James Sellar
(courtesy of Campbell's Chunky)
(courtesy of Campbell's Chunky)
Fast Facts
Jumper No: 29
Height: 195
Weight: 90
DOB: 24/02/1989
Drafted at: Pick 14, 2006 ND.
Recruited From: Glenelg(SANFL)
Contracted until: End of 2008.
About
James Sellar, earmarked as an early draft pick a year before the 2006 NAB Draft, endured a nervous countdown when the draft arrived. But the good news about being overlooked by some AFL clubs was that it gave Adelaide the opportunity to pounce on the promising 195cm ruckman/forward with its first selection at No 14. “I was over the moon ... I’m a pretty big Crows fan and to see my name called out by the Crows, it’s a wonderful opportunity and I’m rapt,” said Sellar. “If I was writing a script and could choose where I wanted to go I would have chosen this, so someone is looking after me. It’s fantastic that I get to stay home … I guess that makes the transition a lot easier. But there’s still a lot of hard work to be done and I’m looking forward to getting into it.” Sellar, who played eight SANFL league games for Glenelg in 2006, spent a week with the Crows in 2005 as part of the AIS program. He does not turn 18 until March 24 this year. He has played most of his junior footy in the ruck but in the AFL probably will develop into a key forward or defender. Sellar won the Kevin Sheehan Medal at the 2005 national under 16 championships and played international rules for Australia U17 against Ireland. He also made an outstanding league debut, kicking four goals in the first half. But leading into the 2006 national under 18 championships he was struck down by food poisoning. He lost 8kg in the 10 days before the carnival and he says he played three of the worst games of his junior career. “You won't hear any excuses from me," Sellar said. “Once you put your hand up to play you are expected to perform, and I didn't.” Sellar chose football ahead of a volleyball career. He captained South Australia's under-17 volleyball team at the 2005 national championships, got picked in the All-Australian team and was treated like a movie star when he travelled to Taiwan with the national under-19 side for the world youth championships.
Bio Links:
http://afc.com.au/Season2007/Player...layerId/15505/teamId/40/typeId/2/Default.aspx
http://au.sports.yahoo.com/afl/clubs/adelaide/10/james-sellar/250418
Pre Draft Articles:
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,20673259-21543,00.html
http://about.theage.com.au/view_award.asp?intid=154
Post Draft Articles
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21138592-12428,00.html
Colin Wisbey Pre Draft Synopsis
195cm skilled, well-built footballer with athleticism, smarts, hands, disposal. Flaky '06, intensity query but you don't physically lose what he had displayed prior. Very bottom-age. I'm prepared to virtually ignore '06 as he apparently had to endure various on and off-field difficulties. In the '04 and '05 U16 Champs, I considered him even more impressive than Gibbs.
Started 2006 as #1 in my rankings (Gibbs #2). In the end, Gibbs' performances were just so compelling, and without the queries that Sellar's '06 form raised, that I had to slip Sellar behind but I dropped off him only marginally. Even in his "disappointing" '06, he kicked 4g in 1st half of his 1st SANFL Seniors game (as CHF!), beat the highly rated Gumbleton as CHB, and averaged 17 disposals in the U18 Champs. (How many 195cm types, let alone any who had just lost 8kg through illness, do that in any U18 Champs?). By comparison, we were all quite satisfied with the Champs form of Gumbleton, Hansen and Leunberger, and they averaged 15, 13, and 11 disposals respectively and Sellar's disposal was the best of the lot. He even had 15d in just the 2nd 1/2 of one Champs game (albeit as virtually a loose wingman). Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater. He did NOT have a disappointing year for a bottom-age 195cm kid, even a highly rated one. He just had a disappointing year for Sellar, based on our expectations of him specifically.
Why did we have such high expectations? Because of the talent he had shown over a 2 year period prior to that. I suspect he has a personal issue to conquer but I would have taken him on the assumption that he can, such is his upside. Should be very versatile but especially has the makings of an outstanding CHB (although his preference is CHF). An exciting, and rare, combination of not only leap, 195cm, marking strength, defensive and negating skills, cool head and smarts but, importantly, the pace and confidence to give regular run and linking out of defence and roost the ball long to a target. I foresee him regularly turning defence into goal-scoring opportunities. I also think he is more suited to the straight ahead aspects of CHB than the "stop/start" of CHF.
Excellent ruck skills and could well be a good AFL ruckman/follower a la Goodes (without the freakishness), despite being only 195cm, as he has such a big leap and athleticism and he seems to enjoy ruck contests. Has virtually all the attributes of a modern CHF also and I do rate him highly in that role. Makes the right decisions. Good evasion. Good vision and disposal (including depth), even on the run. Good hurt factors. Trademarks are (1) Fluency - in everything. (Always looks to be doing every action "on the bit", effortlessly). (2) One-grab mark, positioning and timing well, then either a quick, accurate feed or immediately run off his opponent and do a fluent, long, probably accurate kick. (3) Run to link, moving with arms stiff and hanging down, seemingly moving in slow motion until you notice the opponent struggling to keep up.
