Moderator
#28,626
Care to elaborate? Strengths? I've just read he's a poor mans Acres.
Knightmare said:
(WA – Mid)
Height: 186cm, Weight: 81kg, DOB: 03/02/1996
Recruited from: Swan Districts
Draft range: 10-30
Best position/role: Midfield – on the ball.
Strengths:
Ability to keep his feet – Blakely is exceptionally balanced. He has good strength through the legs and hips but mostly he just has excellent balance and because he is someone who maintains his balance and does not leave the ground he is as a result someone who will keep his feet in the contest, rarely if ever going to ground and in tackles also can be difficult to bring to ground.
Inside game – Showed through the U18 Championships excellent inside ability winning the contested ball, winning the clearances, reading the ruck taps well to get first hand on it, tackling strongly and moving evasively in traffic which has allowed him substantial time and space in traffic to use the ball efficiently. He gives the second and third efforts inside. Typically Blakely is someone who hits the ball at speed which gives him in traffic a really explosive feel, where he will burst away from congestion and make some evasive moves to avoid would be tacklers, then gets it away cleanly all on his own. Season one ready –Has performed and performed strongly against men at senior WAFL league level and has coped well against the stronger bodies which suggests that he can make the transition to playing from season one at AFL level.
Evasive movement in traffic – His real athletic gift that pops out at you is his explosive ability to sidestep that he uses in traffic. With his explosive sidestep he can effectively create significant time and space for himself to dispose of the ball effectively by hand and foot which particularly when playing on the ball greatly helps his disposal efficiency. He also uses quick, small steps brilliantly and frequently in traffic to also create time and space for himself as with those smaller steps he can change direction more quickly, allowing for that creation of space. He moves exceptionally quickly in traffic, just reading the drop of the ball first consistently, winning it and getting up to speed quicker than anyone else which gets him out of traffic with ball in hand, and on the move he also while accelerating and quickly change direction making him extra hard to lay a hand on.
Skillset – Blakely is an efficient user of the footy. By hand he inside the contest can work effectively as an inside extractor finding the outside runners or creating space to get a clear pass off by hand to a target in more space. By foot he will look in general play to work into space before kicking, executing his kicks to a target when he has the time and space to deliver. He has good vision finding the best the targets in best position, making good decisions and shows a willingness when he has time with ball in hand to lower his eyes and find the best targets. He also can at times use his opposite side as required. He also when tackled has the strength to release by hand to a target.
Outside game – Blakely while he played as an on-baller through the U18 Championships has relatively good outside ability for an inside player who can also outside the contest get involved in the play but also use it well.
Weaknesses:
Pace – Blakely while he has an incredible ability to create space in traffic and to sidestep guys he is not a linebreaker with only average pace and a relative lack of straightline speed.
Scoreboard impact – Blakely can on occasion hit the scoreboard through the midfield but at this stage he is not someone you would put in the forward 50 as someone who is neither a natural crumbing forward or a marking forward for him to be a real threat.
Marking ability – Blakely at this stage can take uncontested marks around the ground but is not a marking threat as some other tall midfielders are. He takes his marks cleanly and can take his marks out in front but he is not someone who generally takes his marks on the move, leaping up at the ball or taking it at the highest point which makes him slightly limited in this regard, mostly just waiting for the ball to come towards him when he is stationary. I would also categorise his hands overhead as clean but not strong or sticky hands. At this stage Blakely is relatively limited on the lead as someone who does not seem to read where the ball is going or read the drop of the ball to be a major threat on the lead. Additionally he is not a threat to take 1v1 marks or pack marks, limiting his potential to play in the front half. What I expect will improve:I expect Blakely will continue to improve his inside game which is where he has real scope to develop but also at the same time add some further strings to his bow.
Who he can become?
Blakely through the midfield has the scope to develop into something similar to Callan Ward.
When will he be ready to play?
Blakely in my view is round one ready to play and has the opportunity from season one to establish himself as a regular part of a best team if the opening is there for a midfielder given his exceptional WAFL League performance and strong play through the U18 Championships.
How to best utilise him?
Blakely is best utilised through the midfield on the ball.
Interpretation of his numbers:
Blakely’s numbers through the U18 Championships were excellent as WA’s best midfielder. His disposal numbers were excellent. His contested ball winning, tackle and clearance numbers were all excellent, as was his disposal efficiency by position. His numbers at WAFL league level have been excellent similarly demonstrating strong disposal and tackle numbers against men suggesting he is capable of playing at AFL level from season one.
Height: 186cm, Weight: 81kg, DOB: 03/02/1996
Recruited from: Swan Districts
Draft range: 10-30
Best position/role: Midfield – on the ball.
Strengths:
Ability to keep his feet – Blakely is exceptionally balanced. He has good strength through the legs and hips but mostly he just has excellent balance and because he is someone who maintains his balance and does not leave the ground he is as a result someone who will keep his feet in the contest, rarely if ever going to ground and in tackles also can be difficult to bring to ground.
Inside game – Showed through the U18 Championships excellent inside ability winning the contested ball, winning the clearances, reading the ruck taps well to get first hand on it, tackling strongly and moving evasively in traffic which has allowed him substantial time and space in traffic to use the ball efficiently. He gives the second and third efforts inside. Typically Blakely is someone who hits the ball at speed which gives him in traffic a really explosive feel, where he will burst away from congestion and make some evasive moves to avoid would be tacklers, then gets it away cleanly all on his own. Season one ready –Has performed and performed strongly against men at senior WAFL league level and has coped well against the stronger bodies which suggests that he can make the transition to playing from season one at AFL level.
Evasive movement in traffic – His real athletic gift that pops out at you is his explosive ability to sidestep that he uses in traffic. With his explosive sidestep he can effectively create significant time and space for himself to dispose of the ball effectively by hand and foot which particularly when playing on the ball greatly helps his disposal efficiency. He also uses quick, small steps brilliantly and frequently in traffic to also create time and space for himself as with those smaller steps he can change direction more quickly, allowing for that creation of space. He moves exceptionally quickly in traffic, just reading the drop of the ball first consistently, winning it and getting up to speed quicker than anyone else which gets him out of traffic with ball in hand, and on the move he also while accelerating and quickly change direction making him extra hard to lay a hand on.
Skillset – Blakely is an efficient user of the footy. By hand he inside the contest can work effectively as an inside extractor finding the outside runners or creating space to get a clear pass off by hand to a target in more space. By foot he will look in general play to work into space before kicking, executing his kicks to a target when he has the time and space to deliver. He has good vision finding the best the targets in best position, making good decisions and shows a willingness when he has time with ball in hand to lower his eyes and find the best targets. He also can at times use his opposite side as required. He also when tackled has the strength to release by hand to a target.
Outside game – Blakely while he played as an on-baller through the U18 Championships has relatively good outside ability for an inside player who can also outside the contest get involved in the play but also use it well.
Weaknesses:
Pace – Blakely while he has an incredible ability to create space in traffic and to sidestep guys he is not a linebreaker with only average pace and a relative lack of straightline speed.
Scoreboard impact – Blakely can on occasion hit the scoreboard through the midfield but at this stage he is not someone you would put in the forward 50 as someone who is neither a natural crumbing forward or a marking forward for him to be a real threat.
Marking ability – Blakely at this stage can take uncontested marks around the ground but is not a marking threat as some other tall midfielders are. He takes his marks cleanly and can take his marks out in front but he is not someone who generally takes his marks on the move, leaping up at the ball or taking it at the highest point which makes him slightly limited in this regard, mostly just waiting for the ball to come towards him when he is stationary. I would also categorise his hands overhead as clean but not strong or sticky hands. At this stage Blakely is relatively limited on the lead as someone who does not seem to read where the ball is going or read the drop of the ball to be a major threat on the lead. Additionally he is not a threat to take 1v1 marks or pack marks, limiting his potential to play in the front half. What I expect will improve:I expect Blakely will continue to improve his inside game which is where he has real scope to develop but also at the same time add some further strings to his bow.
Who he can become?
Blakely through the midfield has the scope to develop into something similar to Callan Ward.
When will he be ready to play?
Blakely in my view is round one ready to play and has the opportunity from season one to establish himself as a regular part of a best team if the opening is there for a midfielder given his exceptional WAFL League performance and strong play through the U18 Championships.
How to best utilise him?
Blakely is best utilised through the midfield on the ball.
Interpretation of his numbers:
Blakely’s numbers through the U18 Championships were excellent as WA’s best midfielder. His disposal numbers were excellent. His contested ball winning, tackle and clearance numbers were all excellent, as was his disposal efficiency by position. His numbers at WAFL league level have been excellent similarly demonstrating strong disposal and tackle numbers against men suggesting he is capable of playing at AFL level from season one.

