opponent had better be handy overhead. A marking opponent had better have decent pace. Any opponent had better have decent aerobic capacity, defensive agility and concentration.
*AFL VERSATILITY:
- Natural onballer or "wing" but capable of being very versatile. Capable of giving plenty of run out of defence yet has shown accountability in a defence role. Would be dangerous as HFF creating goal opportunities. Plays short or tallish.
*CSI (COMPARATIVE SCOPE for IMPROVEMENT):
- Above normal. Despite being through the system on paper (U16 Champs, AIS, Colts), any U18 who has played only about 7 games in 2 years has to have above average scope for development - even a well-rounded footballer like Swift.
*SOME STATS:
- Stats summary '08 WA :
Averaged 17 disposals in 4 local games. Total goals 0-2 .
12 kicks per 20 disposals.
At least: 20 disposals in 1 games.
*OTHER STUFF:
- AIS
- Left knee reconstruction early '07 after ACL injury in AIS trial game when trying to change direction on the run.
Right knee injury (grade 2 tear of lateral ligament due to hyperextension) early May '08 (trial game vs WA Country) - ruled him out of '08 Champs but actually didn't play again in '08 although he presumably could have as it is omly a 6-8 week injury and I am told there were no complications
