Welcome to the Club pick 46 Western Bulldogs Caleb Daniel

[Werewolf]

16.1 in the beep, not sure in the time trials.

That's pretty awesome. What does a beep test go up to?

 

[timtamWB]

16.1 is awesome.

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

Now we just need the club to take a picture of Caleb sitting on Boyd's shoulders, and put it on everything. Membership cards, posters around town, you name it.

 

[Testekill]

For the record, 16.06 is the draft combine record. Daniels had equal best with Jack Hiscox.

 

[hatescaptcha]

Quite fitting that we are welcoming the shortest player in the AFL since Libba Snr to WB:

 

[BRWB]

Skippos seems to like Daniel, but gee he is a wee wee man.

28. Caleb Daniel (SA, Skilled, smart and creative midfielder)

167 cm, 63 kg, 7/7/96
Range: 21-60
Comparison: Dayne Zorko

There are virtually no weaknesses in his footballing ability. His size (and the associated things like wingspan etc.) is the only flaw. Apart from that he excels in absolutely everything. Athletically he's elite. He runs a 16.1 beep. I'd be surprised if he hadn't improved that by the combine - he's a genuine record chance. He's sub 3 seconds over 20 metres, at a guess I'd say he's gone from 2.99 nearly a year ago to 2.9-2.95 now. He runs a sub 10 minute 3k. I'm not sure how many players around run a sub 15 beep, sub 10 minute 3k and sub 3 second 20 metre. I think he's in some pretty rare company. But athletically isn't even where he excels - it's the mental side of the game. His kicking technique is good. He's a good kick - nothing more. However his vision, creativity and decision making are all absolutely elite and with those mental traits his kick, while only good technically, becomes elite. By hand he's elite - he sees targets and distributes the ball so effectively under pressure. In general his disposal under pressure is elite. He could be surrounded by opposition players in heavy traffic and he'll hit a target lace out. Despite being a little fella he kicks the ball a fair way too and it's pretty penetrating. On the inside he's excellent - he's got a great read for the ball and dives in head first without fear and extracts and distributes so well. I considered him a primarily inside leaning midfielder until the championships based on what he's done at SANFL. But outside he's just as good - he knows where the ball will be, gets in the right spots, runs all day and is quicker than nearly everyone. Despite being tiny he tackles with absolute ferocity and tackles in volume. And they stick. At SANFL level he's a good tackler. I see no reason why he can't be a 'reasonable' tackler at AFL level. He can't be tackled. He dodges and weaves away from tacklers and if by chance they get a hand on Daniel will shrug them or dispose of it cleanly anyway. When he's forward he's a clinical finisher who knows where the goals are irrelevant of where he is. With his speed, endurance, work rate, agility and tackling proficiency he's incredibly useful defensively while forward too. Caleb is the most talented player in the crop, it's just so unfortunate that he's so small. But someone with his talent will make it regardless of his height. He's a gun, and everyone should be hoping their club picks him up.

Evaluation of his prospects: If you're good enough, you're big enough. Perhaps he's not blisteringly quick but by foot he's just beautiful and he has so many strings to his game. I think he'll make it but there are definitely elements of football that he'll find difficult at AFL level.

 

[giblj]

Watched his Championships game where he dominated against Vic Metro I think it was where he had twenty odd touches and kicked three goals and everyone was raving about him and absolutely loving him, became an instant cult figure. Knock is obviously his height but how many countless cases have there been in all different sports where someone extremely talented was discounted for being too small and proved everyone wrong?

 

[LukasTheGreat]

Lel. Good luck tackling the kid.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Can't wait for the first side-by-side photo of Tom Boyd vs. Caleb Daniel.

 

[giblj]

Can't wait for the first side-by-side photo of Tom Boyd vs. Caleb Daniel.

 

[Struggle]

How's the distance on his kicks? Can he kick over 50m?

 

[Wizard17]

How's the distance on his kicks? Can he kick over 50m?

Yeah he can

 

[DexterTan]

Watched his Championships game where he dominated against Vic Metro I think it was where he had twenty odd touches and kicked three goals and everyone was raving about him and absolutely loving him, became an instant cult figure. Knock is obviously his height but how many countless cases have there been in all different sports where someone extremely talented was discounted for being too small and proved everyone wrong?

Muggsy Bogues & Spud Webb come to mind.

 

[doggies ftw]

Really happy with this one, the clubs shown in recent years that were not overly concerned with height, and while every other club keeps passing over the short people we keep picking up the gems with later picks, hows that turned out for us lately?

 

[Zgope1]

Let's be honest, we have a very tall future midfield. If any club could risk going for Caleb it's us

 

[BRWB]

Really happy with this one, the clubs shown in recent years that were not overly concerned with height, and while every other club keeps passing over the short people we keep picking up the gems with later picks, hows that turned out for us lately?

5 shortest players on our list.

Hrovat..looks ok but jury still out until he's done more
Dahl - good but major disposal issues, can't kick over a jam tim or at goal, hasn't kicked on as well we hoped last year, certainly far from elite.
Fuller - nuf said
Honey - unproven done nothing to suggest he'll make it or not
JJ - still not regular 22, big disposal and composure issues..

Wouldn't be getting carried away yet. And lets face it we can't play them all together..can we??

 

[Zgope1]

5 shortest players on our list.

Hrovat..looks ok but jury still out until he's done more
Dahl - good but major disposal issues, can't kick over a jam tim or at goal, hasn't kicked on as well we hoped last year, certainly far from elite.
Fuller - nuf said
Honey - unproven done nothing to suggest he'll make it or not
JJ - still not regular 22, big disposal and composure issues..

Wouldn't be getting carried away yet. And lets face it we can't play them all together..can we??

Surprising appraisal on Dahl. Without derailing the thread, he still showed plenty this year. Couldn't quite damage enough and his kick fell off a cliff but he's becoming a star.

 

[Cudi]

 

[Reptilia]

Wow. Really excited about this guy.

 

[Viva la Mattner]

Great pick up doggies, i was very disappointed Adelaide didn't take him at 43, elite skills and all round smart player.
Reminds me very much of Ian Callinan, yet Caleb gets his chance much earlier.
If he is another 10cm taller he is a top 15 pick

 

[Dazb86]

Worth the punt. This kid has loads of talent.

My early favourite of our draftees this year.

 

[Some Idiot]

On talent he'd be top 10 if not top 5, we're liking these types of pickups, goes nicely with Hrovat and Honeychurch as a bargain

 

[Kelvin31]

Not bad. On Monday the 24th of November, Landsberger and Clark in the Hsun had Caleb Daniel at pick 16 based on his champion data from under 18 champs just behind Leverde and in front Cockatoo..

 

[stefoid]

Quite fitting that we are welcoming the shortest player in the AFL since Libba Snr to WB:

Apparently thats brent harvey who has been lying about his height for ages according to north melb board, he is only 167.
daniel: pros: can play footy real good. cons: is short and small.

need to get hi on some of that essendon gear

 

[JTCWBFC]

Nearly 10 min highlight pack :

If people don't get excited after seeing this, regardless of his height, I give up.