I think we did okay not great, Brander kind of has that generic tall dark boring handsome look. But i tell ya what Allen is a sort, he has a bit of naughty about him and i hope he plays that way as well. 7/10
There's also the other Allen as well, as a result of Oscar and Brander being added to the list, will probably be under a lot of pressure to prove himself next year, but only if he's able to remain injury free for once.
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Pick 21 – O.Allen | West Perth / WA | 191kg | 82kg
Judged to be the best player at this year’s U18 championships and becomes the second Larke medallist to join the club in four years after Sheed in 2013.
Named as full forward in the U18 All-Australian Team due to the number of goals he kicked, but is capable of playing much higher up the ground.
If he were 5cm taller he would have been selected in the top 5. Considering he has grown over 20cm in the last 30 months, there is a chance he may still reach that yet.
His combine results are what caught my interest – elite in the 20m sprint (3.07s), agility (8.27s) and running vertical leap (88cm) tests. Combined with a good display in the yo-yo test (21.2), these are impressive results for a player of his size, especially considering he was suffering from a shin injury which ruled him out of some of the tests.
I am very happy with this pick. I doubted he would be available at 13, to get him at 21 is the steal of the draft in my opinion.
He has the potential to be anything. His draft write-ups read almost identical to those of Nat Fyfe in 2009. At worst he will be a mobile upgrade on Darling, capable of playing the high forward role similar to Lynch at Adelaide. If he able to transition into a midfield dominant role, he will win a Brownlow and captain this team to its next premiership – yes I rate his potential that highly.
Grew up supporting the club also – welcome to the Eagles Oscar!!
Here are some write-up opinions pre-draft:
Christopher Doerre (aka Knightmare):
http://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/21134708/knightmare-october-phantom-draft-first-two-rounds
http://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/21466664/knightmare-afl-draft-power-rankings-november-cameron-rayner-tops-list-ahead-draft
Summary Profile: Undersized key forward who has performed as well as any, leading the Under-18 Championships with 11 goals. Smart on the lead and just as good at ground level.
Strengths:
Football smarts
Reads play early
Reads ball in flight early
Leading patterns
Workrate
Forward pressure
Clean at ground level
Strong hands overhead
Weaknesses:
Below average height and reach by position
Gary Buckenara:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-draft-2017-top-50-picks-by-gary-buckenara/news-story/ac71e83c9b107d83fc354745b724a49c
Allen is another one who reads the ball well in flight, which makes him a dangerous forward because he knows where to position himself to win the footy. He’s got a very good engine and at 191cm can use that to play as a half forward and work up the ground. Allen also has a nice pair of hands and is an accurate kick for goal. He was one of the most consistent players of the U18 championships, winning the Larke Medal as the best player after booting 11 goals in four games.
Plays like Jake Stringer / Jack Darling.
Keven Sheehan:
http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017-Kevin-Sheehans-Top-40.pdf
Mobile tall forward who is strong overhead and has innate goal sense. Averaged 15.8 disposals, 6.2 marks and 2.8 goals for Western Australia providing a consistent target up forward. Capped off a very impressive NAB AFL Under-18 Championships by winning the Larke Medal as Division 1 best player overall and winning All-Australian Under-18 honours.
Made senior debut with West Perth late in year.
AFL Draft Central
https://www.afl*******************/player/oscar-allen/
OVERVIEW
In 2016, Oscar Allen was runner-up in the WAFL Colts best and fairest, named in the WAFL Colts team of the year at centre-half forward after booting 14 goals from 17 games – playing in the ruck and inside 50. This year, Allen has continued to put his hand up to be one of Western Australia’s first players picked in the 2017 National AFL Draft. The 191cm athletic tall moves well at either end of the ground, often utilised in the ruck for West Perth at Colts and Reserves level. In the National Under 18 Championships, WA co-captain Allen averaged 15 disposals, six marks and booted 11 goals – winning the Larke Medal, judged as the best player in the carnival. He also made two appearances for West Perth in the WAFL League team, and on Grand Final Day he represented Team Enright, booting 2.3 from 18 disposals and took seven mark in the AFL Under 18 All Stars contest.
STRENGTHS
Allen’s leap at the NAB AFL Draft Combine was impressive, featuring the top 10 with a running vertical jump of 88cm. When he plays, despite being 191cm – he is able to use his leap inside 50, often playing taller than his physical height suggests, giving him the ability to play the role as the number one or two key forward.
- Leap
- Marking
- Mobility
Allen’s contested marking and marking on the lead is strong, averaging six marks (two contested) in the National Under 18 Championships – with only Allies key forward Hugh Dixon averaging more contested marks throughout the carnival. On Grand Final day, Allen was the most promising tall on show – clunking four contested marks for the game finishing with 2.3 on the scoreboard – with a dominant opening half seeing him bring down five of his seven marks.
Allen’s mobility will make him appealing to clubs, where he is sound athletically and he can play in multiple positions. Playing for West Australia this season, Allen was utilised as a forward – but in the WAFL Colts he was played right around the ground showing he can match it as a defender, and use his leap in the ruck. Like some other talls, he doesn’t lumber around and can run – recording 21.2 in the Yo-Yo test, declaring he should be able to adapt to the fast running pace of AFL. At ground level, Allen is agile – placing in the top 10 at the combine with a time of 8.27s in the agility test.
IMPROVEMENTS
On Grand Final day, Allen could’ve booted five goals – missing multiple shots with his day finishing with 2.3. At times in the NAB AFL Under 18 Championships he missed chances that could’ve been booted & it could be an area that gets cleaned up at the next level. At the National AFL Draft Combine, Allen scored 20/30 on the goal kicking test.
- Set shot goal kicking
DRAFT PROJECTION: 10-20
SUMMARY
Some punters suggest Allen is a chance to feature inside the top 10, but it appears likely that clubs in the latter half of the first round will be able to get their hands on Allen. The key forward is the best forward in the draft pool, and it will be out of him and Aaron Naughton who will be the first West Australian player selected. The WA Under 18s co-captain has worked on his game throughout the season and will be a player that should be able to transition to the next level.
U18 Championships:
vs South Australia (10/06/2017)
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-06-10/u18-young-wins-it-for-wa-after-the-siren
SA did all the attacking early (11-6 inside 50s) in the first quarter as potential No.1 draft pick Darcy Fogarty slotted both his side's goals to the first break.
But WA bookends Oscar Allen (three goals) and Aaron Naughton took control as the hosts gained the ascendancy.
Allen banged through a superb set shot from the intersection of the 50m arc and boundary line before quarter-time, sparking a run of five unanswered goals for WA.
"Oscar was really good early, probably faded a bit," Sumich said. "I thought Sammy Taylor and Naughton were outstanding down back.
Such was Allen's influence that big-bodied Glenelg product Fogarty – who played mostly in attack – was shifted down back to start the last quarter.
vs Vic Metro (18/06/2017)
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-06-18/u18-vic-metro-too-strong-for-wa
Key defender Aaron Naughton continued his form with 15 touches and six rebound-50s, while marking forward target Oscar Allen booted two first-term goals and finished with three as his side's only multiple goalkicker.
vs Allies (25/06/2017)
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-06-25/england-masterclass-lifts-wa-u18s-to-victory
Forward Oscar Allen sent a scare through the WA camp in the first quarter with an ankle concern, but returned after having his lower leg strapped.
Allen, who stands at 191cm, provided a strong target up forward and ended with 19 disposals, eight marks and two goals.
vs Vic Country (30/06/2017)
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-06-30/u18-bottomager-hill-impresses-in-was-win
Rangy forward Oscar Allen – one of the state's top prospects in this year's draft, nailed three majors and continues to impress.
The West (Shayne Hope)
https://thewest.com.au/sport/afl-draft/more-than-one-string-to-afl-draft-prospect-oscar-allens-bow-ng-b88621413z
WA’s best under-age key forward — West Perth product Oscar Allen — can see himself developing into a big-bodied midfielder at AFL level.
Allen is a genuine chance to be selected in the first round of next month’s national draft after starring at the national under-18 titles this year, when he became the first Black Swan to win the Larke Medal since Dom Sheed in 2013.
Listed at 191cm and 83kg, Allen is already a similar height to Nat Fyfe and has plenty of potential to develop his frame.
He has grown 20cm in the past 21/2 years and moved into a key-forward role in the past two seasons, having played most of his junior football in higher age groups as an inside midfielder or half-back flanker.
“I was always the smallest in the side, so that probably lends me to being pretty good below my knees for someone my size,” Allen said.
“I think that (moving into the midfield at AFL level) is something which is definitely a possibility in the future. I also played a lot of basketball as a youngster, and with such a confined space and 10 blokes on the court, it’s similar to a football stoppage where everyone’s so tight.
“You’ve got to have good reactions and read the play, so that came in handy when I was playing in the midfield.
“It’s something that I suppose came a little bit naturally to me.”
“I think some clubs are happy to try me out in that midfield role,” the 18-year-old said.
“But I also think I could be a third tall or undersized key forward.
Allen grew up a staunch West Coast fan.
He also followed West Perth, attending games as a boy at Joondalup before being called up to play for the Falcons.
He played 25 colts games over the past two seasons and made his league debut in round 20 this year.
“Football is my main goal and it’s something where I’m really doing everything in my power to strive towards,” Allen said.
“If I get the opportunity to play professional football anywhere, no matter for what team, I’d just love the opportunity and try to grab it with both hands.”
I'd much rather he have a chance at playing up the ground so hopefully he was just standing on some books
I legit read somewhere that he was playing as a normal medium defender prior to his growth spurt a couple years ago.
